What I learned at Writers' Summer School

 The alarm woke me at 7 am even if I went to bed gone midnight. By 8 am I was in the room where a volunteer was giving us our writing task for Lift Up Your Pens. We had four of those sessions, Sunday to Wednesday. I attended every one. The summer school now costs somewhere near a thousand pounds for the short week, starting Saturday tea time, leaving after breakfast on Thursday.  Five nights of accommodation, all meals, and coffee and cake or biscuits for elevenses and tea-time.

You can sell books, giving 15% to the Hayes. You can buy books from other authors, mostly getting a signed copy. 

For me the week had two highlights. What I learned, and what I did.

What I Did

I had a bit part, about four sentences, in five minute comedy written by the Vice President for 2026, Maria Hemmings. She always tells a rude joke to end her introduction to the evening's proceedings for everyone in the large hall called the Main Conference Centre. She is the queen of comedy. 

This year hers, one of three good comedies, was voted the best comedy.

What I learned

What did I learn? That you can establish a character in only one sentence, or two. 

Gestures

That a gesture can emphasize the character. That you can show a lot on stage just by pointing at someone else, or yoursefl, or a part of yourself.

 

The next event will be August 7-12th 2027 at The Hayes Conference Centre, Derbyshire.

The Eclipse in August 2026

 

Sharot family photo from a cruise ship.

My own photos of the eclipse are eclipsed by those from other people. The eclipse in August 2026 started conveniently early evening in the UK and Europe.

We were warned not to look at it directly because it can damage your eyes. Instead look through special glasses.

 Or see the reflection in a bowl of watrr

 Or create a reflection by creating a pinhole camera by making holes in two pieces of white paper, one held in front of the other. You stand with your back to the eclipse and the sunlight should shine through the pinhole in the nearest piece of paper. Creating a picture on the further piece.

I plan to check Wikipedia and Wikihow on creating a pinhole camera ready for next time.

 My whatsapp and Next Door apps were full of messages from people asking where to buy glasses enabling you to see the eclipse safely.

I am awash with eclipse photos from family and friends, in the UK and overseas, from all the people on a conference, everyone in my street whatsapp group. Including photos from my extended family from a cruise ship near Spain.

If you attend an event at a hotel or redtaurant or cruise ship you are likely to have access to distributed free or on sale items. Or enough people for one of them to share instructions.

Alternatively, you can prepare for next time.

The next one seen in the UK will be in August 2027.

You can get a list of future eclipses seen around the world from websites such as time and date.

Please follow my blogs on travel, dress, and comical poetry which I update daily. I have other intermittent blogs such as those on my winning and successful speeches. 

Share links to your favourie photos and posts from my blogs on travel, clothes, and comical poetry. You can also read my past posts on learning German and Spanish and other languages. And look at my books about etiquette, speeches. quotations, comical poetry. And how to write poetry. 

My latest book is Embarrassing Moments which includes language misunderstandings around the world. If you buy one of my books I will sign it for you when we meet, eg at a Toastmasters International Speakers Club meeting.

Off to Oxford

So much to see in historic Oxford. Not just for academics and those who love architecture. Events which benefitted the entire world, like the discovery of penicillin.

 Oxford has a park and ride scheme, about £2.50 for the day, 16 hours, meaning you can't park overnight, cheaper than using a city car park, which is about £7, though you might risk hoping to find a street space.

Park and ride terminal building with toilets, which ran out of toilet paper at 11 a.m. but were fine at 4 p.m.

Not all buses go into the city centre. Some go back to London! We caught the 400 into Oxford. The route is not non-stop. Several stops into the city. Check your phone to find your most convenient stop.

Saturday 15 August 2026 the city was abuzz with people and busy cafés. Historic buildings of every era. Little nooky places in narrow pedestrian side streets selling souvenirs. 

Then huge impressive buildings with giant columns. The colleges with famous names.

Celebrity Cruises celebrates anniversaries

 

Indian Independence Day

 

Wine tasting lunch promoting Saint-Emilion wines was wonderful, but what else could organizers add?

Cheese and biscuits.

We enjoyed a wonderful wine event at an Oxford college. 

Why would I offer feedback? Because it was not free, I paid to attend. 

