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Write what you know, but do it differently.

Hello everyone.  I am going to be thinking on the page at you and trying to come to some sort of conclusion, and I would like to invite comment from you as this will be more interesting and fun with reader participation.  I want to talk about one of the things you hear a lot.  Write what you know.

It is an easy thing to say, and it makes a lot of sense.  How can you write about what you don’t know, after all?  Well, research helps though some would argue that to write from a perspective you have to have experienced that perspective to write with fidelity.  I think that is a discussion for another time.  Today I will stick with write what you know.  And I will make one admission here.  I don’t know if this will work for everyone.  I know it has worked for me.  So, let us hope that you take something away from this.  I am going to tell you two brief stories first.

I am playing in a game of Dungeons & Dragons at the moment.  5th Edition if it matters to you.  My Games Master has been quite rigorous in creating a world, and encouraging us players into making deep characters.  After my initial wizard character was basically vetoed as his purpose for being went contrary to a player’s wishes, I came up with a Dwarven Character called Hadrin.  I gave him a clan, named his living relatives and gave his clan some history and their position in Dwarven politics.  Then I wrote about an encounter Hadrin had with a powerful magical being that his Grandfather, the clan leader, had a deal with.  The premise being that I wanted the Dwarven Clan to be pioneers in vehicle technology.  Since regular industry was vetoed at character creation, I worked this encounter in so as justify magical technology.  So, imagine Magic Powered flying machines for instance.  The Clan supported itself by mundane means, mining and smelting like good little mountain Dwarves.  The Games Master said he liked the idea of the magical technology.  He liked the background and history of the clan, and their position in Dwarven society.  He then said he found the fact they were mining mountain Dwarves boring.   He wasn’t vetoing the idea, he wasn’t even vetoing the fact that they were miners in the mountains.  He just wanted to encourage me to push the boundaries a little bit.  So we got to talking about it.  And eventually we came up with an idea of an offshore clan of Dwarves that live on a massive platform.  The platform has drilling shafts and lifts to the seabad where the Dwarven farms are, whilst the platform itself served as a base for them to build their dirigibles.  We took the idea of an industrious dwarf, and took him out of the mountains and made the idea work at sea.  The end result was the Coraldeep clan of Dwarves.  Dwarves that effectively live on an offshore rig, build airships and their warriors – the Tidebreakers – wear armour that is akin to deep dive apparatus.  I made a Dwarf trained to fight underwater, to protect workers from sea monsters.  Not your standard Dwarf.

My second story is about the books I am currently reading/rereading, the Shadows of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky.  They are a fantasy series set in a world where there are different kinden of human, each of which is basically an evolution along the lines of one form of insect.  And, members of these kinden take on the characteristics of their parent insect.  So, Ants have a hive mind, Mantis are really good killers and wasps have a sting and can fly.  So, it is a fantasy world with city states at a technological level somewhere between middle ages and renaissance Europe.  However, magic was once a major factor in the world in times referred to as the Days of Lore.  Magic is more or less gone, except for a rare few kinden that still practice – Moths and Mosquitoes spring to mind – and the story is mostly about the politics of city states within the Lowlands, with the Wasp Empire invading.  All sounds fairly fantasy so far?  However, in Shadows of the Apt an industrial revolution has happened.  The Days of Lore ceased as the slave races of the Moths and the Mosquitoes became Apt; technologically proficient.  And from this they developed automotives, flying machines, crossbows and more.  Magic is no longer the dominant factor in this fantasy, Industry is, and it has a similar effect on the politics of a fantasy book.  Technology becomes the “Tool” employed to defend against the Wasps, where magic might have been used in another fantasy.  The main wise character/mentor archetype in this book , Stenwold Maker, fills the roll that a wizard might in another fantasy.  He is a professor of engineering.  And a spymaster.  And when you think about it, what is a spell but a process or procedure using components in a specific way to achieve a specific effect.  Assembly of a device could fall into this category.

In both my stories there is something I was familiar with.  An Industrious Dwarf.  And a fantasy setting with a learned man aware of approaching doom.  And in both cases it would be easy to write only what we know.  About an industrious Dwarf who hails from the mines.  About a Wizard that senses the approach of war.  However, in both cases, something has been changed in the setting or circumstance without changing the fundamentals of the characters involved.

Hadrin Coraldeep is still an industrious dwarf.  However, his clan work the sea rather than land.

Stenwold Maker is still knowledgeable, sees the approaching doom and can come up with solutions others cannot.  But he builds things with his hands rather than casts spells.

In each case the standard trope that has been changed is changed into something that serves the same or similar purpose.  However, this change in circumstance creates an entirely new idea around a particular story.  So, let us think.  What other things can be changed?  Is this idea transferable?

Horror – Vampires survive by feeding on blood.  Perhaps we create a creature that has a different survival mechanism that is equally terrifying?  Maybe we change their weakness during the day…I know that was done in Twilight.  I am sure there are other ways to change the nature of a dark creature that would add to the horror, rather than simply make them obvious.

Science Fiction – What can we change here?  It is such a huge genre, to have only one entry is inadequate.  What about a close encounter/first contact story?  Where the protagonists meet aliens for the first time?  What if the protagonists are not from Earth, and the aliens they encounter are?

Romance – This was done perfectly by Daphne Du Maurier in Rebecca, where the bulk of the book was about post marriage and post honeymoon period, whereas standard conventions have romance dealing with the courtship phase.

Crime –  What if your main viewpoint character was the criminal?  Perhaps there is a threat, perhaps of murder or theft.  And maybe the main character is somehow involved in the security operation, but is actually the criminal.  I feel this has probably been done, however I suspect if you do it well it would be masterful.

So, over to you.  What things do you write about, and what could you do differently to set yourself apart?

Fantasy World Building Part 1: Establish the Rules through History

Hello folks.  Welcome.  I have been wondering about what content to share with you that is different from every other writing websites out there and inspiration struck.  The one thing that Sharp-Writing has that other writing websites don’t is me.  It was so simple really.  I started thinking about my own creative writing and decided to share the process, if not the details (you’ll forgive me for keeping my stories close to my chest until they are ready for reading).  A couple of disclaimers.  I write fantasy so my posts will often refer to that – and this will be one of them.  And secondly, whilst I have studied creative writing at Degree level and consider myself skilled enough to know what works much of the time, I am not infallible.  I am going to share what I am doing just now, and perhaps it can help some people.  And perhaps some of you can help me by sharing your thoughts.  This post will be part of my Fantasy World Building series.

Disclaimers done, let’s get to the good stuff!

I am currently working on a Fantasy Story.  I have been working on this story in one form or another for the better part of 10 years.  It has gone through many evolutions, and I have abandoned hundreds of pages of work when I realised that they were going to fail for various reasons (cliche, strands pulling apart and so on).  However, I still want to tell the story even if some of the details change, even if some of the setting changes.

One of the problems I kept encountering was that whilst I liked the characters, and their goals, the rules of the world were just too convoluted.  Individually they were fine, but because they were not developed consistently.  I would write some stuff down one day, and then not add to it for months and thus forgot important stuff (highlighting the importance of Writing Daily – I did a post about that).  So, I started again.  I often start again when a rework is so monumental it would take equally long or longer to revise what I had.

I knew in my world I wanted the technology level to be somewhere between medieval and renaissance Europe.  I wanted Magic to be a thing, and even had the “laws” of magic in mind.  I didn’t want guns or cannons.  I knew I wanted necromancy and various states of vampirism to be a thing.  I knew that I wanted a Pantheist society, and I even had a few of the Gods worked out.  In my original lineup I had a major plot device spring from a division amongst the gods.  I penciled this in, but was less sure about it.  I had an idea for the over arching plot, and the underlying message and who the villain would be.  I wanted to keep that villain, so they were added as a character.  Though I decided that their background was going to be different as the original one was too convoluted and didn’t quite work.  I had all these ideas, and they weren’t dissimilar to the stuff that I had written before (yes there were some changes, but not many).  And I wondered how I could rationalise it all, and not forget it.  And that is when I decided to write, in brief, the history of my world.  Don’t get me wrong, at this stage basics were all that were necessary but I figured that I would write the history of my world and work into that history, into that story, how all the things I wanted would come to be.  And then I would have a reference document that I could update along the way, which I can then turn into a single document to read through anytime I need a refresher.  I used the software Scrivener, and if you click on the following video I will show you how I did it.

So, that short video deals with creating a history of your setting, in the example a history governing one of the rules of the world.  I alluded to it in the video, however I will reiterate it here.  I am more likely to remember the rules of my fantasy world if I remember the history, the story that created them.  This is because your brain remembers thinks that are more vivid and evocative.  History is a story.  Rules are bland.  Writing the background history establishes the why, and once you understand that you don’t forget it.  And, as an added bonus, writing background can generate unexpected story.

knowing the history of your world helps you remember the rules of the world and can generate story

It occurs to me that I have talked about needing to be able to understand the rules of my world but never said why.  And it is simple.  It is about consistency and stability.  If your world has sorcery that can conjure fireballs, seemingly from nothing, then that needs to be part of the rules of the world.  And thus that means anyone can do it under the right circumstances.  Fantasy Narratives are a hard pill for some folk to swallow, but nothing helps them fall apart more quickly than when the writer breaks their own rules.

So, does this seem like it is of use to you?  What do you do and how does it work for you?

