PERSONAL reasons had me well disposed in favour of this book well before turning a page. It was something I was silently rooting for, willing it to success. Thus the disappointment that descended well before reaching the thrilling finale was all the deeper and saddening. It was, in the words of a phrase rarely heard these days and doubtless needing to be explained to the millennials, a case of spoiling the ship for a ha’porth of tar. If only there had been tighter editing and/or better proofreading the anticipated pleasure would not have gone astray. With almost everyone now their… Continue reading
Cornwall
SHOCKS galore can await those delving into their family history; a fact frequently demonstrated by the fascinating TV series Who Do You Think You Are? The constant theme is that of surprise. The program has a well established record in shattering strongly held beliefs in one’s lineage. Much that was… Continue reading
Eddystone Light today with the unyielding base of the old light nearby. (Picture: Rupert Kirkwood) AS far back as I can discover, the patriarchal side of my Celtic family has always had close links to the sea. It has brought them employment, skills and opportunities. But also uncertainty, hardship and… Continue reading
A change of genre is in the wind. Goodbye fiction, hello non-fiction. The memoir From Paupers to iPads that I published way back in 2011 has long been due for revision. So much needed correcting or expanding in the light of subsequent research, but it was a task continually begun… Continue reading