WRITER/ HUMORIST/ COACH TO AUTHORS
From today, let’s together create a better, less suspicious world. A world where the ability of stereotypical personality types to change lightbulbs is not forever being questioned. Where folks open the door when someone knocks instead of always always asking ‘who’s there?’ Where a chicken can cross the damn road without her motives being thrown into doubt!. Let’s do it!! Now!!!
buy a prefabricated pond liner plus native plants for in the pond and around it
Mark out the shape of the pond and excavate to the right depth levels for each section.
Choose a location that’s not too sunny or completely dark;
direct sunlight for only a part of the day is ideal.
Place pond in excavation and make sure it’s bedded down solidly and level at top edges.
Sloping ground down to the pond makes it look more natural and catches rain.
Start to build landscaping around the dry pond.
I’ve added rocks backed by an earth bank behind the pool, using the excavated soil, which will offer hiding places
for frogs, toads, mice and insects, and nesting places for bumblebees.
Don’t add water yet as debris will inevitably fall into the pond during this stage.
Add further landscaping including a sloping area where animals can get in and out
I’m adding graded pebbles to make an attractive little beach area
When all major landscaping is in place, fill with water and add pond plants at their appropriate depths.
Add planting round the pond.
I’ve added grass turfs on top of and behind the rocks.
Buddha figure is optional; other icons available
Add grass turfs round remaining edges of the pond
Construction completed. the grass will soon settle in and fill in gaps between the turfs.
Don’t add fish; they decimate all small life such as tadpoles and invertebrates.
The right creatures will find their own way to the pond in due course. It’s magic.
Birds and other animals immediately start using the pond for drinking and washing.
First of all we see a sparrow who gets very annoyed at being turfed out by a male blackbird who wants a good splash and is followed by his partner:
Here’s the artwork for the April chapter of the ongoing book project, Rewilding the Urban Garden: an Illustrated Diary of Nature’s Year…
To subscribe and get access to each full chapter as it’s published, go to Patreon site
Peter Cook, when told by a dinner companion that he was writing a book, said “Neither am I.” – it’s clever and funny…and it expresses a very common situation. Is that the book-writing situation you’re in?
Many things can get in the way of writing your book. Here are just a few:
Once you’ve decided that you’re going to write a book, orientation of the content is vital. Ask yourself these questions: What is it about? What can you in particular bring to the subject matter? What distinguishes it from other books in the same area? Who will get value from reading it? How can you speak to these people?
Next you can get down to planning. Think about the shape of the book: how would the content naturally break down into sections? Can you summarise the content of each chapter? What would be the best order to arrange these chapters? Does your planned order have a logical sequence, taking the reader on a journey?
Then you get on and start writing the first material. Discipline is needed for writing; ideally, set aside a regular chunk of time each week and stick to it. You don’t have to get finished copy down in the first go – make notes or a very rough draft to start with, and edit it later. Many people think “I just can’t write; I’m not a writer” If you feel this kind of blockage, just think to yourself, “How would I explain this particular idea if I was directly speaking to another person?” and just write that down, or record it on an app for later transcription. Develop the habit of putting yourself in the position of a listener who doesn’t know this subject matter: what would you need to tell them in order to grasp what you’re explaining? If you really can’t fit it into your busy schedule, or feel it’s beyond you, editorial consultants are available to help.
In the old days, you had to find a commercial publisher who wanted to publish your book; that’s still the holy grail of getting a book out, but publishers are now highly averse to risk and want authors who have huge public profiles. Fortunately that’s no longer the only way. It’s easy to publish your own book, and Amazon make it even easier, promoting your title if you publish through them. Print-on-demand means that an expensive print run isn’t needed. E-books are also popular these days and are even less expensive to get out in the market place.
So think about it: what’s the book you have inside you? What’s the book you’ve always wanted to write? Then go for it!