The Importance of Writing (daily)

Hi there, welcome.  Today I am going to talk about writing.

Well duh, some of you said I imagine.  Ok, let me be specific.  If you go to any writer’s blog out there, and I mean any of them, sooner or later you will find a piece of advice telling you that you should write every day.  I am not denigrating that advice, frankly it is good advice.  If you want to become a marathon runner you need to exercise to build stamina else you are going to hit the wall very early on and never complete.  I am going to borrow from this analogy.  Writing is work, and it uses your brain.  Your brain is a muscle.  A muscle works best if it is regularly exercised.  Reading helps in this respect,

A Mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone quote from game of thrones, used in relation to things writers can do to keep their minds active and focused.

…and so does writing.  The more you write the better you get at it.  However, sometimes even the most talented or dedicated writer gets blocked.  Assuming of course you believe in writer’s block.  I think that is just a fancy term for a mixture of boredom and fear.  I may come back to that in a bit.  Anyway, moving on.  It is (relatively) easy to write everyday when you are feeling positive and when you are feeling inspired.  Some people will say that they can’t find the time.  I will say, I don’t believe you.

You always have some time, however you may choose to spend it doing other things.  And I do appreciate there are those out there with families and other jobs that demand a lot of their time.  My comments here are not really aimed at that demographic.  I daresay those folks could find some time to write, but perhaps in their case free time is a rarer commodity.  I am talking about the folks that do have plenty of time, but choose to spend it doing other things.  Tell me you don’t have free time and I will tell you that you are undisciplined.

That is something that people don’t always get at the outset.  If you are wanting to make a living from writing, or maybe you aren’t interested in a living but you want to publish a novel, then you need to be disciplined.  With discipline you can find the time to devote to your craft.

So, now we have time.  But we aren’t feeling up to it.  Being disciplined helps here too, however that isn’t everything.  After all, particularly if fiction is your forte, you are making stuff up and if you are feeling uninspired then, where do you start?

For some people it is free writing from a prompt, which if you don’t understand what that means it is fairly straightforward.

A writer is given a prompt, the start (or part of) a sentence and might start a paragraph using it as their first line.  Or As a line in the paragraph, or not at all and just writes what the prompt makes them think.  The important factor is that the writer takes the prompt and writes.  They don’t self edit, they don’t stop; they just write.

What comes out might be chaotic, it might be nonsense or it might be the start of something unexpected.  It doesn’t matter.  The quality doesn’t matter either at this point.  If the writer has been able to write anything, then the exercise has been a success.  That is free writing from a prompt.

Another method, that I personally find helps, is keeping a writer’s journal.  I find I am at my most prolific if I keep a journal every day about my writing.  Obviously if you spend your entire Saturday writing 3000 words of decent quality work, you aren’t necessarily going to want to spend loads of time writing about it.  If you are keeping a journal, enter the date and write down you wrote 3000 words on whatever topic it was you wrote.  That is enough.  However, the power of the journal comes into its own on those days you don’t write 3000 words for your novel or your script or your blog.   On those days I tend to start writing what I think about my work, start talking to myself on the page.  I write down what I want to do, asking myself “What are the consequences of this?”  And then I answer myself.  I might spend 500 or 1000 words talking to myself through the keyboard exploring an idea, and by the end of it I may be happy.  Or I may be closer to a solution.  Or maybe all I have done is figure out that something doesn’t work.  The key thing here is I was able to write.

I mentioned earlier I don’t really believe in writer’s block as a concept.  I humbly suggest that journal writing is a potential solution in two ways.

  1. If you are “Blocked” talking to yourself through your journal might actually present a solution
  2. Regardless of immediate solutions, keeping a journal forces you to write which functions as a warmup exercise, focusing your mind.

keeping a journal can help overcome writer's block by helping you talk to yourself and thus troubleshoot problems. And writing anything helps focus your mind which also helps overcome block.

I think I have arrived at the point I originally set out to make.  The purpose of this article was to encourage folks to write daily, and provide an answer for how to do that when it is difficult.  However, it is ultimately down to you – the individual – if you feel you can do this.  It is not for me to say what you should or should not do.  Only that my method as described has helped me, and I believe it can help others.

Just one final thought to ponder.  Imagine you wrote in a journal 500 words every day for a month.  In a 30 day month that is 15000 words, which equates to about 50 pages of a paperback.  500 words doesn’t take long to write once you are in a flow.  Maybe 30 minutes?  (It takes 30 minutes for me).  Now imagine, if that 500 words wasn’t in your journal, but your novel manuscript.  You’d have a decent length first draft in 6 months, spending half an hour a day.  Still think you don’t have time?

What are your thoughts on writing everyday?  I’d love to hear them.

To Plot or Not – a post shared and a discussion had

Hello everyone, and welcome.  Today I wanted to talk about plotting, or rather I wanted to draw your attention to a post I wrote on my gaming blog a while back.  Let me explain why you may find it relevant.  The original post is about creating the perfect roleplay game experience, by considering players and intent etc.  This specific post is about how much plotting a Gamesmaster might do in preparation for the game.  If you substitute the word Gamesmaster for writer, and the word player for reader there are a number of useful ideas that can be drawn from the post.  Click on the link in the excerpt to have a read of the original post, and then come back to see what I have to say afterwards.

Hello everyone, and welcome!  Today I am continuing my series of posts searching for the perfect roleplaying game experience.  Quick disclaimer, there is an affiliate link in this post.  This time …

Source: The Quest for the Perfect Game Chapter 4: To Plot or Not – It’s More than Just Gaming

Sometimes you write a story with an end in mind.  There is no problem with this.  If you start with an end in mind, by its very nature you are going to need to plan to a fair extent just to keep your story going in the right direction.

However, sometimes you write a story with the beginning in mind.  You have planned out characters and what has gone before, and your narrative happens as a result of asking yourself “How do my characters respond to this stimulus?”  Suddenly a narrative evolves organically and you are no longer a planner.  You are a gardener, planting seeds and seeing what flowers grow.  (I borrowed that from George RR Martin, from an interview of his from many years ago.

sometimes you plan a story based on the beginning and sometimes the end

Admittedly this method will work better for some stories, so for instance if you are writing a standalone mystery this methodology might work.  If you are writing a high fantasy series, you might want to plan a bit more.  The lesson to learn, I think, is to know that multiple methods of creating a narrative exist and when to apply them.

So, are you a planner, gardener, or a mix of both?  I have kept this post short as I am more interested in a discussion with you guys than in simply sharing an opinion.

Also – if you don’t play roleplay games, and get the opportunity and a good group, there are worse ways for a writer to pass the time.

Thanks for reading!

Genre – The Importance of Knowing which voice you are using

Hello everyone

Today I wanted to talk a bit about genre and voice for the purpose of creating the intended response.

When I was at University a large portion of my degree was spent sitting in a classroom reading other students’ work, and then providing feedback.  As you can imagine, there were lots of different styles, loads of stories and, as you might expect, varying skill levels.  By my final year, everything that I read was of a reasonable standard.  Not all of it was of interest, but the rookie mistakes were few and far between.  One day I was working my way through a pile of drafts and I found one whose title caught my eye.

Knowing that a Wendigo is a carnivorous, if not cannibalistic, spirit from North America I thought, “Great, a horror.”

I started reading a story about a bachelor party come hunting trip  gone horribly wrong, which made for a very good setting.  However, the tone and language read more like what I might expect from part of “The Hangover” series of movies.  It felt more like black comedy.  I was disappointed, however, it could easily have been intended as a Black Comedy and my expectations were unreasonable.  As was my responsibility,  I gave my feedback and noted that the tone was less horror and more comedy than I had expected.  I suggested, that if the writer was going for horror, they needed to change some of their language and the dialogue.  And that was that.  I never got to read the finished piece, which is a bit a shame really.  I hope the writer went on to produce a good piece of fiction.

It got me thinking.  In this case, Genre was defined by language and dialogue.  So, I started wondering, can we use this?

And the answer is, of course we can.  I attended University in an English city called Lancaster, which is about a thirty minute drive from the Lake District – a national park of hills, fells, mountains, and a lake.  Fun fact, there is only one lake in the Lake District.  The rest are Waters, Meres and Tarns.  The differences between them…are utterly irrelevant to me.  However, the Lake District is an idyllic setting of rolling landscapes, lush greenery and sparkling water.  Why am I telling you this?  Because the Lake District can also be cold, wet and blustery, isolated and dangerous.  The context of the place changes very drastically with a slight change of language.  Now, I am not for one minute suggesting that when you are writing about something grim and horrid, you simply change the background to reflect that.  That is pathetic fallacy, it is cliche.  The point I am making is that the same thing has multiple ways to describe it and the emotion evoked by differing descriptions is likely to be quite different.

A tree can be grand or looming.  A meadow can be peaceful or silent.  Fire can be warm or destructive.  A thesaurus is your friend when looking for alternative ways of describing things, though, a word of caution.  Don’t overdo it.  You’ll probably need to learn via trial and error to find the right balance, however I would categorically state that too much description takes us into the realms of overwriting.  To use a gardening analogy, seed a few descriptive words in your prose and let the emotional impact grow in the minds of your readers.

Seed a few descriptive words in your prose  Allow the the emotional impact to flower all by itself

Use words that evoke specific responses and let the reader do the rest.  Plant too many, and they fight for light and water, and diminish one another.

