Being Organised!

OK, I am the first to admit that I am disorganised.  I don't mean to be but sometimes (yes, I'll admit it, often) things get in the way and I am distracted from my path and don't always remember my way back to it.

Last night I received an email that at first made me think the sender had made a mistake.  My reply politely pointed this out.  His reply, obviously offended by my response, was to point out that it was I who had made the mistake, forgetting an appointment we had had.  I am now mortified!  I had not put it into my diary and thus had missed it.

So, after apologising profusely, no one has time to waste and I had clearly wasted his, I thought about what I could do to be more organised. I do not like to be unprofessional.  This led to my writing a long list of all the things I had been meaning to do but never seemed to find the time to get done and hey, presto! I realised that, actually, I need a bit of help.

Last year, when I was trying to work on a new military history whilst sorting estates, property and emotions out, I employed a lovely lady to give me a bit of part time admin assistance.  She is now working full time elsewhere and so is unable to help me this time. I had several people apply for the position she eventually filled, so have gone back to one of them to see if she is available to give me a few hours a week. Hopefully, this will get me back on to the straight and narrow once again.  Fingers crossed she is free.

Sometimes it takes a mistake to make you realise that you need help, so I am grateful for my colleague's email last night.  Let's hope he forgives me.

Library Friends

It has been my privilege to work with two groups lately.  They are both 'Friends of' local libraries, in a trend that is set to continue as library budgets are squeezed.  Local libraries are hubs of activity and if the council cannot afford to run services from them, friends of the library step in.

On Saturday 14 June I was delighted to be the first guest speaker of the new Friends of Bitterne Library group in Southampton.  They seem to be a lively group, so I hope that things go well for them.

I was invited to speak about my book, Under the Queen's Colours and I showed images and read extracts from the book to bring the characters inside alive.  I was delighted when one of the audience was able to describe how he was 'persuaded' (i.e. tricked into going to a certain point on the ship and then bundled unceremoniously along thereafter) to join in the Crossing The Line ceremony, when King Nepture anoints the sea farer who has not crossed the equator before, in this gentleman's case with condensed milk that took days to wash out of his hair!

I like talking to small groups.  They are usually interested and eager and that is infectious.

I have been also been working with the Friends of Portswood Library, also in Southampton, and have given talks there recently.  I will shortly be speaking there again and, indeed, opening an exhibition for them, on 28 June, to mark Armed Forces Day.

Soldiering On

Crumbs, it's been an age since I last blogged!  Time passes so quickly that before you know it, the year is over and we are half way through another.

What have I been up to?  Well, I suppose the best way to describe it is trying to get over bereavement. If you have ever lost someone dear to you, you will know what I am talking about.  I lost two important people in my life in 2013, following long periods of caring and juggling my personal and working life to accommodate them. Then followed all the usual long-drawn-out sorting out of estates and property.  This year has seen a good friend die suddenly, which was a further shock.  I feel as if I have had the stuffing knocked out of me and I was not in the least surprised recently to find that I am suffering from 'emotional burnout' when I answered a burnout questionnaire online.

Work has been difficult.  The nature of my job as a writer is that I am commissioned to produce work to a deadline and one particular commission has proved to be heartrending.  Death is a natural part of life and so people talk about it, particularly when they are being interviewed for a book about their lives. For me, this has proved traumatic as the least little thing said on the subject has sent me into despair.

So, I am soldiering on, doing the best I can and slowly getting there. Hopefully, there will be more blogging soon.  

Time Moving On

It has been a long time since I last blogged.  Events overtook me and I lurched from one crisis to another - one bereavement to another.  They knocked the stuffing out of me, to be honest.

I had been struggling for a while, with illness in the family and with trying to keep up with a variety of commitments, personal and professional.

So, I had to stop soon after the last post in this blog.  I went away and did all that I had to do, grieved and tried to work when I could.  What I wrote in this period was rubbish and so things backlogged and the mountain grew.  I soon got depressed and despondent and then found that I did not want to work.  In fact, I wanted to be anywhere other than at my desk.

This was difficult as I had two new books to launch and promote and more that I was working on.  It is lucky that I have patient and understanding publishers.

So, time has passed and here I am again.  I am sad but I am working. Book deadlines have been moved and I am slowly getting there.

