2002
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Work
Writers
Writers of various sorts submitted diaries to us.

- We bought this cottage in 1971 when we were both teaching
at the Polytechnic in Birmingham and always intended to retire here, which
we did in the early 1980s. I was fortunate enough to be able to take early
retirement and have since pursued a number of mostly unpaid mini-careers -
in the Women's Institute, on the Central Region OFWAT Customer Service Committee,
editing and writing. I still do a lot of writing - local and family history
and in the field of children's literature, but life has now slipped into a
pleasant domestic routine, with a little socialising and with short breaks
away from home . . . I am a lark so am often up before 7 a.m. as I was today.
I often write but today I had a bath and then took a cup of tea back to bed
and read until 9 a.m. when I got up. I am currently reading or rereading Judith
Kerr's A SMALL PERSON FAR AWAY, which is about to be published in a new omnibus
edition, 'Out of the Hitler Time', of which I've just received a review copy.
By chance I had a query about this trilogy from a friend last week and have
been dealing with it - I do get enquiries from all over the country, probably
about 20 a year.

The expedition
ship
- Settled down to letter-writing at noon, then typed a batch
of poems to send to literary magazine. Postman arrived at 11.45 but did not
bring much exciting mail today; more adverts than personal mail. Still waiting
to hear from publisher . . . 10.30 p.m. Decided to go to bed early tonight
and read a few more chapters of the new biography of the war poet, Wilfred
Owen, which I have to review for the Wilfred
Owen Association based in Shrewsbury.
-
I work away from home - as an expedition historian on
a small expedition ship - for 6 months of the year. For the remaining 6 months
I work as a writer and lecturer from home in Machynlleth. On 24th September
2002 I was sailing from Greece to Croatia, with fine views between Corfu and
Albania in the narrow strait. I gave a presentation on the Balkans conflict.
A day in the life of a biographer can be seen here.
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