I think that is how you turn your voice to the genre you want.

What are your thoughts on this?  Have I overly simplified it?  Complicated it?  Have I forgotten something crucial?  Or do you agree?  I’d love to hear from you!

The Formula for Success

Hello folks.  today I wanted to talk about something that can benefit your writing, tangentially, but is more appropriately a life lesson.  I am going to talk about my formula for success.

This is my blog post about how to harness success

Years ago, I worked in a call centre as a team leader.  It was may job, with one other person, to manage a team of nearly 40 people.  The team members had various targets including handling time of calls, and sales.  Calls came in from outside and were routed to the first available agent, which meant that whoever you spoke to on any given day was random.  I tell you this as it was where my understanding of success came from.  One morning, I was going through the figures with my co-team leader.  He was a salesman of the old school called Alan.  We were looking at our figures for the previous day’s performance and I was despairing over one team member who habitually performed on the lower end of the spectrum.  Alan and I were discussing how we might help the individual improve as we got into bother when stats were down.  I said something along the lines, “It is the luck of the calls.  What can we do?”

His response was the less polite version of, “You are talking nonsense…”

He then quantified his statement.  We looked at the individual’s performance over a longer period.  It was consistently lower than average.  We then looked at other team members.  They were consistently higher.  He then challenged me, “Is person A unlucky and person B lucky?”

I had to admit that was unlikely.  So we listened to the calls of each individual to see the difference.

Person A offered the sales, but was inconsistent.  They didn’t offer every time, and because they didn’t offer every time, it didn’t sound natural.  Person B was the opposite. They offered every time, and as a result developed a way of pitching that they were comfortable with and that people responded to.  Person B made the most of every opportunity.  And they were good with every opportunity.

This gave me my first two parts to my formula for success.

I realised, or perhaps I already knew but had never said it before, that being good at something increases the odds of success.  And the more times you try, the better you get at it and the better the odds you will eventually achieve your objective.  Perhaps I did understand that but never put it into a sentence before.

However, I wasn’t satisfied as that didn’t account for everything in the success equation.  Sometimes “Bad Luck” happened.  I don’t actually believe luck is a particularly useful concept as you can’t quantify it and you can’t control it.  I modified my thinking to “Sometimes, random things happen.  These could affect the outcome positively or negatively”.  That didn’t cover everything either, because sometimes there are other factors that contribute that are not random.  They are situational, they are environment and the people who can help or hinder.

I eventually developed the theory that success was a combination of ability, opportunity and circumstance.  Ability is something you can control.  You can practice your skills, your crafts and become a master.  Opportunity is something you have a lot of control over.  It is up to you if you make the most of presented opportunity.  It is up to you if you want to go looking for other opportunities.

Circumstance is a bit harder.  Some of it you can influence, for instance the location and people who can help or hinder are within your ability to influence.  Unfortunately, sometimes things just don’t work.  There are things you can’t always account for, and sometimes things will simply go awry.  However, this is not the end of the world because if you are unsuccessful, you have missed an opportunity.  There is another one and another and another if you want to make the most of it.  Circumstance may be harder to control but if you make the most of your ability and take every opportunity then you will always have another chance.

This proved to be of benefit to me recently as I managed to get a writing job that is ideally suited to me, as it is within my skillset and of interest.  I recently started freelance writing for an independent game designer, writing content for their new up and coming product.  Some people might call it luck that I landed such a well suited role for me.  I call it the result of five (or more) years effort.

Ability – I have spent years honing the craft of writing.  I graduated last year with an Honours Degree.

Opportunity – Once graduated, I did a course on proofreading and a course on blogging professionally.  I always knew that players of wargames and roleplay games were a large portion of my target audience so I made many connections in the gaming community, both in my home area and at University.  I formed positive, lasting relationships so that even after I left people still knew my name.

Circumstance – By taking the courses and building links with the community that my intended fans were from, I was able to go to the places they were and get my name and skillset known by them.  I had thought that I would be able to get a few interested people from this niche to help spread the word about anything I wrote.  I was just as happy when one of them came knocking on my door asking for my help.

Success is about ability and opportunity, or perseverance. I failed University the first time round but completed it the second. This represents success for me

So, how can this benefit you?

Well, if you want to be a published writer, then you owe it to yourself and to the reading public to be the best writer you can be.  Practice lots.  Go to writing groups.  Read blogs.  Read books on the subject.  Read books for fun.  That is your ability.

Opportunity can just as easily be described as perseverance.  It isn’t enough to talk about writing.  You have to do it.  You have to do it regularly.  And then you need to refine it until it is ready.  Then you can send it to agents.  And if you get rejected, send it to another agent.  And another and another.  Or self publish.

Your circumstance is being known by your market.  Do your readers congregate anywhere that you can participate?  Go there.  Make yourself known.  You probably don’t even want to mention your novel at this point.  You are just making people learn your name.  Do that, and you’ve achieved an emotional link with your potential fan base, so when you have something to sell, your audience is more receptive.

What are your thoughts?  Have you found any killer formulas that help you be successful?

Frankenstein – A peek behind the curtain

Hello folks, you are most welcome here.

Today, I want to talk about one of my favourite books, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.  I should also say, this post contains affiliate links, and potentially spoilers if you don’t know the story.  I would also say that this post won’t have much in the way of creative writing advice, so much as it is intended to help the reader understand stories from a different perspective.  I found, during my time at university, that if I was able to pull a story apart and figure out what the writer was doing and how, then their tricks and skills became mine to use as I saw fit.  Anyway, I am focusing on Frankenstein and if you haven’t read it, and you enjoy horror, you really need to give it a look as it is an atmospheric, gripping and multilayered horror.

I suspect if you are reading this website, you have heard of Frankenstein, at least, and hopefully are aware that it is about a man who tries to create another man by less than natural methods, and by that I mean science and grave robbing.
The tale is set around the beginning of the industrial revolution, in Switzerland, and follows Victor Frankenstein through his life. Victor is the son of a wealthy family who develops a passion for the sciences, and as he grows older he becomes obsessed with the idea of creating a man from constituent parts. He succeeds, but when he looks into the eyes of his creation for the first time he suffers some form of nervous or psychotic break, fleeing his lab in the process.

The creature is presumed to flee, and Victor blocks the memory of the event and the creation whilst trying to carry on with his life.  His health, which he neglected in the process of creation, gradually recovers despite family tragedies and it looks like he might have a chance at a happy life.  And then his creation returns, having learned that humans are cruel.  The creature recounts the tale of his missing years, and delivers an ultimatum to Victor.

What follows is a tormented account of Victor’s life as he wrestles with the creature’s demands and the demands of his conscience.  The conflict is complicated by his responsibility to the creature as the only parent it has, and also the responsibility to the rest of the world should he comply with his creature’s demands.

This story is about Victor and his hubristic ambition.  Victor is incredibly well written and in the first chapters of the book he was a sympathetic character.   He is driven, partly by curiosity and partly by ego to discover and to challenge the unknown.  And,  as with any great tragedy this is the seed of his downfall.  In fact, Victor is an extreme egotist who challenges the natural order which, given the time period, could be interpreted as a challenge against God.  Remember, the full title of the Novel is Frankenstein: Modern Prometheus.  Prometheus stole fire, symbolic of life, from the gods and was punished for this.  Victor Frankenstein plays god creating life in death, and is ultimately punished for his arrogance.

There are a number of elements that bear further study and I will draw your attention to them, so you can do that or even deconstruct them for your own use.

Victor’s health deteriorates as he creates the monster.  It isn’t a huge leap of logic to refer to him as an Urban Gothic Necromancer, sacrificing of himself so his creature can live.  And his health is only restored when he abandons the creation, and returns to his family and more healthy pursuits and happiness.  Of course, Victor’s happiness is short lived as his life is beset tragedy, which is entirely appropriate to the undead metaphor, making Victor not only a metaphor for a Necromancer, but also a Vampire or some other form of evil parasitic spirit.

The creature, we discover, is quite capable of cruelty.  Which was hard for me to credit, given its account of the missing years.  However, I was making an error in judgement.  I was treating the creature like an adult because it could speak like one.  However, Victor’s creature was effectively a child abandoned at birth.  A child with no role model to teach it how to act, and no parent to teach it right and wrong.  As such, the creature’s psyche can be interpreted as that of an impulsive child, with no moral compass, throwing a particularly violent tantrum.

Aside from one scene, which I daresay could be explained away as a delusion, no one ever sees the creature, aside from Victor (and his victims).  Of course, the creature tells Victor he met people.  And people die at the creatures hands, but no one ever sees him.  So, another interpretation, which I find intriguing, is that there is no creature at all.  Or at least, it never lived.  In fact, the horrors are committed by Victor, who has suffered a psychotic break and now believes he has a tormentor.  In fact the tormentor, the killer, is him; desensitised to death due to his grisly excavations, perhaps his psychosis now compels him to end lives to study the process by which life leaves the mortal coil.  With this information, his next effort will be successful.  Of course, even a desensitised egocentric needs some form of psychological protection from the horrors committed and so he invents the creature;  a being ostracised by society that feels justified in his murderous urges.

Of course, if I was to share this with one of my former tutors he would tell me, “Interesting John.  So what?  You can’t prove it, so where are you going with this?”

