Momentous Life Changes

Last week I met an Englishman living in south western France. Nothing unusual in that you might think, but how he got there is. The man, who for the purposes of this reading, I will call David, was born brought up in Barnsley and was an IT specialist working in the financial district of New […]

Seeking solitude in a shrinking world

I’m currently reading a fascinating book called ‘Walking with Cattle.’ I know it hardly seems an immediately enticing read but I came across it in a splendid new, independent, book shop in Fort William in the Highlands of Scotland. Despite Fort William’s strategic location close to the foot of Ben Nevis and enjoying magnificent views […]

Good grammar is more than a life skill, it makes good business sense

I was talking to someone a few days ago who informed me that their child was being taught about subjunctives and gerunds at primary school. This is proof, perhaps, that Mr Gove’s tenure as the Government’s Education Secretary was not entirely wasted, despite bleatings from teachers about yet more changes to the national curriculum. It […]

The Miner Who Would Be A Gannet

A short story: Gannet: Sula bassana. Very large seabird, cigar shaped with a six foot wingspan. Narrow, black tipped wings and a white body with ochre head. A superb, graceful flyer, prefers open sea except when breeding. Dives from a great height to catch fish. “When thou going to get ‘itched then Tommy?” one of […]

Will it snow this winter?

Preamble: I wrote this piece for my ‘Radio for the Blind’ recording on 01 November, my predictions appear to have been prescient as we had a heavy fall of snow this week.  Well we are heading for it now. The clocks have turned back and I have lit my open fire, as I write the […]

Every writer must suffer the indignity of publisher rejections

My bid to be Prime Minister of Yorkshire

I know this is not the end of the referendum debate by a country mile but it is time we just stopped expressing our anger, horror, surprise, joy or whatever emotion June 23 stirred in us and thought about the future. Looking back is pointless, it is time to look ahead and seize what opportunities […]

Beware Content Blindness

The communications industry is obsessed with ‘content’. In layman’s language this means copy and visual material for websites, blogs, social media sites and internal briefing documents. There is an overload of ‘content’ and therefore a greater need for brevity and conciseness. Engaging audiences among the tsunami of non-stop communications has become harder to achieve and […]

What’s in a name?

From the early stages of writing my first novel I had decided on the name, ‘The Windelton Absurdities.’ I felt it accurately characterised the absurd, outlandish and hilarious roll call of inhabitants and place that is the imaginary, small Yorkshire town of Windelton. So why did it end being called ‘Hidden Lives’ you might ask? […]

Understanding audiences

It is stating the obvious that different subjects will require different pace and tone; writing about an insurance policy needs a more serious treatment than say, a pair of Levi’s (although some may disagree), but understanding the motivations of your audience remain paramount. It is all too easy to forget when messaging, whether it be […]