Beer Quarry Caves

Today, I'm visiting Beer Quarry Caves in Devon with some friends. I've been to several other caves and caverns in other parts of the world, as well as ones closer to home, but this is the first time I've visited 2000-year-old man-made caverns!

As you venture through the chalk limestone caves, the styles of the pillars tell you in which era the sections were quarried - Roman, Saxon and Norman all feature.

You can find Beer Stone in almost every church in East Devon, and it's also been used in Exeter, Winchester, St.Paul’s and Norwich Catholic Cathedrals, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London.

Have you visited any caves? If not, would you like to? Which ones would you visit?

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

I just love the name of these gardens - what a creative title to spark inspiration!

I'm down in Cornwall to visit a friend and The Lost Gardens of Heligan beckoned to us. Here's a bit of the blurb:

The Tremayne Family have owned the 200-acre Heligan Estate for over 400 years. During the 18th and 19th centuries there was a thriving, almost self-sufficient community here. Heligan House was rented out after World War 1. In the 1970s it was converted to flats and sold off, separated from its surrounding Gardens and Estate. In 1990 this Sleeping Beauty was discovered and re-awakened, becoming Europe's largest garden restoration project.

And here are some pics of the treats in store:

Have you visited the Lost Gardens? Does the name inspire you, too?

Quest to Enhance Nature

Somebody has been on a quest to enhance nature in one of my local parks. This is a gorgeous work of art!

I shall have to investigate to see if I can spot any more!

Cheerful lights are now prettier!

Yes, the cheerful Christmas lights are still twinkling away in May! They're even prettier now that blossom is on the tree. 😊

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Let there be cheerful lights

A couple of houses near me continue to bring cheer to the local neighbourhood in these trying times. Yes, you're seeing right - they've still got their Christmas lights on in March!

Fair play to them, I say!

Do any of your neighbours have their Christmas lights on still?

WriteOnCon kidlit writing conference – 19th-21st February 2021

Once again, WriteOnCon are holding their online kidlit writing conference. There are a mix of blog posts, Q&A sessions, workshops, discussions and feedback sessions all geared towards kidlit writers (anyone can attend, though, as a lot of advice will be universal). There’s still time to register, and there are different tiers of attendance, depending on your requirements. 

The forums are up and running from today, and you can polish your Twitter pitches, queries and the first 500 words of your manuscript with the aid of fellow writers. There’s even a ‘Supers’ district where agents, editors and professional writers might drop by to give feedback.

Hope to 'see' you there!