Bye Bye Barnstaple. In my last weeks here, I reflected on the incredible opportunity offered to me by this residency. To live and write in another country, to explore places, to dig into history has been a gold mine. Speaking of which, being here has reminded me of the extraordinary…
Barnstaple and Beyond The Di Yerbury residency has provided the opportunity to make a journey of discovery within and beyond Barnstaple. Much of the travel has involved deepening my knowledge of family links to the UK and extending my connections. Huntingdonshire A significant part of my family came from Alconbury…
Barnstaple is feeling very much like home as October is sliding by. It is easy work to be productive each day as it is a peaceful and inspiring location on Alexandra Road and I am enjoying having the freedom to write, edit, and research my novel without distractions. I walk…
The old Ladywell, Pilton, Barnstaple I am so pleased to be this year’s winner of the Di Yerbury Residency in Barnstaple, Devon in the UK. Having won the prize in the celebration of the 100th year of the Society of Women Writers NSW Centenary year feels very special and much…
As my time in Barnstaple draws to its close, I reflect on the benefits of being able to visit the places relevant to my story. My last month has been a busy one … consolidating research notes and travelling further afield. A trip to the east afforded me the opportunity…
The colour palette of North Devon and elsewhere in the UK is changing quickly. Fields remain a vivid green but are checkered with the yellow of reaped fields and fallowed soil. Burgundy and russet leaves hang from trees or skip along the streets in cutting winds. Autumn started warm and…
I consider myself fortunate to be the recipient of the Society of Women Writers NSW patron, Emeritus Professor Di Yerbury’s residency. Barnstaple is one of the oldest boroughs in England with its history dating back to 900AD. Once a port town on the River Taw, it retains evidence of a…
October 2023 The last month of my writing residency in North Devon has literally flown! Autumn is definitely here, with shorter days, misty mornings and chilly nights. It has been a wonderful experience to spend the summer in this beautiful part of England and I will be so sad to…
September 2023 It is the first week of autumn here but the days are still warm and sunny, with blue skies and long evenings. The hedgerows are full of ripe blackberries and the last of the summer roses and wildflowers are blooming, yet the leaves are starting to turn. …
August 2023 As I write, the sun is shining, after several days of incessant rain. It is a true Devon summer. Blustery, drizzly, or misty. Then when the sun struggles through, the countryside is transformed. Wildflowers are blooming, blackberries are ripening in the hedges and the hay is being harvested…
28th June 2023 Hello again from glorious Devon. Last week I did a little travelling outside Devon to see a friend in Windsor, Berkshire. While there, she took me to Windsor Great Park to watch ‘the royals’ in a convoy of Bentley cars on their way to Royal Ascot. I…
June 2023 Hello everyone from the lovely county of Devon in the UK. Happy to be staying in Professor Di Yerbury’s apartment in Alexandra Court, Barnstaple, after being awarded the writer’s residency here. Having recovered from a bout of flu, I’ve been exploring the centre of Barnstaple, still laid out…
August 2022 It’s blackberry season and the brambles here are allowed to ramble. I’ve had my eye on a patch close by but, alas, due to the extreme heat and lack of rain, they are not worth picking. With only have a few weeks left of my residency, I…