Yes, I have had the conversation with a tutor.  It proved useful as my assignment took a new direction and got a better mark.  Anyway the purpose here is not to create a ridiculously lengthy academic study.  My point was to peel back the layers of a known story and show that there are other interpretations, some almost believable and some fantastical.  In looking at my three interpretations, I think there are probably many lessons to be learned.  I will share my thoughts, however I would then encourage you to do the same with any ideas you have.

Genres are much closer to each other than you might think.  Frankenstein is a gothic horror, however, as I noted above it wouldn’t take too much to move it into fantasy horror, or dark fantasy.

Sometimes cruelty and viciousness comes from unexpected, but perfectly understandable quarters.  One of my hobbies is playing in roleplay games, and one of the scariest characters I encountered was an utterly unpredictable child, who could be innocent one minute and a murderous psychopath the next.  Also consider, childlike is often associated with innocence, however innocence turns to horror very easily when parental guidance is removed from the equation.  This brings you to “What if” writing.  What if the child was abandoned?  What if we removed this other factor from an individual?  What impact would it have.  What if we added something, instead of subtracting?  There are countless stories to be told simply by exploring what if.

“A strong enough situation renders the whole question of plot moot. The most interesting situations can usually be expressed as a What-if question…”

Stephen King, writing in the Guardian (talking about his book On Writing )

Full Article Here

Psychology and the mind, properly employed, can give a logical explanation for the seemingly supernatural.  In fact, this is probably even more effective as a tool in horror as it has the added weight of forcing the reader to realise that it isn’t some invention of the writer, rather it is a condition that could happen to anyone.  And something like that can make a villain terrifying and sympathetic at the same time.  This is not something that should dabbled with lightly.  Study of things like psychosis, multiple personalities and schizophrenia is likely to be difficult, if not harrowing.  And you do sufferers a disservice if you misrepresent them, so if this is a route you would explore then I would suggest tread cautiously

I hope you found this of interest, and and of use to you.  These realisations have certainly helped me.

All the best.


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Best Valentine’s Day Sales to check out this week!

Top Flash Sales This Week To Get You Ready for Valentine’s Day & In the Mood for New York Fashion Week

fashion sales

Who doesn’t love a sale? These Valentine’s Day sales will help you get your fashion fix during this year’s New York Fashion Week. Don’t just drool over the clothes this year, get your hands on top designers!

Here are some of the top retailers that are having sales this week:

Zimmermann Spring Dress

Barneys — They are having an Infinite Rewards Sale.

You get $25 Gift Card for Every $250 you spend, Plus

earn even more on purchases over $1000. Valid through 2/11. So hurry and head on over to Barneys now!

You know I love Zimmermann if you have seen my fashion illustrations. So while at Barneys be sure to check out their Zimmermann Collection. Here is a dress to get you started

Moda Operandi — Take an extra 20% off sale. Valid through 2/12.

Madewell — Enjoy 20% off select items for the Galentine’s event. Valid through 2/13.

Alice + Olivia — Take 50% off your purchase of $300+. Valid through 2/11. Old Navy

Old Navy — Take up to 30% off your order with code: HURRY. Plus with code: FREESHIP, get free shipping on orders over $25. Valid through 2/11.

Here is a cute spring top to get you ready to transition from this cold and dreary weather to warm comfy spring. But hurry! Sale ends tomorrow!

Boohoo — Take 40% off everything and get free shipping. Valid through 2/13.

Rag & Bone — Enjoy up to 50% off sale items.

Also, check out our shop for some great home decor items. We also offer custom pieces. Contact Us for details.

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Internet Marketer Newbie No More!

Ok, so you are looking to make money online – finally! Everyday new people are either getting sick of ‘getting by’ at their regular jobs or just want some extra cash to stash or spend. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of way to make money on the Internet.

When starting off, you are a newbie – or a ‘noob’. Lets face it, you think you know what are getting into, but it is a deep, complex and sometimes dark world as an internet marketer. Here are some of the ways you can make money online, just to name a few:

  1. eBay
  2. Email marketing
  3. Product Creation
  4. Affiliate Marketing
  5. Facebook Marketing
  6. CPA

I could keep going, but I do not want to add to the confusion. So, how do you stop being a newbie and move to the ranks of “I’m ready now”? I can help you!

Learning How to Make Money Online as an Internet Marketer is a Slow Burn

First, let me start off by saying you will not become rich overnight. However, you may learn enough so fast that you might start to make some money overnight. The goal is making that first dollar, right? So begin where we all do by researching. I recommend to start by going to The Warrior Forum.

Here, you will probably see tons of topics for conversation.

There are offers inside this forum from other successful (and sometimes not so successful) internet marketers. Products and services are always worth a look, but not until you KNOW a bit more. This is a mistake a lot of internet marketer newbies, myself included, make. We see the ‘shiny object’ and it looks to make things easier and has potentials galore – to a newbie its as useless as hole in a boat.

Patrol the section “discussion” forum. I recommend to go deep and far within these forums. Take notes – mental or written – to see what others are discussing and learn what solutions they come with. This free information is worth it’s weight in gold. Make some posts, makes some friends and learn.

You can also search Facebook groups for Internet Marketing. Ask the admins to join and see what items they discuss. You will surround yourself with other internet marketers that may be ‘seasoned’ and some others that are new just like you.

Products Made by Other Internet Marketers are Good Study Material

So, if you should not buy products as a newbie, how can you get material (products) to study? There are a couple of ways to do this. First, you can download FREE PLR ebooks and products. Sites such as offer FREE accounts that allow you to download content that will have great information you can learn. Of course, there are more sites other than IDPLR, just search on the Warrior Forum or Google for PLR sources.

The next place to get products for no cost is by offering to give testimonials (aka “Review Copy’s”) for products that are about to be launched by other internet marketers. You can find these in the Warrior Forums as well as on the Facebook groups. Be sure to follow through as promised so you gain a reputation for doing what you say.

After you have absorbed enough you no longer be an internet marketing newbie. Now you can figure out which direction you want to go to make money online.

Please share or comment if you feel you got value from this article.


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mark.wrigley@me.com avatar

Mark Wrigley

Maker, Photographer at Alternative Photonics

My practice is based at Replicast Studios in the centre of Sheffield and I focus on photography, film and 3D printing. Current projects include:

  • PiKon - A 3D printed, Raspberry Pi powered telescope for makers.
  • 1201 Alarm - Restoration of reel-to-reel recordings, photographs and 8mm movie film created during the Apollo moon landings in 1969.
  • Maker Camera - A large format camera using digital fabrication methods.

I also accept commissions for photography and 3D printing.


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News & Announcements

Sheriff's Office

Posted on: October 25, 2018

Suspect Wanted in Ashburn Shooting Apprehended in Georgia

 October 25, 2018
 Kraig Troxell, Media Relations & Communications Manager, 703-771-5278
 [email protected]

 Alex Kowalski, Public Information Officer, 703-777-0625
 [email protected]

Suspect Wanted in Ashburn Shooting Apprehended in Georgia

 Loudoun County, Va.-
An Ashburn man wanted in connection with the July 29, 2018, shooting at an Ashburn apartment complex was apprehended this week in Georgia.

Edgar M. Vargas, 29, of Ashburn, was wanted on charges of aggravated malicious wounding and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony after a shooting in the 21000 block of Green Stable Square in Ashburn.

In the incident, Vargas was in a verbal altercation with an adult male in an apartment. During the argument, the suspect shot the victim in the abdominal area and fled the scene. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Vargas was apprehended by the Hinesville Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service on October 23. He remains held pending extradition to Virginia.

Facebook Twitter Email

Other News in Sheriff's Office

Missing 12-year-old from Aldie is Located

Posted on: September 13, 2018

LCSO Investigating Stabbing in Sterling

Posted on: August 27, 2018

Missing Leesburg Teenager Found Safe

Posted on: December 7, 2016

LCSO Makes an Arrest in the Tire Thefts

Posted on: November 9, 2016

Missing Round Hill Man Found Safe

Posted on: October 31, 2016


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Many of the formulas shared here don’t require much in the way of supplies and tools, with the exception of the basic ingredients. However, to prepare and engage in ALL the recipes, formulations, potions, and powders shared here at the Magickal Apothecary, you will need a wide selection of basic supplies. Over time, you will add to these supplies, but the following list will give you a good start. Some of these items can be found in thrift stores or garage sales, and the rest can be found on or at your local magick or herb shop.

Jars and Bottles: You can never have enough jars and bottles in which to store your creations! Wide mouth jars are necessary for incenses and herbs, for easy storage and removal. A 4 or 6 oz jar should be sufficient for most incense storage, and you will find that recycled baby food jars or small food jars that once contained relish or other condiments are perfect.

Brown Paper Bags: If you store large quantities of dried herbs, you may wish to simply keep each of them in a separate brown paper bag, like a paper grocery bag. As long as you keep the bags from getting wet and away from unnecessary heat, they will work just fine for dried herbs and resins.

Vials: You will need laboratory grade glass vials for your essential oils and essential oil blends. When you purchase an essential oil it will come in a laboratory grade vial. It is helpful to have a selection of varying sizes in your vials from 1 dram  up to 8 oz. For most oil blends, you will find that one dram 2 dram, and 1/2 oz vials are perfect. If you make massage oil, a 4 oz bottle should be sufficient, and you may prefer to keep that oil in a plastic bottle with a squeeze top for safety. A slippery oily hand can cause you to drop and break a glass bottle.