Why not have a free chat about how I can help? Contact me here
I’ve un-deliberately rescued a bird from death by sparrow-hawk. It’s not policy or anything. Continue reading “Sparrow-hawk: accidental rescue story”
“Yah well it’s a very simple dish, I just threw it together, you just take three small poussins that have been fed on organic Zechuan pine kernels and marmite, and marinate them overnight in a coulis of fermented blueberries with a good dollop of vintage Indonesian rum, then while that’s on the go you Continue reading “Annoying Archetypes #1: The Annoyingly False-modest Cook”
Two young boys named Ue and Eu once lived in the same small rural village. Ue and Eu were the best of friends; they did everything together. They went to school together, they played together in the fields, they got up to mischief together. They were inseparable. Continue reading “The Parable of Eu and Ue: a Cautionary Tale of Friendship and Belief”
I’m a linguistic specialist; my specialism is identifying how wrongly people express themselves noticing when people do things wrong, and getting annoyed at it. I am very good at my job. Why can’t people simply use language correctly? Continue reading “Annoying Things People Say”
I was sitting in a cafe In Brighton the other day, drinking a skinny decaff soy latte and pondering on the nature of existence, when I suddenly realised why things go so terribly wrong in our lives. It’s because of all those heavy negative trips that our parents lay on us when we’re young… Do these words ring any bells?.“You’ll poke your eye out with that stick!”…“We’re not made of money, you know”…“Don’t expect too much, then you won’t be disappointed.” This stuff can shape your whole outlook on life. HNTs, I call them. Thanks, Mum and Dad; I know you meant well. Continue reading “Heavy negative trips your parents laid on you”
Do you remember when New-Agey stuff was all the rage? I remember it all right. I had the time of my life – but it was weird. Continue reading “How I Survived the New Age”
recording of a nightingale singing, recorded by the author:
Everyone loves to listen to birdsong, but have you ever wondered why? Continue reading “Why do we love to hear birdsong?”
Esteemed magazine “Elsewhere Journal” is carrying a blog with extracts from my book-in-progress “Wilding the Urban Garden.
This is how it began.
Every Tuesday morning, I travel to the delightful Sussex village of Ditchling for yoga class; I’m the only man among thirty delightful Ditchling ladies. At the end of class, another delightful group of Ditchling ladies takes over the space for a choir rehearsal. As part of this activity they make wonderful cakes, chutneys and jams, and sell these to one another to raise funds for the choir. I purchased a jar of this home made jam from a delightful choir lady at the produce table, and brought it home; it was the most delicious jam I had ever tasted. Continue reading “Secret Jam: a tale of rural intrigue”
Reasons to be cheerful, Part 1:
How to Create an Amazing Urban Wildlife Garden
– what we’ve learned in 15 years
Gerry Thompson
In 2002 we moved our family home from Brighton UK to a nearby town. The reason? – we didn’t have a garden. Our new home had two gardens, neither very large. The rear would be the domain of our lively cocker spaniel Rosa, and the front space would be for …wildlife!
Now, 16 years later, that front patch is a wildlife paradise – a veritable jungle among many houses with more sterile gardens or hard-standings for their cars. So what better than having wild nature right where you live? Continue reading “Our wildlife garden”
The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as “Euro-English”. Continue reading “Euro-English: where is it going?”
THE BETWIXT AND BETWEEN: a Celtic glimpse
”This is a time that is not a time
In a place that is not a place
On a day that is not a day,
Between the worlds, and beyond….”
Why is the Celtic festivals of Beltane (April 30th) and Samhain or Hallowe’en (Oct 31st) traditionally associated with spirits entering our world, and with potential for divining the future?
What were the medieval royalty of Europe up to when they went out at dawn on the first day of May, to roll around naked in the morning dew in a most undignified manner? Continue reading “The ancient Celtic concept of thresholds in time and place”
In Shoreham town there is a road
It’s great to be a member of
Where friendship dwells in each abode
In Connaught Ave there’s so much love
This lockdown thing has brought much grief
And things there are no stockpiles of
But human contact brings relief
For Connaught Ave has so much love
We formed a WhatsApp group right quick
‘Twas started off by Sas n Dav
To give support with just a click
There’s so much love in Connaught Ave
It helps us all to borrow or beg
Or give what we have too much of
To swap a plant, or lend an egg
For Connaught Ave has so much love
This social distance thing’s a pain
But metres gap’s the thing to have
While social closeness is our aim
There’s so much love in Connaught Ave
It’s great to live in Connaught Ave
They treat you like a sis or bruv
They range in type from posh to chav
Yes, Connaught Ave has so much love
If life’s to you a bitter cup
And hopelessness is all you have
The friendship here will lift you up
There’s so much love in Connaught Ave
And after all this lockdown’s gone
The thing that we’re all thinking of
Is: stay connected, carry on
With Connaught Avenue’s Big Love!
courtesy of Lucid Nation