Let's play tag and get fit!

I went to the Gower today, a beautiful area in Swansea, on the coast, so I got to walk on the beach! I also went to the gym and am going again tomorrow! I am trying to get back to my former fitness.

Wilf over at Wilf's World has tagged me with this meme so I thought it best to play along. I thought I'd go global so...

5 people who will be annoyed that I tagged them.. mmm:

Jason over at Clarity of Night and in the US who is in the middle of hosting a competition (which I entered by the way)and will probably be too busy to do this!
Nicky (aka Absolute) in South Africa who's always up for speaking her mind
Jon M over at Writing in a Vacuum who's recently visited here and who's a fellow teacher in the UK
Verilion in Paris and Sally in Australia! Let's see whether they take up the challenge.


4 things to go into room 101 and be removed forever from the face of this earth:
Parasites- all kinds
Liquorice- yuk, hate the stuff
Donald Trump's wig- who's he kidding?!
War (had to do my Miss United Kingdom bit)

3 things that people do that make me want to shake them violently are:
Repeat the same mistake over and over and over and over again
Not adapt to changing circumstances
Indulge in self pity and laziness (is that two?)

2 things that I find myself moaning about are:
People who are lazy
People who are intransigent

1 thing the above answers tell me about myself is:
I don't like lazy intransigent unadaptable wig wearing, liquorice eating parasites

Your turn!!

Glorious Sunshine

What do these singers have in common: Katie Melua, Jamie Cullum, David Gray and Fairuz?

Guessed yet? It's a silly question really because you wouldn't know unless you were sitting here next to me. The answer? Their CDs have all been bought by me.

It's been a while since I treated myself to some music so that's what I've done... and I am sitting here enjoying them as I type, and perhaps even as you read. I bought them from BORDERS, a shop which I only came across when last I was up north. I've heard there are BORDERS stores down south but I haven't visited one yet.

I've spent longer than I care to admit trying to figure out how to send a photo from my phone to my email address so I can upload an image of the grand city of Birmingham where I currently find myself. I have been assured this is possible, but if it is I have not been able to figure it out as yet; I need the manual, me thinks. I do not have my USB cable which I would normally use so I am afraid fellow bloggers, you will have to make do with my description of this fine place and these imported images.

Birmingham has a lot to offer, I can tell you. The Bullring, Victoria Square some beautiful architecture and much more. Enjoy the images! And the weather. Glorious sunshine for once!

Writing and reading

I am currently working on some educational writing. My novel View from my Window has ground to a halt mainly because I'm actually finding the subject quite depressing. I think I will focus on a happier project for a while before returning to this sad one.

Yesterday I went to Waterstones and fell for the 'buy three for two' offer. I bought a book I had seen some time ago but did not actually buy- The Yes Man by Danny Wallace and I also bought The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson and the 2007 Orange Prize winner Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. So far I've started the Yes Man and am enjoying it, never having read anything by Danny Wallace before.

I wonder how many of you bought the new Harry Potter book. There seemed to be a good supply of them in the shops.

Oh and I've just done these IQ and business acumen tests. Not sure how reliable they are but they were good fun!

Time to enjoy

I am currently reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency  before next academic year. For anyone who is yet to enjoy this delight of a book, can I whole-heartedly recommend it to you. The style is clear and the characters really entertaining and engaging. It's funny too, and I hear a film of the novel is set to be produced soon.

I'm also trying to get some writing done and catching up on all those hours of potential writing time I miss during the term!

Hasn't the weather been lovely these past couple of days, in contrast to the torrential rain earlier in the week? I did read, however, that the south is set to be hit by rain and possible floods, akin to those experienced by the north some time soon.

Magpie Instincts and YN ranking!

I am in Wales at the moment visiting family and have just watched two programmes that centred on antiques. It got me thinking about what antiques I might have lurking in my house, so when I get back home I intend to venture up to my attic and fish down an old clock that is up there- rather bashed and neglected.

I also want to rummage through my side board drawers for the china plates I have come by over time. I may even dig deep and find the stamps I used to collect (and postcards)... who'd have thought it?

I think I'm secretly a bit of a magpie. Okay, not so much now as I used to be, but I think that's because my writing has taken over my magpie instincts. Writing is all about observing and collecting isn't it?

In any case, I've never been to a proper auction and I'm not seriously considering selling the stuff, just thought it might be worth getting it valued. Who knows? If it comes to a tidy sum, I may just go to the Caribbean, or, if I'm feeling sensible, put it away for the MA course I start in September!

Oh yes, that reminds me... writing, must get back to it.

**** NEWS FLASH ****

My GCSE York Notes on Journey's End are ranked 18 out of 16,857 GCSE books on Amazon's bestsellers' list! I've only just discovered this wonderful list which is updated hourly. I was ranked 16 at some point yesterday- not that I'm obsessing or anything. Let's hope the ranking translates into real royalties!

J K Rowling: a small world

It really is a small world.

Some time ago I mentioned to my co-writer for the WH Smith KS3 Challenge English series, Steve Eddy, that I had worked at Wyedean School in Gloucestershire, now famous because of its previous pupil, J K Rowling.

He surprised me by saying that not only had he worked there also, but that he had taught J K Rowling himself. Given that we had not met there as I had taught there some twenty years later, I thought it was an amazing co-incidence.

Well, today, Steve informs me that the Sunday Mirror has featured an article about his 'illustrious past'. So here's a link so all of you can read it too!

I wonder whether my working alongside Steve means I too may have as bright a future as JK Rowling. We can but dream!