Dropper Bottles: You will need at least one 1 oz bottle that has a dropper cap to store alcohol. This bottle is used for dispersing drops of essential oil without contaminating the contents of your essential oil bottles. Using the dropper you can count exactly how many drops of oil you are adding at any given time. Cleaning out the dropper by drawing some alcohol into the dropper then shaking out excess alcohol in between applications of the different oils you are using ensures that you don’t inadvertently get any essential oils mixed into other essential oil bottles, keeping the scents pure. You just want to be sure that before drawing up a new essential oil into the dropper that you shake all the alcohol out of the dropper. If you drip alcohol into your essential oil, it can make it cloudy.

Labels: Keep a supply of sticky backed labels on hand so you can label everything as you make it. You may think that you will remember what a particular bottle or jar contains, but I guarantee you won’t. Labels are available at all office supply stores and often at the grocery store as well.

Journal: Invest now in a journal or notebook in which you can record any original recipe blends that you create. You may not believe me now, but the first time you make the most marvelous blend of your life, then want to recreate it from memory, you will wish fervently that you had written it down.

Mortar and Pestle: The mortar is the bowl that contains the herb or resin that you are crushing; the pestle is the rounded implement with which you crush. Glass or ceramic mortars work best as they do not react with any herb, oil, or resin and are easy to clean. Soapstone mortars are iffy as they are porous and can absorb essential oils into their surface. Metal mortar and pestles can react with some herbs and oils and become discolored. A mortar that is at least 3 inches is the smallest size that is useful, larger is better.

Food Processor: A food processor can be used as a substitute for a mortar and pestle in a pinch. Be aware, however, that you should not add any resins to your mixture while it is in the processor. The heat from the moving blades will soften the resin enough to cause it to adhere to the blades and the interior of the food processor, and besides being really hard to clean up, it can burn up the motor in the food processor if there is a lot of resin in the mix.

Glass, Enamel, and Ceramic Bowls: You will need at least one cereal size bowl in which to blend Bath Salts. Essential oils can react to metal, so you want your bowl to be made from a nonporous, neutral material.

From: The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook

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Bread Crumbs
Be Merry!

I think it's time to go shopping... maybe even buy some really cool stuff at my online shops!!


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Pool Safety

ShockAlarm is providing some pool safety tips for your reference. We encourage you to visit the sites listed below for more detailed information. We urge you to purchase a ShockAlarm device that will continuously monitor your pool and alarm if it detects the presence of electrical current.

Tips from poolsafety.gov

  • Stay close, be alert and watch children around the pool
  • Learn and practice water safety skills
  • Install the appropriate safety equipment

Tips from the Red Cross

  • Secure your pool with the appropriate barriers
  • Keep children under active supervision at all times
  • Ensure everyone in your home knows how to swim
  • Keep the pool water clean and clear – store chemicals safely when not in use
  • Establish and enforce rules and safe behaviors
  • Ensure everyone in your home knows how to respond to aquatic emergencies

Tips from the Pool Corporation

  • Be sure that you comply with local ordinances and codes
  • Use non-slip materials on the pool deck, diving boards, and ladders
  • Electrical equipment should be installed by a licensed electrician in accordance with local safety codes.
  • Keep electrical appliances such as radios out of the pool area because of the hazard of electrical shock.


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Just A Quick Post

We haven’t done a blog post for a while, so I thought it was time to put something up on here. Also testing the phone app out at the same time.

This week I have been way outside my comfort zone, doing some product photography for a local gin company. It’s been a bit of a learning curve for me, trying to get the look we want without getting reflections in the glass bottles. I am getting there, but still not happy, so the challenge will continue into next week.

Meanwhile, I am trying to drum up more business for the pet photography side of things, trying to get people to spend money on luxury items is not easy in January.

Pet Portrait

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SoftZone® Classic Bean Bag, Junior (26"), Primary Colors

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Price: $70.00
Grade Level: Toddler -- Grade 2
Item Number: ELR12826-AS
Manufacturer: ECR4Kids
Average Rating: Not Rated

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This item requires additional freight charges.

The 26" Junior Classic Bean Bag Chair from ECR4Kids is a snuggly spot for kids to curl up and read. Perfect for classrooms, daycares and home environments, this bean bag is both comfortable and durable. Covered with soft leather material that features double-stitched seams for durability and two locking zippers to keep beads safely inside.

Recommended for use by ages 2+. The 26" Junior Classic Bean Bag Chair has achieved GREENGUARD [GOLD] certification for meeting or exceeding standards for low emissions into indoor air during product usage. Available in a variety of attractive solid and assorted colors from our Primary, Contemporary and Earthtone color palettes.
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Skip to main content

Tammy Fender

Purifying Cleansing Gel

US $50.00

Made with spearmint and alfalfa, this gel clarifies, oxygenates, and energizes skin with natural extracts that calm congested, acne-prone skin. Good for oily skin types, and those prone to hyperpigmentation.

  • 6 oz

How to Use

Massage the cleanser onto a dampened face and neck, using small circular motions, then remove with a damp, warm cloth.

About the Brand

There’s truly nothing on earth like a facial with legendary Palm Beach aesthetician Tammy Fender, who’s been practicing in the beauty and healing space for more than 25 years. Her approach to skincare is holistic, with a reliance on fresh ingredients (all of her products should be used within 90 days of opening) and luxurious, ancient healing materials like Bulgarian rosewater and avocado oil.


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Life coaching process (10 sessions)

Life coaching process (10 sessions)

Regular price €992,00 Sale

What is the area that - if your satisfaction on it was to improve significantly - would make the biggest difference in your life?

This process is designed to boost your personal and/or professional life on any significant area(s), e.g. self-confidence, health, relationships and contribution. We will work together all the way from exploring where you are right now in your life towards what will serve you best in the near and far future, your desires, your dreams, your needs, your fulfillment.

You can expect your coach to be honest and direct, asking straightforward questions and using challenging and supporting techniques to help you move forward. You are expected to evaluate your own progress and make your best effort to reach your personally identified goals. Together we work to create more space for openness, intuition, expression and connection – for you to be the best version of you.

Remember that the first time is always free, and you choose whether we take it from there!

Coaching can be done in Finnish or in English, and the process can be paid in parts (just choose the invoicing option and we will get in touch with you).

Looking forward to cooperating and co-piloting with you on this journey,

Team Growthroom Coaches


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Toll-Free Order Line: (888) 224-2324

Complete Audio Book

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Red Rock Mysteries: Haunted Waters-Book 1 Complete Set (Audio Download)

Ashley and Bryce's stepdad Sam hunt for a vug--which is an underground cavern with golden walls. They discover that someone stole a golden nugget--who could it be? The kids realize they're dealing with someone sinister when the photos on Ashley's camera are suddenly deleted.

Red Rock Mysteries: Stolen Secrets-Book 2 Complete Set (Audio Download)

Still on vacation, Ashley and Bryce get even more suspicious when their cabin is broken into. Bryce's video camera was the only thing stolen. He had some very informative footage to share with the police. Will he ever recover the files? To make matters worse, a boy is bullying Bryce. Can he ever catch a break?

Red Rock Mysteries: Missing Pieces-Book 3 Complete Set (Audio Download)

The thief--or thieves--of the golden nugget are proving to be elusive in Ashley and Bryce's investigation. Until one day they uncover something that leads to a dangerous car chase. Will they be able to reach the bandits?

Red Rock Mysteries: Wild Rescue-Book 4 Complete Set (Audio Download)

Sam never wants to reveal much about his past, which Ashley and Bryce think is odd. What is he hiding? Will they get to the bottom of the real culprits of the golden nugget case before their vacation is over? Bryce makes a realization of his own in his interaction with Boo. Find out more in this final episode of Haunted Waters.


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Just Kidding™ Rug, 12' x 8' Rectangle, Lemon Yellow

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Price: $405.99
Item Number: JC-623S06
Manufacturer: Joy Carpets & Co.
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Brighten up your room with the beautiful colors of Just Kidding™. Made with 100% BCF PET solution dyed polyester, these soft and inviting area rugs resist soil, stains, bleach, and have antimicrobial protection.
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We are proud to announce that Panasonic
is a member of ULE Alliance.

ULE addresses Ultra-Low Energy application requirements by introducing optimized communication methods. Identified with low power consumption, low latency, long range, moderate data rate and value-added complementary voice capabilities, ULE is the best-of-class technology which represents the next evolution in home networking.

ULE is based on DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) which is the de-facto standard for residential and business cordless phone communications worldwide.


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our story

After nearly a decade as a CEO in the pet industry, our founder, Roger Morgan knew that there had to be a better way.

A better way to care for our pets with premium quality food, treats and supplements made with only the finest ingredients.

A better way to share solutions catered to the unique needs of our pets to help pet parents make more informed decisions.

A better way to help people live a life filled with purpose, all while making a difference in the lives of pets and people.

Knowing that his entire career had prepared him for this exact challenge, he set out on a journey to discover exactly that.

# Hear Roger’s Story

A Story of Unconditional Love

Determined to find a way to reciprocate the love that our pets give us unconditionally each day, he partnered with a team of top veterinarians and a PhD in Animal Science and Pet Nutrition and the result was pawTree, a social selling company dedicated to creating a world filled with unconditional love where pets and their people thrive. A company devoted to creating phenomenal products for healthier pets, happier hearts and homes.

