Author Archives: R Cawkwell

Hi I'm Rosemarie and I like to write. I write short stories and longer fiction, poetry and occasionally articles. I'm working on quite a few things at the minute and wouldn't mind one day actually getting published in print.

Just as soon as I get my laptop to a wifi connection…

Good afternoon,

Having a bit of a lazy day today since my back is bad again. But I have managed to get a bit of writing done. I went out yesterday afternoon to a place that does children’s parties. Not because I’m weird, mostly groups of children irritate me, no, it was my godson’s birthday party. And since the venue is in a tourist town I thought I’d review it, for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in Cleethorpes on a wet day. I shall probably post my review on Saturday.

Other than that I’ve been for a walk, did some of my computer course work and finished reading ‘The Black Butterfly’ by Mark Gatiss. And eaten six Cadbury’s Creme Eggs – which is not something I recommend anyone doing. I feel quite unwell now 😦

Bye,

Rose

Review: The wisdom of the Shire: A short guide to a long and happy life

Noble Smith

Hodder & Stoughton

2012

As I said yesterday, I don’t read self-help books but I got sucked in by the Tolkien canon concept. There’s a reason for this; I get the feeling that the authors of such books are a bit smug. They might not be, but why would you write a book telling people how to live, or reach enlightenment, or how to pull, if you don’t believe that you know it all already and are kindly dispensing your wisdom to the world? So I’m a bit cynical; I don’t care how long you’ve been a Tolkien ‘enthusiast’, otherwise known as a fan, have you got something new to say, or are you just taking advantage of the fact that the ‘Hobbit’ films are popular at the minute?

As it turns out Mr Smith has nothing new to say on living a good life: sleep when you’re tired, only take what is sufficient to life, don’t be greedy or grasping, be a good neighbour and friend, treat the earth with respect and be a part of your community. None of this is new, but using the characters from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as his exemplars is. Much of the information asterisked as footnotes are obvious, irrelevant to the main text or things already known by those who are fans of Middle Earth.

All that being said, Mr Smith is passionate about the subject and that is obvious from his writing and the personal examples included affected me. His plan for a small ‘Hobbit garden’ is an interesting extra, he missed out Sam’s nasturtiums though :D. Most of all it has pushed me back to my copy of The Lord of The Rings, which sits accusingly on my bedside table, demanding to know when I am going to carry on reading it? The answer is, later, after I’ve made my pack up for work tomorrow.

I wouldn’t particularly recommend this book as weekend reading, but if you happen to see it in the library and like Middle Earth it would be a new approach to the works of Tolkien.

Bye,

Rose

My Chemical Romance split

During my early morning Facebook and Twitter check yesterday (yeah, yeah, I know, but I couldn’t sleep) I heard that MCR had split up. Now these sort of rumours appear all the time about various bands so my first thought was ‘hoax’, but then I checked their website for news and the Kerrang! blog.

‘Tis a great shame, and rather unexpected, since I’d heard they were working on some new songs. I’d hoped to see them live next year. It’s no secret that until mid-2011 I had no interest whatsoever in music, it had just never been a part of my world, but now it is. MCR was/is one of my favourites. I like everything they’ve done.

I know people who have been fans for years, who say MCR saved them and who have their own preferred eras; it’s quite interesting that some people seem to prefer the album they heard first. I feel that in coming to them late, after they put out Danger Days, it means that rather than comparing an album to the one before, or a favourite, I’ve been able to see each album as the distinct entities they are, rather than having an expectation of more of the same. I can hear the transition between ‘Black Parade’ and ‘Danger Days’ in ‘Conventional Weapons’, and the increased polish between ‘Bullets’ and ‘Revenge’. Each album is enjoyable in it’s own right, yet all have the same message of hope to those in pain.

Decried as dangerous by tabloids and insulted as ’emo’, this band paired introspection and emotional lyrics with an almost punk aggression in their style of performing. They started out quite dark in song content and band imagery but changed and, importantly the music continually evolved as the Way’s and their friends grew up and changed themselves.

