Time to Change, said The Shopkeeper

As a child, one of my favourite cartoons, along with Danger Mouse (Berk! Penfold! ‘Wherever there is danger he’ll be there!’), was Mr Benn. Does anyone else remember Jamie and the Magic Torch? King Rollo was ok if you were bored. I never really liked Magic Roundabout, but I did like the meringue Dougal dogs made by Skelton’s the baker and was still eating them when I was at university. I loved Jamie and the Magic Torch, mainly for the helter-skelter in the introduction, and Wordsworth the Old English Sheepdog. But mostly I loved Mr Benn, with its fancy dress morality tales, and always the Shopkeeper arriving to announce the return to normality through the changing room portal between real life and the adventure of the week, heralding the beginning and end of the adventure with, ‘Time to change’. I also had an imaginary friend called Zephyr. How and from whom I had picked that one up remains a mystery that still confounds our mother to this day.

This past year has felt rather like stepping out of reality. Firstly I have had the privilege of working non stop on a book that in total will end up having taken me 15 years to write. A long time even for me! Bringing books to fruition is a group effort and I am so happy to be part of a wonderful team. The cover is in progress, and I am very excited to share it with you soon.

Second, there’s been a lot going on with family, which has taken up any time I may have perceived I had, and has affected my posting here, so, sorry about that but I will do better, and thanks for all your continued support.

Thirdly, of course, we lost the Neighbour of Legend. I’ve written enough about that, and with the departure of the last of his family on Wednesday there was a finality that felt fitting. I was freeing up some storage today and ran across this photo from 2 years ago, when he was a sprightly 84. His departure from our lives is only physical, and he has left us with not only new friends, but a legacy of community, mutual support, and kindness. He’s not so much sadly, as sorely missed.

So, it’s back to reality. I have never been a particularly gregarious person - although God loves a trier - and the past year has taught me that that’s ok. My work is obviously pretty solitary (and I like it that way, I find the presence of other people when I am trying to concentrate extremely annoying and the idea of ‘working’ in a coffeeshop is enough to make my teeth itch, but everyone has their own way of going about things).

This year of insularity has given me pause. I’ve had time to think about the things that really matter, and why I am doing them. Or not, in some cases.

Reality does, of course, come with its hard edges. One of which is prioritisation, organisation and time management, famously not my strong suits. So I’ll be on here more, but more of the posts will be for paid subscribers only, and will primarily be about writing. The Lincolnshire stuff will remain free. I realise there’s only so many things people can subscribe to and I welcome all and any subscriptions, however, all annual paid subscribers will receive the hardback copy of Born on publication next year, with a dedication bookplate (signed for you or someone else) and a great big thank you from me and the world’s best writing buddy, WH, who needs to be kept in sausages.

It’s been a hell’a year since last June, pals, highs and lows in equal measure, but I think I’ve come out of it a bit stronger and hopefully somewhat the wiser. Here’s to better times for all of us, or at least calmer ones, and to acceptance. In the words of the late Shannon Hoon, ‘Life is hard you have to change’.