We Are Uncompromising

Our pets are a part of our families and we want them to not just survive but to thrive. So, we continue to raise the bar of the quality of products developed in the industry. We refuse to compromise on quality so you don't have to. Our mission is to make such a profound difference in the lives of pets and their people that they can't imagine going back to the old way.

We are guided by our love for pets and their people and driven by our desire to change lives.

We continue on this journey, bringing remarkable people from all walks of life together to join our community and share product we're proud to stand behind. We never stop working to support people on their career journey, no matter how big or small... and we never will.

We will continue to work tirelessly to make a difference and create a legacy our children will be proud to carry on. We invite you to become a part of that story, a part of our family, the pawTree family.

Join Us


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The decorative trim for the centre console in ibis white gives your Q2 an unmistakable personal touch and it can be very effectively combined with the same-colour decorative trims for the dash panel, door covers and interior mirror.
Can be removed without leaving residues.

Items supplied: decorative trims for centre console, including fitting instructions and cleaning cloth

- Not in combination with Audi design selection
- Not in combination with light graphic decorative inlay format with background lighting package
- Not in combination with brushed matt aluminium decorative inlays
- Not in combination with mono.pur coloured extended interior elements.
- Only in combination with painted/unpainted knee pad
- Installation by qualified personnel/specialist workshop is recommended

Article no.:

81A072045A Y9C

  • Q2 2017
  • SQ2 2019

Model selection

Model selection

Postal address:

Audi France
Relation Client
11 avenue de Boursonne
02600 Villers-Cotterêts

+33 (0) 9 69 36 86 12

+33 (0) 3 23 73 80 20


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Conversation UI (Sneak Peek)

Here’s a very preliminary UI design for messaging. It’s modelled (read: stolen) from the stock MMS XML. I’m going to change what the status text says since the full date is just a placeholder. The icons signify “Sent via” and “Received via”. Here I’m messaging myself. Take a look at how long it takes to receive a sent message. Yeah, it’s much faster than Samsung’s implementation.

Edit: just noticed Google Voice incoming has wrong date. Beta indeed

I also find showing the contact picture EVERY message is ridiculously redundant while the service icon is both informative and provides a comfortable minimum spacing for touch input. The spinner in the top left changes the destination.

Oh yeah, dark theme is beautiful. Light looks boring by comparison.

Oh and that “Settings” text will be replaced by your standard “Gear” icon but I haven’t got around to doing so. From there I’ll add the “Add” button for MMS stuff.

You can get back to contacts by pressing back, the “up/home” button on the top left or, since this is a view pager, swiping to the left.

This was posted via my phone just now.

EDIT: I’ve made some more changes you can see here as per suggestions in these comments. I’m including a screenshot here since this post hit Reddit recently.

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The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour

Nov 18, 2016
Your rating: 0
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Jeremy Clarkson isHimself - Host
Himself - Host
Richard Hammond isHimself - Host
Himself - Host
James May isHimself - Host
Himself - Host

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Watch The Grand Tour Full Seasons and Episodes on Showbox Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are back with a show about adventure, excitement and friendship… as long as you accept that the people you call friends are also the ones you find extremely annoying. Sometimes it’s even a show about cars. Follow them on their global adventure.

The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour
Original title The Grand Tour
First air date Nov 18, 2016
Last air date Feb 16, 2018
Seasons 3
Episodes 35
Duration 60m

Seasons and episodes

1 Season 1 Nov 18, 2016
2 Season 2 Dec 08, 2017
3 Season 3 Jan 18, 2019

You May Also Like

The World at War
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
The Vietnam War
We’ll Meet Again
Planet Earth II
Blue Planet II
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
The Blue Planet
Human Planet

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Oxted Banner

Showtime Oxted Map

kate hume
KateLead Teacher

Fun classes jam sandwich packed with music, drama, song & dance!
Build confidence & ability with our performing professional teachers.

Junior & Senior (ages 5-18) Sundays 10am to 1:00pm
TinyTime (ages 3-5) Sundays 9:00am to 10:00am

Zoe Maxwell
Hazel McCarthy
2 Week Free Trial
Book Now

Spring term has now begun and we look forward to welcoming back all our students. We also hope to see some new faces and talent this term.

If you haven’t been along for a free trial lesson then book now using the form below.  We will take great care to make sure you have fun and learn all that you can.

Our teachers have a rich and diverse range of experience with the performing arts as well as a passion for working with children and teenagers. As you would expect all our teachers are DBS checked and first aid trained. This means your children will always be in safe hands at Showtime.

Jack will be running RADA training courses for those students wishing to gain a formal qualification and UCAS points.

We love Showtime...

We love Showtime...

And to make sure your children do too, we invite them to have a taste of Showtime at any of our schools for free. Trainers, comfy clothes, a snack and a smile is all you need.

Our classes are taught by professional and enthusiastic tutors who have performed on Stage & Screen.  Students benefit from small learning groups where skills and confidence grow quickly.

First Student (5-18) £75 per month 3 hours per week
12 weeks per term
Sibling Student (5-18) £50 per month 3 hours per week
12 weeks per term
TinyTime (3-5) £25 per month 1 hour per week
12 weeks per term
Autumn Term

Autumn Term

We enjoy working towards our Christmas presentation to parents, which is always a fun experience. Here we showcase classwork in addition to some prepared pieces, which is put together using material at teachers discretion.

Summer Term is our Show term

Summer Term is our Show term

Students put their valuable auditions skills into practise if they wish to land a more prominent part. All students are involved in our annual showcase, from the youngest to the eldest. After parents requests this year we are putting on multiple shows.

Spring Term

Spring Term

Exam/Audition term. This term our focus is on audition training as well as RADA preparation for our older students. During the Spring Term, we also invite parents to spend a morning or afternoon with us and join in our classes, to experience Showtime first hand, lucky parents.

showtime Oxted School,
Bluehouse Lane,

In the news

Showtime performs at the 02

Our fabulous Showtime performers took center stage at the 02 as Glee Club 2017 finalists. The capacity audience was wowed by their performance of What You Want from the musical Legally Blonde; and captivated by their chilling performance from Sweeney Todd. A truely professional performance.

Les Misérables

An amazing Summer Show theatre performance which included all Showtime students, big and small. This epic full scale production owes its success to our brilliant performers and teachers. Special thank you's to teaching principals Jack, Florence and Lydia.

Congratulations Lydia

Showtime Teacher Lydia Fraser is taking a break from Showtime while she performs in the West Ends show The Comedy About a Bank Robbery. We can't wait to come and watch you.

Stage vs Screen

Double Congratulations to Oxted student Cody Evans for his performances with the RSC. Unfortunately Codys commitment to the stage production of Julius Ceaser precluded him from filming with a popular Historical TV Drama.

Take a break Scarlett

Hard working Scarlett, Teaching Principal Showtime Kings Hill, spent her Christmas holidays performing as Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ, Tunbridge Wells. A brilliant performance shared with co-star Toto the dog. Well done Scarlett.

Welcome Katy Secombe

After 2 years of performing as Madame Thénardier in the West End production of Les Misérables, we are now fortunate that Katy has joined the Showtime team as Principal of the Sevenoaks Academy.


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Choosing a Childminder - Questions to ask

Questions to ask your childminder

Have you any vacancies?

How long have you been childminding?

What extra training have you done?

What other children do you care for, and how old are they?

Are you an inclusive setting and what particular knowledge and expertise do you have to enable you to care for children with SEND?

Can you supply me with references?

Do you charge for sick days and holidays?

Have you a copy of your policies or a prospectus?

Do you have a copy of your latest Ofsted Inspection Report?

Which rooms do you use for childminding? (They should show you round.)

Where will my child sleep? Make sure it is quiet.

How do you spend the day and how will the other children’s schedules fit in with my child? What outings and experiences do you offer the children?

Do you provide properly-fitted car seats?

What kind of meals and drinks do you provide?

Do you keep a file about a child’s progress? Most childminders use Learning Stories

Do you offer a settling in period?

Also remember...

Look to see the childminder’s up-to-date registration/approval, public liability insurance and first aid certificates on display.

Check all rooms and the garden are registered and insured; otherwise your child will be excluded from those areas.

Ask how many other adults will be in the house.

Agree on feeding, learning, TV watching and discipline policies, etc.

It is very important to discuss the contract; it should cover hours, pay, sickness, holiday and bank holiday pay. Remember to keep the signed contract safe so you can refer to it in the future.

Ask whether the childminder can provide funded early education for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

Ask whether they offer “blended provision” and will take your child to a local pre-school and pick them up afterwards if you choose to use this option when your child is old enough (It is possible to share the funding between 2 settings).

Share your feedback on this page ∇

Please provide feedback on our website. Try to include any constructive suggestions for improvements and we will do our best to incorporate them.