In the last twelve years MCR have made some memorable music. I personally love ‘Thank you for the venom’, ‘I’m not okay’ and ‘Boy Division’ as well as ‘Na, Na, Na (Na, Na, Na)’ and ‘Welcome to The Black Parade’. The lyrics are powerful and occasionally make me cry, for the pain the writer must have gone through to write something so beautiful, and for those who have been brought back from the brink by the music. For all that the videos for ‘Danger Days’ are in the same melancholic vein as their earlier work, the songs themselves never fail to make me smile. I love the graphic nature of the songs and the strong imagery they evoke.

But my opinion on My Chemical Romance’s musical style and image is not important right now; what I want to say is My Chemical Romance were one of the first bands I was ever a fan of, one of the first bands in who’s members I ever took an interest beyond ‘that sounds good, I suppose’. The music they made means a lot to me, and has been a great help to me at times. The band and their music also mean a great deal to some of my closest friends (including my 5 year old godson who, when I went to visit, announced before I had my coat off, ‘Rosie, we have bad news; MCR have split’; apparently he wailed when he was told by his mum. He’d wanted to go to see them next time they toured, his favourite song is ‘Sing’ and he adores the videos for ‘Danger Days’).

So, I’d like to thank them for the music.
And MCRmy/Killjoys; ‘You get a lifetime’, make the best of it. Keep going; they’re still living and creating so we will hear from them again, just maybe not as MCR.

Bye

Rose

I really should finish reading what I’ve started first, but still…

This morning I took my nephew to the library to get some more books and to take my book back. I had no intention of getting another book, since I still have two other books to finish reading, but then I saw this book, ‘The Wisdom of the Shire’ by Noble Smith.

I don’t generally go in for ‘self-help’ books but I have a thing for the works of JRR Tolkien and the book seemed to be a different take on the whole world of Middle Earth. So I’m going to read it. But first I’m going to follow Mr Smith’s advice and get some sleep because I’m tired.

I’ll let you know what I think of the book when I finish it. Have a nice afternoon, and I hope you’re all safely in your Hobbit-holes nice and warm in this cold weather.

Bye,

Rose

Review: A Place of Confinement by Miss Anna Dean

A Place of Confinement or, The examinations of Miss Dido Kent

By Miss Anna Dean

Allison and Busby
2012

The forth book in The Dido Kent Series finds Dido, the 36 year old spinster, sent off to be companion to her Aunt Manners, for the crime of refusing to marry a widowed rector and his pew and a half of children. Aunt Manners is very wealthy and her nieces and nephews are desperate for her good will.

Arriving at Mrs. Manners family home, Charcombe Manor, they find that another guest, the wealthy Miss Verney, has disappeared. Mr Tom Lomax, an acquaintance of Dido’s is considered the guilty party but swears he is not. For the sake of his father, Mr Lomax, a dear friend who would be more if he could persuade Dido to it, she undertakes to investigate the matter. When a man is murdered it becomes imperative that the truth is known, for more that Tom Lomax’s life is in the balance.

Everyone has their secrets and Miss Dido Kent will know them, in the pursuit of truth and justice, and to find the missing young lady. What emerges from the investigations of the active, intelligent and argumentative Miss Kent, will upset all around her, dig up a secret thirty years forgotten, bring a proposal and an engagement and a massive reconsideration of the characters of those Dido believes she knows well.

I do like the Dido Kent books. She is an engaging, intelligent character who has flaws and admits to them. She is aware of her lack of ‘femininity’ and her lack of freedom in her position as a dependant sister; she is ashamed of being a pawn in her sister-in-laws manoeuvres to gain a fortune but independent enough not to be bullied in to a loveless marriage by her.

Anna Dean is an amusing writer, her plots are well constructed and characters believable. Her understanding of human nature is exquisite, as is her understanding of the structure of a good regency novel and how to mess with it. I do like a good mystery, and a regency novel. So, of course I like this book. And I sympathise with Dido; no one likes being a poor, dependant middle-aged spinster, now or 200 years ago.

Bye for now,

Rose

I’m awake rediculously early…so I’m going to write.

Unless I’m going somewhere I’m not usually awake at this time on a Saturday morning but today I can’t sleep. I’m on call at work and it messes with my sleep patterns. Anyway, since I’m awake I thought I’d make a blog post. For the fun of it.