Amazon and Ebay ask for my feedback on goods I buy. Tripadvisor wants feedback. Restaurants have signs asking customers to give feedback.

I am used to giving feedback. So why not give the organizers the benefit of my free feedback? What could they add?

1 Parking Directions Are Needed

Firstly, give those attending information on parking.

2 Leftovers Containers Are Needed

The food was wonderful. But I am on a diet. I am a small person. I could not eat all of the food.

The drink was wonderful. But my husband was driving. He could not drink all of the glasses of wine.

So, secondly, provide take home doggie bags for food, plus capsules for leftover drink. In the USA restaurants routinely provide doggie bags which advertise the restaurant name. In Spain in the Canary islands this year, 2026, the paradors, government founded hotels, issued texts on menus asking customers to take away food and contribute to combatting wastage and pollution.

3 Spell the Names of Guests Correctly

Everything else was wonderful. What was great? 

Champagne outdoors on the lawn. A chance to walk around in the sunshine displaying our hats, and meeting people.

Seating Plan

No chaotic free seating. I have been at other events where cliques sat together ignoring newcomers. Husbands and wives could not find two seats at the same table. Latecomers who could not find the room, felt doubly foolish, sat alone at tables with empty chairs.

At today's wine tasting lunch, guests were placed alongside people they knew, or had something in common with. A newcomer was placed alongside a chatty person.  

A printed seating plan we could photograph to remember the names of the people we sat next to.

Coffee And Chocolates

Foil-wrapped mint chocolate was offered with the coffee. 

Thanks

A short speech at the end thanked the organizers. 

I recently attended another dinner and asked a regular guest, 'Who is going to give a vote of thanks?' 

He replied, 'We don't usually do that.'

I replied, 'Why not? If you are not going to do it, I will.'

-ends-

Useful Websites

https://bordeauxwinevacations.com/bordeaux-wine-tours/

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Barbecues Are Banned In Britain - Even Your Doormat Is A Danger!

 I got a high pitch buzzing warning on my mobile phone.  The text was a warning from the government to not start barbecues or any flames outdoors, since the smallest spark could set off fires, endangering homes, businesses, people, and emergency responders. The warning mentioned a ban on fireworks and firepits.

I remember in previous years on the last night of our Writers' Summer School at the Hayes Conference Centre up in the cooler Midlands (cooler than London where I live) on the last night there was a sing-song around the firepit. They used to toast marshmallows. I enjoyed the songs, although I was wary of being bitten after dusk by midges, mosquitos, whatever.

However, this year the event did not take place on Wednesday August 6th, the last night. Only when I got the warning from the government, today, Friday August 8th, two days later, did it occur to me that the event was probably discontinued for safety reasons.  

This follows reports of fires.

Temperature 30 degrees Centigrade in London. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

A kitchen clock with the day's date, the time co-ordinated with British summer time from a signal, and the temperature, is one of our most successful 'modern' purchases.

The temperature is 30 degrees centigrade in London, which is 82 Fahrenheit. But not humid like Singapore (where we lived for 30 years, on and off 1993 to 2024) which is sticky heat.

Elsewhere in Britain temperatures reached even higher. Homes were destroyed by wildfires. One woman lost 100 years of family photos. I have many of mine shared on social media, on WhatsApp, and in blogs.

Emergency Evacuation Suitcase

The Japanese keep a suitcase by the front door containing identity documents, food, clothes and more. A small sleeping bag would help if you wanted to sleep elsewhere.

Home Protection From Wildfires

1 Move away from your doors any inflammable items such as 

doormats, or 

plastic wheeled bins, or 

pot plants. 

They could set fire to your front door or back door.

2 Clear leaves and debris from gutters.

3 A wooden side gate can catch fire. A metal gate is safer.

4 Embers can fly in through vents under the house or in the roof. These need to be covered in small fireproof mesh. It can be done professionally, or DIY.

If asked to evacuate, do so. Leave while you can. Smoke can turn day into night so you cannot see to drive. 

AI told me

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+save+homes+from+wildfires&oq=how+to+save+homes+from+wildfires

Useful Websites On Alerts & Fires

gov.uk.alerts

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16052031/UK-heatwave-wildfires-trains.html