Party Frock, Noel Streatfeild

Party Frock is the next of my childhood books to be read from the culling pile. First published in 1946, my version was printed in 1965 by the Collins 'Seagull Library', which means I was about ten when I read it. Illustrations are by Anna Zinkeisen. "Quintessentially English" is the phrase that sprang to mind …

Ash Road by Ivan Southall

The time has come, the walrus said, for grown-up women to divest their childhood books (apologies to Lewis Carroll for such clumsy paraphrasing). Along with so many others in COVID lockdown,  occupying themselves by cleaning and clearing, I eventually took a hard look at those books I have held on to for more than fifty …

Newcastle Writers Festival

In contrast to the Adelaide Writers Festival which I attended at the beginning of March the Newcastle Writers Festival is a smaller regional affair with predominantly home-grown authors on the dais. I was up there at the beginning of April, with Bill and I being house-guests of long-time friends, and attended events on the Saturday and Sunday. …