Mother sat in a wicker chair on the doorstep of her cottage, rug over knees, wrapped in a shawl, looking up at the sky. She’d had a comfortable summer, her appetite had improved, and she rarely had to hide blood-streaked mucus in her handkerchief. Now she was constantly coughing and nodding off. We argued about […]
Tag: Prosery
Does It Matter?
They had finished their midnight picnic and were lying on a blanket, fingers entwined, in the garden, in the middle of the night. There was only a thin crescent moon, like a brooch on velvet, but stars filled every crease and crevice of the sky, shimmering, twinkling and swarming. ‘It’s hard to imagine that stars […]
Sanctuary from a Rain Storm
On a fine day, I decide to visit Norwich. I drive to the park and ride, hop on a bus and, once in the city centre, head for Elm Hill, to explore its Tudor buildings, quaint shops and courtyards, which have been used often in settings for films, and are reputedly haunted. Clouds gather overhead, […]
Garden Witch
Willow was a garden witch who grew plants and healed the sick. She was lithe as a willow and, likewise, responded to the seasons: she spent most of winter under a cosy eiderdown, like a plant beneath snow; in spring, she blossomed; in summer, she watered; and in autumn she gathered. Villagers grew old and […]
Cruel Snow
I was where I am when the snow began, on a lonely path across a field. The silence of snow is like no other, which is why I stood still, enjoying the gentle whisper of the first flakes. The snow grew heavier and the field soon disappeared under its blanket. I started to walk again, […]
November Snow
Summer is a distant memory and autumn is already on its way out, but Morris the gardener has a huge task on his hands – clearing leaves from the orchard. He shrugs on his overcoat, dons hat and gloves, and makes his way across the soggy lawn and through the walled kitchen garden to the […]
Deep Pockets
‘Mother, why do we have to get up in the dark?’ my daughter whispered. I had warned her to be a mouse, to creep and stay silent. We didn’t want to be caught by the Witchmaster. I wore my skirt with deep pockets and filled them with bread, cheese and sachets of my special herbs […]
Turnsole
The gardener was digging in the walled garden when Louisa passed through the gate, tracing with her fingers its intricate metal work, oak leaves studded with acorns. The autumn sun was on his back and his muscles bulged in rolled-up shirt sleeves. She thought, ‘To be pretty for you I have dropped two seeds of […]
The Day the Traffic Stood Still
For weeks there had been an unusual increase in activity in the night sky, which had begun to leak into daytime; massive meteors, fiery shooting stars and UFOs were reported every day, and crowds of people were leaving urban areas for mountains, coastal and forest regions, causing chaos in all kinds of traffic. Holding its […]
Night Terror
A sultry night followed a stifling day, and a stroll in the dark was bearable. As usual, I left the house by the back lane, cut through the churchyard, and headed for the beach. The moon was huge and high in the navy sky, shedding its light on tumbling waves. As I stood among whispering […]
writing in north norfolk 