After three holidays in three months, it is time to spend time at home in Hastings, not doing very much and reining in our habits before our next big get-away in the summer. Yesterday saw the first rain since we got back from Cornwall over two weeks ago. Non-stop blue skies with a nippy cold wind, and cold evenings. The garden was totally dry. Usual out-and-about-outings, and Battleaxe has been working hard on the final edit of her novel, ‘Death, Deceit and Cake’, which is due to go out on Kindle as soon as she can manage the technological obstacle course involved. More about that in a bit. To start us off, here is a lovely fox at Mallydams the other week.
Obviously he was once a garden fox, because as you can see he did not do the expected running away and hiding when I went into his quarters. He stood and watched me carefully, either wanting food or looking to escape out of the door if I slacked off my attention for a moment. I have to say fox poo is one of my least favourite things. That smell never leaves… The fox has since been released.
Back to my novel. I may have mentioned already that I now plan to list it straight onto Kindle Direct Publishing, as an ebook. My previous terrible experience with an agent made me feel I just need to get the book out there, get on with the next one to follow it, and the third in the series, and probably call it a day – unless I end up on the best seller list of course! I no longer have any appetite to send it to more agents and publishers. The text has been thoroughly (I hope) edited, and I am in the process of appointing a professional cover designer. Everything I have read says that it is essential to have an eye-catching cover, suitable for the genre and appealing to the target audience. There are many cover-creating software packages available, and you can employ cut-price designers from the likes of Ukraine or Uzbekistan, but with all that, you are taking a massive risk.
‘Death, Deceit and Cake’ is a cosy crime murder mystery, set in a small village, starring Caroline and Olga, two members of the Compton Perceval Women’s Institute, as inept investigators. Two murders and the sad fate of the vicarage cat… so far, so classic. Caroline is in a same-sex marriage with Bee Akintola, the local vicar. The investigation is blown off course after the arrival of Faisal, a charismatic Imam from Birmingham… no more spoilers! I will shortly send the first few chapters out for a final, final check to my WI book group, to assess for WI appropriateness, and also to my novel-writing group, to check for political/cultural OKness – there are sensitive race/sexual orientation issues going on. Anyway, I will keep Battleaxe readers updated on progress.
We have been on some sunny walks. Rye Harbour, the Country Park, Pett Level. Everything is looking very bright, the gorse is brilliantly yellow this year against the blue sky, the sea sparkly. Look at this avocet. There are a number of them at Rye Harbour. We stood and watched a little group of them wading in the shallows and sweeping the water with their beaks. This one had caught something.
What else? We went to a Hastings Philharmonic Choir/Orchestra concert at Christchurch St Leonard’s. It was Dvorak’s ‘Stabat Mater’. We left at the interval. Not too bad, it was just one felt an hour was enough to get the measure of the piece. It was not sufficiently heart-tearing and tragic. When we left, we were preceded out of the hall by a very well-to-do looking concert-going gentleman who proceeded to pee in a drain at the side of the church, right on the public pavement. I know loos are hard to come by in that building, but really. I remember in India there were places we’d call ‘pee-pee walls’ where the stench of urine was so strong we’d have to rush past holding our noses. If they close many more public toilets over here it’ll be the same.
We went to the Hastings Contemporary to view the latest exhibitions, all about the sea. Not over-impressed. As ever, just not enough bang for your buck, acres of empty wall. Those exhibitions will stay until September and there are only a couple of things I liked. Certainly, nothing I’d want to revisit. I quite liked the colours on this but can’t remember who painted it or what it is called.
Moreover, they have once again privatised the gallery cafe. It is now called Coquina:
‘Inspired by a shared love of Spanish tapas bars, Italian trattorias and Greek tavernas, coquina will serve vibrant dishes featuring the best produce from across the South coast.
Whether it’s a salty snack and a cocktail at sundown, a light lunch and glass of wine after a visit to the gallery, or a special celebration in our beautiful space, coquina can cater for it all.’
Oh purleeze. We just want a coffee and a piece of cake, thanks. They had slightly intrusive loungey Latin jazz, and a lot of languid young people hanging around not doing very much. It’ll be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Also went to a WI Craft Fair at Pett, where my chums Jan and Jacky were running a stall. Then called into the Tick-Tockory (no website) for coffee. It’s a very quirky tea-shop. Had never been there before. Sat outside and admired this fabulous view. Battleaxe would recommend, although it was a bit pricey.
Have been on a vicious diet. Battleaxe loves her food and feels perpetually irritable and hungry. But all those holidays have played havoc with the weight, and it has to be kept under control. Have lost 4 lb since our return from Cornwall, only a couple more to go, and will feel OK again.
Finally, one very sad thing. Have been doing a fair bit of gardening. Ripped down an overgrown jasmine that was threatening to collapse a fence, and found this inside it. I had no idea that there could have been a nest in there, the bush looked empty. Would obviously have not done it deliberately. It is a dunnock’s nest. What beautiful eggs, and sadly cold and abandoned. Still, Philosopher gave the nest with the eggs to a neighbour, and their little girl was going to take it to school…
I think this post is what you would call an eclectic mix…
