A chance encounter

It's strange how we sometimes stumble by accident or coincidence on things that go on to become very important in our lives. People too at times, people we never expected to encounter but who we come across and who stay with us in one way or another. If I hadn't been researching a particular folk tale for a radio script last week I would perhaps never have come across a book that's affected me deeply - and through it met a family whose story is spellbinding.

The Life of Rebecca Jones was translated by Lloyd Jones from the book O! Tyn y Gorchudd by Angharad Price which won the prose medal at the National Eisteddfod in 2002. It's based on the author's own family history and centres on a farm at Maesglasau in mid Wales, spanning the whole of the twentieth century. The farm is as much a character in the book as Rebecca and her three blind brothers; the description of the hills and the crags, the valley and its stream, the vegetation and the wildlife has to be some of the best, most keenly observed nature writing I've ever read. The book brings Welsh history alive, a changing world seen through the eyes of a product "of a Welsh chapel childhood". And the last page - as I now know others have found it - was truly devastating.  A brilliant, brilliant book that I am so thankful to have come across.

In my own valley here autumn now feels as if it's beginning to turn into winter - the leaves no longer rustle under your feet but cling in muddy clumps to your boots and the mornings are decidedly icy. A walk on the Blorenge last week was exhilarating but very wet and windy - so I was amazed to spot wild swimmers braving the choppy waters at Keepers Pond! On my morning walk with the dog I leave the river to the ducks and just admire the autumnal mists from the banks ...

Row, row, row your boat ...

                                               

                                                

I was interested to read some research earlier this week about children's reading; apparently in one study children who had known eight nursery rhymes by heart by the age of four were amongst the best readers (and spellers) in their class by the time they were eight. There wasn't enough of a discussion in the article as to what other possible aspects could have influenced that achievement, and of course many nursery rhymes might now be considered questionable on the grounds of their approach to gender etc. but the underlying premise - that rhythmic recitation is actively beneficial as well as a fun activity - is one in which I firmly believe. Next week is World Nursery Rhyme Week with lots of activities planned for families all around the world. I have very fond memories of my own experience of nursery rhymes, both as a child and as a parent, and I'm convinced it laid the foundations for my love of language and poetry in particular.

Not that I want to think about Christmas yet (I'm afraid I'm a bit Bah, humbug! about it all) but I did come across a couple of other great ideas for children recently. The wonderful Cant a Mil Bookshop in Whitchurch in Cardiff is offering what it calls an Advent Calendar of Welsh Books, twenty four wrapped and numbered children's books (specially chosen with an individual's age and interests in mind) as an alternative to the chocolate variety. And a writing friend is writing and illustrating a special story for her children with chapters to read with them each day in December - perhaps a family tradition in the making there! 

Changes and chances

I've just finished correcting the proofs for my poetry collection, which will be off to the printers later this afternoon. Though when the book will see the light of day remains to be seen! Just as we here in Wales are almost out of lockdown, England (where the printers are) will be heading back into it. And I think the printers have only just cleared the backlog from Lockdown Mark One.... There are far more important things happening in the world just now of course, but it's certainly throwing yet more plans into disarray.

I'm part of a small peer group who periodically set themselves objectives for their writing which are shared and discussed with colleagues and then reviewed regularly - I find it a very useful focusing and motivating strategy. But over the last eight months my objectives have had to be very fluid; several  long planned projects have proved unachievable in the present situation (interviews and other research visits no longer possible etc). But when a project is completed - and the collection has been a work in progress for some time - it's certainly very gratifying. And the changed landscape has encouraged me to resurrect some old, shelved ideas - a couple of which, for example, have turned out to have life in them for radio scripts. So whilst 2020 has definitely not proved the writing year I'd hoped it to be, it's still proving an interesting, if challenging, one!