Walking history

As a teenager I was entranced by the Alexander Cordell trilogy, "Rape of the Fair Country", "Hosts of Rebecca" and "Song on the Earth". I realise now that it was those books that sparked my initial interest in family history, because the fictional Mortymers were based on the families of the miners and iron workers who were my forebears in the industrial heartland of South Wales in the early and mid nineteenth century. And, just as I was fascinated then, I'm now completely immersed in the books again as I re-read them decades later.

On Monday we walked in glorious sunshine to the summit of the Blorenge, the "Iron Mountain" that stands between Abergavenny and Blaenavon. The view from the top is tremendous - in one direction across the borders to Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, in the other to the Brecon Beacons and the Carmarthen Fans. But the significance for me had more to do with the history over which we were walking; this is the "Fair Country" of the trilogy. Heather now covers the old mine workings, the tramways are foot and cycle tracks, the pond dug to supply the iron foundries is a recreational lake around which children play and people walk their dogs. As we strolled along the mountain paths that once echoed to the throb of the Industrial Revolution, the only sounds were the wind and the wingbeats of a raven flying above us - but for me the ghosts of the past were never far away.

The year moves on

Well, the evenings are drawing in, it's darker in the mornings and I've done my last stint covering for Rona Laycock on Corinium Radio - autumn must be on its way! Not that I want to say farewell to the summer at all, but there's certainly plenty to look forward to writing-wise in the coming months.

An interesting morning on Thursday, though, with Jennie Farley and Marian Eason as guests on The Writer's Room programme. Jennie has a new poetry collection coming out before Christmas and gave us a preview of some of the great poems in it, along with some of my favourites from her recollections about childhood. Marian, the author of the 1950s childhood memoir "The Deaf Doctor", read one of her short stories and talked about her present project, which involves writing up oral histories she is taking from elderly residents in her North Cotswold village. It's something about which I feel very strongly, ensuring that memories of earlier days and ways are not lost but validated and preserved for future generations.

Jennie and Marian

At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old woman, something else about which I feel strongly is how little many people now know about the stories on which so much of our art and literature is based - myths and legends, Bible stories, folk tales. I recently wrote a poem based on a Biblical character; reading it to a group yesterday only one or two people actually got the derivation. My concern has nothing to do with religious persuasion, but a feeling that so much is missed without a knowledge of the tremendous stories found, for example, in the texts of so many great religions. Certainly the Bible has it all - sibling rivalry, murder, marital infidelity, the underdog defeating the mighty, romance, onerous journeys - all the components in fact of the seven basic plots for storytelling we learn about on creative writing courses! I have to admit that my own knowledge of the stories in other cultures leaves a bit to be desired, but I am trying to remedy that with some of my current reading - and, in very different settings, with people of quite disparate backgrounds, there they are again, the universal themes! 

Boring, but ....

I learned long ago that routine is essential. "Writing is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration" - a hackneyed saying, perhaps, but so very true. To make any progress, it has to become a habit - you get down to it and on with it. Life sometimes conspires to get you out of the habit though - with family and other commitments, as well as rather more pleasurable activities such as holidays. And then you have to re-establish the routine .....

All of which is to say that progress has been frustratingly slow over the last couple of weeks! But I'm back in harness properly now and hoping that completion of the first draft of the family chronicles is still on course for Christmas.

PS. Other "more pleasurable activities" have included Anna Saunders' Saturday morning poetry workshops and a Picaresque summer party - both very worthwhile distractions!

Searching at Cerne

Where God collides with science,
the Almighty, reduced to particles,
plays everlasting hide and seek
with earnest folk
who chase Him round in circles.

"Coming now, ready or not!" -
but He touches base before them.

(Copyright Gill Garrett 2016)

Swanwick's own "Great Escape"

I had no idea until this afternoon that The Hayes had been a prisoner of war transit camp during the Second World War and that the grounds still hold part of the tunnel through which five prisoners successfully escaped over seventy years ago. Not a lot to see now except for this small, dark entrance, which is carefully padlocked these days (against any attempt by conference participants to follow suit perhaps?!) but a fascinating story attached to it.   

The tunnel took less than a month to construct, although the prisoners had only spoons and plates with which to dig. New buildings have now replaced the old but at the time the tunnel ran from the chapel (used as a recreational area) to the outside world on the other side of the barbed wire fencing. The story was apparently told in the book and film "The One That Got Away", the title referring to the one prisoner who not only got out of the camp but out of the country, initially to Canada, then to the United States (neutral at the time), on to Mexico and back to Germany. His first mission with the Luftwaffe after his return was his last, however, as his plane came down just off the Dutch coast and his body was never found. 

A lot of us from the summer school went to view what is left of this historic site and to hear the story. Now, given that we are all writers, with an exciting event to ponder on - perhaps you should watch out for a slew of wartime escape tales in the coming months!

The "tools" they smuggled
from the dining room

Swanwick continued ...

...and of course I'm not disappointed - just exhausted! I had resolved this year to pace myself, not to attempt all that's on offer, but it's hard to resist going to anything and everything that looks interesting. So, with sessions starting at 08.00 and going through until midnight, it can get a bit out of hand!

My specialist course this year is "Creative Non-Fiction" with the American author Kathryn Aalto. If you haven't seen her recent book "The Natural History Of Winnie The Pooh: A Walk Through The Forest That Inspired The Hundred Acre Wood", you've really missed something - the prose is superb, the story tremendous. I've found her sessions not only very inspiring but, most importantly, really firmly grounded and I'm learning a lot. The shorter classes I've done so far have been fun but useful too. But today is timetabled as a "Prevarication Free Day!" so we're all beavering away at our own projects, without the usual domestic and work constraints that so often impede progress in our home situations.

Of course, the social interaction on these weeks is a vital part of the mix and, in addition to several old friends, I've met some great new ones. It's fascinating to hear what other people are writing, their experiences of publishing and marketing their work, all their ups and downs in choosing to put pen to paper. Many of them have their work on sale in the book room; after hearing them read at open mics or discussing their books over dinner, the temptation to spend a small fortune there is almost irresistible!

Award presentation for the short
story competition

Swanwick 2016

I've just arrived at The Hayes for the 2016 Swanwick Writers Summer School - the 68th time it's run! No wonder it's thought to be the longest running residential writing school in the world. And today the sun is shining, it's beautifully warm and the programme looks really great. There are writers here from all over the country - and beyond - and from all sorts of backgrounds, so I'm looking forward to a busy, interesting week.

The view from the Lakeside
Residence