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The Helix Bridge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The Helix Bridge
Spiral bridge spotted with red lights, spanning across a still river at night. A tall building with a boat-shaped top is in the background.
The Helix Bridge lit up on its opening night in 2010, overlooked by the Marina Bay Sands hotel
CrossesSingapore River
LocaleMarina Bay
Official nameThe Helix
MaterialSteel and glass
Total length280m
Designer • Architects 61 (Singapore)
 • COX Group Pte Ltd (Australia)
 • ARUP Pte Ltd (Australia)
Opened24 April 2010

The Helix Bridge (before called the Double Helix Bridge) is a pedestrian bridge across the opening to Marina Bay in Singapore. It links the new Marina Centre with Marina South. It is located beside the Benjamin Sheares Bridge and the Bayfront Bridge, which are for vehicles (cars, etc.). It was first opened on 24 April 2010, but part of it stayed closed because of nearby construction.[1] The whole bridge was opened on 18 July 2010. It was the last link in the pedestrian walkway that goes all the way around Marina Bay. The bridge is also used as an art gallery where children's paintings and drawings are shown to the public.

The bridge was built as part of a major development plan in the area. Other projects included the huge modern-style Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino, the Singapore Flyer, the Gardens by the Bay, and a 438,000-square-metre (4,710,000 sq ft) business and financial zone. All of it was to be finished by 2012.[2]

Design and architecture[change | change source]

The team who designed the bridge included Australian and Singaporean architects. The main design idea is based on the double helix model of DNA. This can be seen best at night, when the bridge is lit up by a series of lights that show the double helix structure.[3] Pairs of coloured letters (c and g, as well as a and t) on the bridge which are lit up in red and green. They represent cytosine, guanine, adenine and thymine, the four bases of DNA.

The bridge has four viewing platforms that give views over the Singapore skyline and events happening within Marina Bay.[4]

The bridge is made of about 650 tonnes of stainless steel and 1000 tonnes of carbon steel. The construction of the bridge was done by two local engineering and construction companies.

References[change | change source]

  1. Claire Huang (24 April 2010). "Marina's pedestrian bridge named "The Helix", vehicular bridge named "Bayfront Bridge"". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  2. "World's first curved double helix bridge opens at Marina Bay on April 24". Channel NewsAsia. 21 April 2010.
  3. Bayfront Bridge - Event Night Lighting
  4. Marina Bay - Explore Marina Bay

Other websites[change | change source]

Coordinates: 1°17′15.44″N 103°51′38.15″E / 1.2876222°N 103.8605972°E / 1.2876222; 103.8605972


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Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, –and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of –Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air…
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Sitting in the middle of nowhere, looking up at the sky..thinking of all the things that are and all the things that could have been, I cannot help but smile when I see you smiling back at me. You know where I coming from, and where I am going to be. You are my guiding star Dad, thanks for always watching out for me!

I Fly!

I fly over the clouds, where angels dwell, chase sun rays around filling my pockets with star dust. Soar above the mountains of the sky, leaving footprints on them. My lungs swell with the freedom I breathe, eyes glitter with stars as I leave the earth behind. I sail around the oceans of the air, with my wings spread wide. I feel one with the skies and all these magical things, I am in love with the wind beneath my wings!

Photo Credit: Kunal Uppal https://www.facebook.com/kunaluppal23?fref=ts

The Hem of Heaven

What do you see, she asked him as they sat holding hands at dusk.

I see the endless seas he said, I see it embracing me in its arms, making me to be a part of its deep blue aura. It feels like I belong with it. The depth entice me like a mistress.

What do you see, He said still lost in the aqua hue.

I see the orange sky. My imagination flies freely here. There are no boundaries in the sky. I can be anything I want up there. I see clouds. I see castles that are floating at the brim of eternity. I could be the queen in of of them, or just a tiny bird, flapping it wings with all its might to stay afloat. My heart rides the wind.

You see that line separating the blue and orange, he said while pointing at the horizon. That is the hem of heaven, that stiches my world to yours, and yours to mine. That’s where we shall live.

Photo Credit: Harshad Sharma http://www.harshadsharma.com


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She was the kind of girl who smiled a lot.
when hurricanes moved through her thoughts and darkness crept on her mind..
Even the chaos around her paused to admire how well she fought

She was the kind of girl who had magic in her eyes.
When she stopped and looked at u, it was to decide whether to dance with your angels or to silence ur demons, even the ones in disguise.

She was the kind of girl who had fire in her soul.
She could read you layer after layer down to ur core, touch u in places that would leave u begging for more.
But would rather kiss ur lips while holding ur face and lie in your lap all day to talk about constellations  and space

We sat in the car and the night dropped down around us. The only sounds were the crickets and the dance of our voices. For a moment the world became small enough to roll back & forth between us. Everything was an adventure, at night. We were where we shouldn’t be, even if it was somewhere we could go perfectly well in daylight, and it was then only ordinary. It had something to do with the ebony veil that surrounded us. It all seemed right in the velvet hue.
Lying on the hood of the car we stared at the heavens like we belonged. The stars appeared first, as if someone had thrown a handful of silver across the edge of the world. Then came the moon smiling coyly as if he was a part of the plan. The wind tiptoed around listening in on our whispers. In that moonstruck moment, the rights and the wrongs got lost in ivory satin that wrapped itself around us, and we found life.


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Following Freedom

“You will never realize your best destiny through the avoidance of fear.  Rather, you will realize it through the exercise of courage, which means taking whatever action is most liberating to the soul, even when you are afraid.”

-Martha Beck, Steering By Starlight

To say that I hated practicing law would be a gross understatement.  I was allergic to it.  Literally.  Shortly after I began my job as an attorney, I was struck with severe allergy symptoms that came out of nowhere.  I went to an allergist and had a battery of tests run to see what was causing my body to react in this way.  Nothing registered.  And so I left the doctor’s office with a prescription for Claritin and a diagnosis of non-allergic rhinitis, which basically means my body was having an allergic reaction to something, but they didn’t know what it was.

Young, stubborn and unwilling to admit that maybe my legal career had been a mistake, I took my Claritin each morning and went to a job that made me miserable.  This seemed perfectly normal to me at the time.  I mean, everyone hates their job, right?  Work is supposed to feel like you are trading your soul for money, isn’t it?  I did not see, or did not want to see, the connection between my symptoms and my unhappiness.  The Claritin took care of the itchy, stuffy nose and the watery eyes, but soon my body began to find other ways to get my attention.  I was overwhelmed with anxiety and would frequently burst into tears.  I began to suffer panic attacks.  My hair started falling out.  I saw doctors, a psychologist and a therapist to try and “fix” what was wrong with me.  But in truth, there was nothing wrong with my body.  It was doing exactly what it was supposed to:  it was telling me the truth.  My body was screaming at me to find a new path, a different way of life, and I wasn’t listening.

Our minds are very good at making up stories to justify whatever it is we want to believe or, in more likelihood, feel that we should believe.  In my case, I believed that I should stay in that soul-sucking job because I had invested a great deal of time and money into obtaining my law degree, and a lot of my identity and self-worth was tied up in “being a lawyer.”  Who would I be without that label?  I was worried about what other people would think.  Maybe I just needed to give it a chance:  I was making good money and had this successful, prestigious career…surely I could learn to like it or at least tolerate it.   See what I mean?  It is easy to talk ourselves into or out of anything, particularly if what is true for us goes against what our ego, our parents, our spouse or society is telling us is the “right thing to do.”  Our bodies, on the other hand, are finely-tuned instruments that are incapable of lying to us.  If we pay attention to what our bodies are saying, if we learn to speak the language of the body rather than relying on the unreliable words and stories of the mind, we can learn a lot about what our inner self truly desires.

In her brilliant book Steering By Starlight, life coach Martha Beck says, “the Buddha often said that wherever you find water, you can tell if it’s the ocean because the ocean always tastes of salt.  By the same token, anywhere you find enlightenment-whatever improbable or unfamiliar shape it may have assumed-you can tell it’s enlightenment because enlightenment always tastes of freedom.  Not comfort.  Not ease.  Freedom.”  She goes on to describe the difference between feeling as if something in your life is “shackles off” or “shackles on”.  Something that is right for you will always come with the feeling of “shackles off”, or freedom and inner spaciousness.  Something that is not right for you will come with a feeling of “shackles on”, or imprisonment and sense of being stuck.  You can practice feeling these sensations by going through events in your past that you know with great certainty to have been right or wrong for you and reliving the feeling you had in your body at that time.  In my very extreme case of being miserable in my job as an attorney, it is very easy to do.  My body was screaming, not sending me subtle cues.  But even before the physical symptoms began, if I think back to that time and imagine myself in that unhappy body, I can feel the shortness of breath, the tightness, the constricting of the muscles in my chest, stomach and the spot between my eyes.  That is my “shackles on” feeling.  And then I imagine myself in one of my favorite places in the world, the north shore of Lake Superior.  I see myself on the shore of the lake, under an impossibly starry sky surrounded by birch and pine trees.  I step into that peaceful body and I know the feeling of freedom and space.  That is my “shackles off” feeling.

As a writer, I love words and spend a great deal of time playing with them in my mind.  But I have quit relying on words when it comes to choosing which direction to take next in life. I have come to trust the wisdom of my body over the stories of my mind.  I choose to follow the feeling of freedom, wherever that takes me.  This is not easy and takes a great deal of practice.  Like many women, I have never really trusted or inhabited my body.  Society repeatedly tells us that our bodies aren’t good enough.  We aren’t thin enough, curvy enough, young enough, athletic enough…the list goes on and on.  But I am here to tell you, your body is your friend in so many ways that your mind never will be.  Learn her language and listen to her.  Trust her.  Be brave enough to act on what liberates her.  Treat her well.  She will not steer you wrong.

