Flaming July

Long time, no post! I've had my nose firmly to the grindstone these last few months getting my Southborough War Memorial book ready for the printers, and 5 weeks ago I had my first proof back. The photos (many of the originals copies of copies almost 100 years old) were very disappointing, and I went home and started on the work of re-scanning and re-setting over 200 images at a uniform size of 300 dpi. Since I work full-time, this meant mornings, evenings and weekends. It was a hard lesson to learn, but it's taught me something very real  about the value of working away at something as long as it takes to get it right - aided by the sterling support of my husband! We're at proof-reading stage now, and it's looking very nice. Very exciting! The garden, sadly neglected, is decorated with runaway nasturtiums, un-dead-headed roses, ecologically correct waist-high weeds and a glorious array of white bindweed blooms, but something had to give this year. Hopefully it will benefit from some loving attention soon.

I'll finish with a rant - it really bugs me that the children's literature shelves in so many bookshops, while flaunting wall to wall Anthony Horowitz and other current top ten favourites, have not even one copy of any of Kevin Crossley-Holland's fantastic four books set in the 13th century - Arthur, The Seeing Stone etc. And lately even Michelle Paver's wonderful Wolf Brother books seem to be missing. Get them back on the shelves please! Not everyone can trek to Foyles in Charing Cross Road to find them!