Farewell Newfoundland

Temperature got down to 8 degrees. Donned thermals. Arrived London. Resorted to the Ladies in Euston to disrobe.  Methinks I am a member of the cast in Cupid's Twelfth Night where the Newfoundland cadences so enhanced the  play. Blackberry picking here in the extraordinary green of Kendal ' s fell. And so farewell to Newfoundland my second home but not for long I hope.

Last day in Newfoundland

Last day in Newfoundland - unless Hurricane Gaston prevents me. Temperature down to 12 degrees from 24.    Cloud. Howling wind. Off to buy salt cod and salt capelin to take back.

Berries

It is the berry season in Newfoundland. Apart from blackcurrants redcurrants raspberries and gooseberries which all need picking at much the same time the blueberries are also ripe and begging to be stripped from their low growing plants.  Back ache, thigh ache, knee ache but peace. Fortunately we didn't know about the bear until afterwards.

Busy busy busy

And so the pace heats up. Cleaning scallops on the beach opposite the house. People arriving. Sharing out scallops and halibut. People in for supper, out for supper. Parties. One after the fireworks on the beach to end Trinity Days - right under jelly fish parasols of exploding stars.  One for a birthday - 70 dried cod fish hanging like flippers on the wash line as a birthday greeting.

Rain and fog bound in Trinity

Brilliant sunshine yesterday in Trinity. However I opted for the three hour drive to Branch down Placentia Bay and over the barrens to Branch to pick up a halibut. Today the foghorn is moaning the rain was a torrent and the cloud base is 0 feet.

Jigging for cod in Trinity

Morning 12 degrees and grey. We didn't go cod fishing. Afternoon 19 degrees and sunny. Out around the point to look for whales - back to look for cod past a herd of tuna. Jigging in the cove where The Shipping News was filmed. One cod - my first fish. Filleted on the dock  - enough for breakfast.

The Shipping News

Have been lent The Shipping News by a friend who nursed in St Anthony and Flower's Cove in the 50s and 60s. Discover I had only read one page years ago and put it down. Can see why Newfoundlanders might not like it and not sure I do but crit will have to wait for a laptop rather than a phone.

Baltimore to St John's via Ottawa

Flew into unfriendly immigration interrogation in Ottawa from Baltimore. Airport deserted as it was a holiday weekend. No planes no queues except the one for Newfoundland. Sussed it before joining it because everyone knew each other and was exchanging the latest gossip. It was good to be back.

Nevil Shute & Newfoundland

Landed in St John's as a three or four year old on the way to Antigua via Boston. Read Nevil Shute 'No Highway' as a teenager and fell for St Anthony. Finally drove there in 2008 through the bow wave created by the nose of the car. It was as beautiful and as haunted by Vikings as I had hoped it would be.  

Newfoundland 2016

 Flying to Newfoundland on August 17th 2016 - the first time for eight years. Follow my journey to Trinity and Springdale. 

And another new KCT project

And another new Kendal Community Theatre project: Kendal Yarns festival of new plays coming your way 2016. See www.kendalcommunitytheatre.org for ongoing updates.

It was an amazing Festival - 58 plays rehearsed and performed in two weeks - 70 actors, 15 professional directors, 7 intern stage managers, 41 stewards, and 10 KCT production team, not to mention all the venues and their managers. Took down the last posters today. Very sad but after nearly three years of planning satisfied. See the photos taken by Stuart Atkinson on our Facebook Kendal Community Theatre and our website www.kendalcommunitytheatre.org. Follow us on Twitter @KendalTheatre. 

See the pictures of 'Lady Anne Clifford ~ A woman cast out' at www.kendalcommunitytheatre.org/‎

'Lady Anne Clifford ~ A woman cast out'. Excellent performances from the cast, sensitively and expertly explored and directed by Chris Taylor.  Accompanied with verve by Debbie, Anne and Steven, plus David and his recorder group. The set consists of four poster bed made by Pierre Betoin hung with rust-red velvet curtains adorned by the handwritten  improving texts pinned there by Lady Anne, two chairs, a table and a desk box set against banners of her castles and the ruby red velvet curtains of the Town Hall windows. Costumes by Kate Reid are a rich mixture of reds, tawny yellows and greens - seeing the cast play the Elizabethan/Jacobean 'courting' game Barley Break in farthingales is enchanting. Looks good, sounds good. Is great.

Lady Anne Clifford - A woman cast out: rehearsals!

A woman cast out in rehearsal: Lady Anne coming across as sassy, sexy, flirtatious and a little bit obsessed with Westmorland - and her man, of course.

Happy times

Happy times redesigning my blog. Oh joy joy. Work in progress. Not finished yet.

Lady Anne Clifford - A Woman Cast Out now in production - exciting.

Didn't win - but see Facebook for how great an evening it was.

Now to flutter off and examine twitter.

Well - I swore that I would blog more. Trouble is my links to and from Facebook and Twitter appear to be etherised. I NEED a tutor. Anyone out there?

Sceptre Prize

 My novel The Brockenspectre is shortlisted for the Sceptre Prize. Amazing.