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The Client

The Organ Project is a not for profit organization set up to end the wait for organ transplants in Canada. Their annual gala is the main fundraising event of their year.

The Challenge

Siren’s mandate was to raise awareness of the need to register for organ donation in Canada through both social and legacy media, which has a very high support level for donation, but one of the lowest donor registration levels in the developed world.

The Solution

Siren invited media to cover the talent on the red carpet, including the Bare Naked Ladies and Chantal Krevaziak. We invited a media table to be personal guests of Ann Layton including media celebrity Jeanne Beker, tech world visionary and former head of the CBC Kirstine Stewart, as well as representatives from the National Post, Toronto Life, and Hello! Magazine.

The Results

Social media impressions at the VIP media table alone exceeded 2 million, with strong engagement and on-line discussion of the issue.  Print Coverage of the event itself appeared in the National Post (double page spread) Hello! Magazine, Bay Street Bull, Globe & Mail, Toronto Life (event of the month)  and  numerous blogs – significantly raising awareness for the need of organ donor registration in Canada.


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» » » Sterling Silver Embraced by the Heart Mother Necklace

Sterling Silver Embraced by the Heart Mother Necklace

A great pendant for any mother, dedicated to those who believe that being embraced by a mother’s love softens the aches of the day, puts love and hope back into life, and simply put, makes life a little better. This pendant is made from 0.925 sterling silver, and comes with 18in chain, a gift box and card with story and poem. Choose from 1 – 3 children.

From Deborah J. Birdoes’ extraordinary Inspirational Blessings™ Collection of Jewelry.

Embraced by the Heart™

I’d like to give to you
A gift to remember me.
Where there are no spoken words,
In a language you could see.

I’d wrap my arms around you,
Today and always I’d send,
An embrace to be remembered,
One that would never end.

© Deborah J. Birdoes

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SKU: SR45218 Category: Tags: ,

Additional information

Sterling Silver

24.75mm x 18.75mm, 25mm x 18.5mm, 25mm x 19mm

8.79g, 8.96g, 9.41g

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Shankar Jaikishan banner lost its charm

Even after Sanyasi, Shankar continued providing music for movies though he also associated himself with TV programs in early eighties. These years also saw some novel scores being created. Notable albums during this era are Atmaram, Garam Khoon, Chorni, and Eent Ka Jawab Patther among others. But Shankar Jaikishan brand had already gone into oblivion.

  • Shankar with singers Sharda and Shabbir Kumar in early eighties


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Monthly Archives: February 2013

Skeleton Gorge with Meridian

Skeleton Gorge and the Aquaduct – Red & Blue Disas and more

Meridian Skeleton Gorge Feb 2013_046

Red disa – Window Gorge Stream

Saturday was a perfect Cape Town day for a hike up the southern side of Table Mountain, in search of the Red disa (Disa uniflora). These magnificent flowers only show themselves towards the end of January and usually fade away around the end of February. How quickly time flies when one wants to do something like this, before you know what has happened they have disappeared for another year. This year I have been lucky to see them in two different places, Myburgh and Disa Ravine, but they are always most prolific in the Window Gorge Stream and Aquaduct areas.

Meridian Skeleton Gorge Feb 2013_072

Meridian Hiking Club on Aquaduct Path

The weather was a bit cooler than it has been lately, with a little bit of cloud around to bring the temperatures down. From Cecelia Forest we headed up to the Contour Path and on to Skeleton Gorge. It was a fairly strong Meridian Hiking Club group, so the pace was reasonably good. We soon reached the top where there were a few of sort after flower hanging from the cliff face. Further down Smuts Track, at the Window Gorge stream there was a much more abundant display, with their red reflections in the water doubling the effect.

Meridian Skeleton Gorge Feb 2013_101

King Protea on Nursery Ravine

Along the route we were lucky enough to spot quite a few Blue disa (Disa graminifolia) and the occasional display by the red Cluster disa (Disa ferruginea). Up in the Aquaduct there was evidence of what must have been quite a magnificent exhibition of the Red disas, but most were now past their best. There will probably still be a few around this coming weekend, but that will probably be the last opportunity of the season.

Meridian Skeleton Gorge Feb 2013_058

Crossing the Aqueduct – Disas below

We continued our walk down the valley towards the reservoirs where we had our picnic lunch, before heading back through Nursery Ravine. About half-way down Nursery there is the most wonderful show of King Protea (Protea cynaroides). Even though this is not my own favourite route down (or up) the mountain, it is worth the effort just to see this.

It was good to get on to the contour path and head back for Cecelia Forest and the inevitable cold beer at the finish.

Meridian Skeleton Gorge Feb 2013

Your Cape Town Host

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Filed under Day Hikes, Day Trekking, Day Walks, Flower Tours, Table Mountain, Western Cape Hiking Trails

Orangekloof, Blue and Red Disas

Walking in the rain is ok as long as you start in the dry. Saturday was different. Karen had organised a permit for Orangekloof – limited to 12 people per day and very much in demand at this time of the year, with the Red disas in bloom. It was raining as we started – not too heavily but clearly not likely to lift any time soon. But with permits in short supply and looking like a hardy group we put on our waterproofs and set out anyway.

At the start it was not too bad, just a few drips and plenty of mist, with more moisture generated from inside the rain gear than from outside. It certainly was not cold. We had planned to do Hell’s Gate and climb up to the Woodhead Tunnel, but with the wet it was going to be too slippery, so we turned off the jeep track on to the Disa Ravine path. The idea was to get too the Woodhead Tunnel, possibly see the disas there and then on to the top of the ravine and return via the concrete road to Constantia Nek.

Group at Woodhead Tunnel

As we got closer to the Disa Ravine path, the mist closed in, but the Blue disas decorating the path were superb. The rain got heavier but by now we were pretty wet, so decided to at least reach Woodhead Tunnel for ‘tea’. We were rewarded with a beautiful cluster of disas just above the tunnel and I was mad at myself for forgetting my newly repaired camera. I think Rodney was the only one who had actually brought real tea and we watched with envy as he poured a steaming cup.

Blue disas in Orangekloof

There was not shelter and have achieved the initial objective of seeing the Red disas, it was a unanimous decision to return via the same path and head for the dryer lower slopes. By this time we were all fairly well soaked but as we neared the parking area the rain seemed to disappear and we started to dry out. The idea of a warm fire and a cold beer enticed Karen, Keith and myself to the Constantia Nek Restaurant, while the others headed for home. Thanks to Karen for organising the permit – always worth it in spite of the wet.

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Filed under Day Hikes, Day Trekking, Day Walks, Flower Tours

Myburgh Ravine Red Disa Hike

Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_002Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_005Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_008Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_015Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_006Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_021
Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_011Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_001Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_017Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_019Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_018Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_014
Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_009Myburgh Ravine Family Jan 2012_010

Myburgh Ravine Family Hike, a set on Flickr.

With my sister out from Canada and Lindsay about to start a new job on Friday, we decided to take the opportunity on Wednesday to hike up Myburgh Ravine to see the red disas (Disa uniflora). These beautiful flowers are only seen between the end of January and the first few weeks of February and only in few locations on Table Mountain and some of the surrounding mountains. Inevitably unless you make a plan and get out and see them, the time passes quickly and they fade and are gone before you get there.

It was a misty morning, but cool and beautiful for walking. I had not done the route for quite a while and was pleased that Peter, who had done it the week before, had decided to join us. Starting in Hout Bay we had initially planned to hike up to the point where we had already established that the disas were blooming and return the same way. Getting to the start of the ravine is an easy and pleasant walk of about an hour through high stands of proteas. The start of the ravine is shady a shady section of afro-montane forest and there is a short scramble out of the ravine at one point, to get around a rock face, before returning the main path in ravine. This was a bit more challenging than anticipated, particularly having made the mistake of bringing dogs with us.

Once past this point it is a climb up over a boulder strewn section, not difficult, but uneven and a bit of a scramble over and around the rocks. With the mist and even light rain at times, it was quite slippery in places. Suddenly we were at the point where the disas were blooming. There must have been about thirty or more blooms of the delicate red and pink flowers. Most of the party had not seen these iconic Western Cape flowers before, so it was very rewarding and well worth the effort. We spent a bit of time just enjoying the spectacle and taking the obligatory photos of flowers and family.

The earlier scramble had proved more difficult than expected and we decided rather to continue up the ravine and return over the top, past Judas Peak and down Llandudno Ravine. The walk up through the rest of the ravine, is quite spectacular, with high cliffs either side. At the top, the route out itself is not that easy, with a very steep, sandy and rather degraded path. It has to be climbed very carefully and although there is a rocky alternative, on the day this was wet and slippery and not a viable option. Once at the top it was a stunning walk through the misty surroundings before heading down the steep Llandudno Ravine. Unfortunately the mist stayed down until we got quite close to Hout Bay, so we did not see the views of the Atlantic coast that you always get from on this route. Quite a tough day for family members not used to hiking, and a few sore legs the next day.

Warning: Not a hike to be undertaken without someone who knows the way. There are some fairly challenging scrambles where a head for heights is needed. The path at the top is quite badly eroded with a steep drop below. Not a route for dogs – a mistake that we made – adding to the challenge.

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Filed under Adventure, Day Hikes, Day Trekking, Day Walks, Flower Tours, News