Has summer come at last? We have had two unbelievable days of sunshine although the forecast for today was rain. Who can we believe? The best test of all I find is on waking draw the curtains aside and look out of the window, then believe what you see. But fool that I am, on the last sunny weekend, I overdid the gardening, shifted pots and bags of compost in the fear that there might not be another chance of improving my small patch of garden, and then suffered a 'bad back' for almost a week. This weekend I have been more cautious and apart from wielding a watering can -- now there's a novelty -- I sat comfortably in my old basket chair and read a book; not a book for research but one of fiction, such a treat.
Last month I was a guest speaker at World Book Night at the Hull Central Library. I think I can say it was a great success with an attentive audience, not only for me but for the many events and speakers. It's so encouraging to know that people do still support their libraries and not only for the loan of books, but for information and research too and good to hear that many authorities have a Home Service where delivery of books can be made to those who, for whatever reason, are unable to access libraries for themselves.
At the beginning of May I was invited to speak at 'Lincoln Inspired' Literary Festival, 'In Conversation With Margaret Dickinson,' where we discussed the many similarities in our working pattern. Margaret and I enjoy a friendly rivalry across the Humber Estuary, Margaret on the south side and I on the north and where we both trespass on 'foreign land' from time to time. The Yorkshire author Mike Pannet was another who had dared to cross the strip of water, but both of us I'm happy to say were made welcome.
Then there was the Macular group meeting held at HERIB on the 17th. As usual there was warm hospitality and as many in the audience knew me from my voluntary work with the Talking Magazine for the Blind, there were plenty of questions from the audience, not only about books and audio books in particular, but also due to the fact that I have read and presented the recordings for the charity of TMB as we refer to it, for the last time. After nearly thirty years it was time to call it a day and time to move on, but I shall I hope, keep in touch with the many listeners, friends and colleagues made in that long association. There is a link on my website if anyone would like to take a look at what the organisation does and how it operates to provide a service to the blind and partially sighted community, and volunteers are more than welcome.
June is acoming in, but more of that when it arrives and in the meantime ignore the distractions and on with the writing.