I hope to blog more regularly from now onwards.

Roll On 25 April 2013!

Roll on 25 April 2013!

I am really excited to be joining the team at Haunted Southampton Ltd, the city-based paranormal investigation company, for an interactive evening of ghost stories at the lovely and, of course haunted, Mercure Dolphin Hotel.

Haunted Southampton Ltd, the Dophin Hotel and I have teamed up to bring our audience an evening of unexplained events and hair-raising stories, and to invite members of the public to share their true spine-tingling tales.  Pete and Juliet Collins, the company directors, will be bringing along some of their equipment and explaining how it works when investigating the paranormal and I will be signing copies of my books, particularly the two publications that have their fill of ghostly tales: Folklore of Hampshire and Haunted Southampton.

The Mercure Dolphin Hotel is situated Below Bar and dates back over 500 years.  I seem to feature the hotel in most of my books as its history intertwines so intimately with that of the city I write about.  It also pops up in my about-to-be-published book A 1950s Southampton Childhood (written with James Marsh) but more about that in a later post.

If you fancy a fun, interactive ghostly evening, some tickets (£6) are still available on the Haunted Southampton Ltd website. See you there!

Penny Legg Out and About in Southampton

Yesterday I was delighted to be invited to two very different events in Southampton.

The first was to join the weekly coffee morning at Kinloss Court, Lordshill, to chat with the elderly residents there about aspects of my work.  I met some super people and the conversation was lively - moving on to cover everything from World War 2 through to the state of Britain today. Everyone had very definite views!  It was a real pleasure to meet everyone.  I have popped in and given talks there before for the Lordshill and Lordswood Historical Society, but this is the first time I have joined an informal coffee and chat session.  I look forward to the next visit and thank John Gurney for the invitation.

The second event was the launch of the latest book from my friend, author Mike Roussel.  Mike has produced a super, photo-packed account of the forgotten man behind the Spitfire,  Spitfire's Forgotten Designer - The career of Supermarine's Joe Smith   The launch, at Waterstones West Quay in the city last night, was a packed event featuring the Mayor of Southampton; members of Joe Smith's family; Solent Sky, which organisation supplied many of the photographs used in the book and former employees of Supermarine.

It was super to see Mike busy signing copies of the book as guests sipped wine and mingled. Mike has dropped into my group for writers Writing Buddies several times, so it was great to support him in a small way.

Mike Roussel, launching his latest book, with a new reader

Book Launches Galore!

I have been fortunate recently to be invited to the launches of the latest books of two of my favourite author friends. 

James Marsh’s Not a Guide to Southampton is a jaunty little number, full of fascinating facts and some interesting photos (some mine) of the city.  Designed to be a delve into the city’s history and background, it is definitely not a guide book but will probably lead readers to some interesting spots nevertheless.  James launched the book at The Red Lion pub, Below Bar, Southampton.  This ancient hostelry is part of the fabric of the city as parts of it date back to Norman England.  James’ first book, his wonderfully witty autobiographical Growing Up In Wartime Southampton: Someone Else's Trousers was a delight and readers will not be disappointed with the new book. Guests to the bash included Jim Brown, celebrated Southampton author and historian; journalist and author Jacqueline Pye; author and owner of publishing house The Thorn Press Tessa Warburg, as well as a fair sprinkling of Southampton’s writing talent. 

James Marsh (centre) delighted with the interest in his new book,  Not a Guide to Southampton

Australian author Simon Kleinig launched Frenchman’s Cap, Story of a Mountain at Australia House in The Strand, London.  Simon’s story of the Tasmanian mountain stood tall amidst the glorious surroundings of the Downer Room and the exulted company, which included Mike Rann, the Australian High Commissioner.  Simon’s sympathy for, and love of, the area shines through in a meticulously researched history.  Simon has set up a Facebook page for the book, where there are some super images that bring both the book and the mountain itself alive.  The link to Simon’s blog is well worth following.  As an aside, Simon has recently written about the Gallipoli commander General Birdwood, who is buried in London.  Anyone with an interest in Anzac history may well find his piece of interest.

 

Simon Kleinig signing copies of Frenchman's Cap, Story of a Mountain