Yesterday I got all the stuff I’d written on the train to Nottingham and back typed up. It turned out to be quite a substantial amount of writing. I don’t know why but I find it quite easy to write while I’m on the train, especially if I get a table seat. I can spread myself out and just write. I think the motion of the train must be relaxing, and for me at least the novelty still hasn’t worn off.

Am I the only one who finds trains conducive to writing, any type of writing?

There’s a great tumblr blog, prompts-and-pointers.tumblr.com, that I follow and on Sunday I wrote down one of their prompts in my notebook. It kept me busy on the train, I came up with three possible short stories. I started on the first one on Monday and continued it quite easily yesterday, once I’d got everything I’d scribbled in my notebook typed up. I think its about 3,300 words long now and maybe half finished. I had an idea to work on all three story ideas and compare the results at the end.

I’m going to have to go for another train ride soon.

I’m actually going to attempt to sleep for a while now,

Bye

Rose

Hotel Review: Premier Inn, City Centre, Nottingham

Goldsmith Street

Nottingham

NG1 5LT

 

Cost: £37 (inc. online booking fee)

Double room, 1 adult, no refund available if cancelled.

 

I stayed here in December and was quite impressed except that then I had booked a twin room and we got a family room instead – I ended up in a child’s bed while my companion got the double bed. So, as it’s ten minutes away from Rock City, essentially just around the corner from that venue, it seemed the obvious place to stay again.

The Staff

I arrived in the late afternoon and was greeted by cheerful reception staff members who efficiently dealt with my check in and directed me to my room after answering questions about the restaurant and bar without hesitation.

The servers in the restaurant, later that evening and in the morning, were personable, helpful and quick to assist. They were very solicitous of my comfort without being pushy.

The Hotel

It was clean, quiet, and good value for money, providing budget accommodation that didn’t feel ‘budget’. In a good location near Nottingham Trent University, the shopping and entertainment areas of Nottingham and on the tram route (there’s a stop almost outside the door) it’s a central point if you are visiting the city for business or pleasure. The use of key cards to use the lifts and to enter the hotel after 11pm made me feel secure. Check in is from 2.00pm and check out is 11.00am.

My Room

The room was clean and comfortable. Facilities included a compact bathroom, with four towels; freeview television; hairdryer; desk and chair; easy chair and small table; tea and coffee (plus rather slow boiling kettle), as well as a 30 minutes free WiFi. I didn’t make use of the WiFi but the instructions for connecting to it were very simple and explained on a card in the room. I could have done with clearer instructions on how to use the television though.

The bed was firm but comfortable; the bedding was of a good quality. There was adequate lighting and heating, although I found the room a little too warm during the night. If I hadn’t been so exhausted I’d have got up and changed the temperature – instructions for this were provided.

I slept well, disturbed only by the creaking above as people moved about of the top floor about midnight – I can’t have been the only one who went out for the evening. I wasn’t disturbed in the morning by traffic noise or other people getting up, their noise was muted.

The bath/shower were easy to use, and the water temperature fairly comfortable and easy to adjust. The towels provided were of a good size and quality.

Food

The restaurant is open 5.00pm – 10.00pm for evening meals and 6.30am – 10.30am for breakfast.

I had the Premier Breakfast which was excellent value (£8.25 all you can eat full English and continental breakfasts) and cooked just right, neither too hot nor cold, nor had any of it dried out (or become soggy) under the heater. It was very filling and kept me going until I got home mid-afternoon.

On Monday evening I had the chicken Caesar salad. A full, and substantial, chicken breast had been grilled then sliced up. The salad was fresh and crunchy, there was a touch to much dressing and cheese for my taste but I certainly enjoyed it.

I was seated quickly and waited only 20 minutes for my meal. The menu selection was comprehensive although it seemed to lack in basic meals – everything was a little too fussy and pricey.

Overall

A good value budget hotel, with decent rooms and friendly staff. Eat breakfast there, but tea (dinner, supper) elsewhere unless you really don’t fancy wandering around the city. Book rooms as far in advance as you can for the best prices. I booked three months in advance and chose the cheapest option but without the opportunity to get a refund if I cancelled.

It’s near the city centre and easy to get to from the train station – either by walking or tram. If you walk it takes 20 – 30 minutes, depending on how fit you are – a lot of the way is uphill.

I enjoyed my stay at this Premier Inn, and next time I’m in Nottingham I shall stay there again.

Rose