Binding of "Jamie Tales" book

The publisher is at present in the process of binding and stitching my latest book "Jamie Tales." Orders can now be taken for this wonderful children's illustrated poetry book from the publisher Arthur H Stockwell Ltd, Ilfracombe, England. Be one of the first to read it!

Visiting National Trust gardens

How lucky we are that once we have paid the annual membership we can visit National Trust gardens as many times as we want. It gives a source of inspiration as we take photographs and create new beds in our own garden. How dedicated their gardeners are whether they are voluntary or paid! Now some are creating winter gardens from available areas and so we are not confined to certain months of the year. We can pick out these, visit and include them also in forthcoming visits. Never mind the weather! There is always the cafe to shelter in at times of blizzards and we have been in those at certain gardens in past years. Yes, we are indeed lucky.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ The King, Liverpool

We visited the Roman Catholic Church in Liverpool yesterday for the first time. This is called the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ The King but also known as "Paddy's Wigwam." The appearance is one of concrete with a tower and can be compared with the more traditional Anglican Cathedral a short distance away.

I liked the outward appearance of the Roman Catholic Church. The concrete facia was decorated and the entrance imposing with many steep steps to climb. The inside was breathtakingly beautiful. We visited on a warm sunny afternoon and the lights from the lantern were reflected around us in colours blue, green, purple and red, the red shining on one section of the pews. In the centre, roped off is a white altar and overhead the crown of thorns. Around the circular room were alcoves depicting unity, reconciliation etc and there were large decorative banners hung on the high walls. The effect was inspiring and very beautiful. This was for me a special occasion.

A sample of my work

I give below one of the paragraphs of a true story from "Travellers" Tales." You will have to read my book to see what happened! This paragraph is from the first story in my book.

...Now we were on our own but Val was determined to climb Helvellyn and walk across the treacherous Striding Edge. I was fearful. You heard of people dying, falling off this perilous ridge. I'd already stubbornly told her she could try it herself. I'd watch!...

To find out what happens, you must read my book which is available through Amazon. We were aged seventeen at the time and the memory is still as vivid as ever.

For other samples, see my website www.marianbythell.com

proof of my new book "Jamie Tales"

The amended proof of my new book "Jamie Tales" came yesterday. There were certain alterations but I am very pleased with my pubisher Arthur H Stockwell Ltd. The drawings by Wendy Duffin are excellent and portray my stories in lovely detail which yet doesn't give the whole story away. This will be a superb book for children and will be published in March 2012.

Has the new Chinese Year of the Dragon influenced you?

The new Chinese Year of the Dragon began this week and it brings (according to The Times) a year of wealth and success. That will affect the world not just China. I am sceptical about certain aspects of "success" - when a football match or a cricket match is being played for instance, someone has to lose and someone has to win. They won't be all draws! Does wealth mean that we we will come out of the Recession and more jobs created. We can only hope so. However, I must report a sharp rise in viewers of my website www.marianbythell.com which I can tell from my statistics chart. Something IS happening then! I have also read that the Chinese Year of the Dragon will be more emotional for everyone. Well, bound to be if we are all successful and gain more monetary wise. I wish you all the best. Marian.