What behind the Picture?

By

Sorting through the family photos can be an enjoyable experience. There will be those moments when reflecting on the picture we remember sad moments. After my mothers death I asked for one thing, the family photos. For what reason I never really thought. Maybe to hide the embarrassing ones of me dressed as a little girl called Monica for a fancy dress competition. Don’t think I won.

There was one photo I knew on what day it was taken even though it was torn at the edges. June 3rd 1953, the day the Queen was crowned. Our street had a party for the children inside some one house. Sandwiches, cake, ice cream and jelly would have been the menu. It was after all just after the Second World War and the rationing of food was coming to an end. I look at the picture and wonder what happened to the others who sat down at the tables. I grew up with them, many I played Cowboys and Indians. I think I was always an Indian. Okay, I like the feather hat. With a few of them I played doctors and nurses but that another story.

I know their names and check out to see if they are on Facebook or Friends United. Sadly I only found one. What happened to their lives, did they marry have children of their own?

Many questions unanswered, yet the source of inspiration for a writer to use. Until recently School reunions were a rare event in Britain. Like prom dances reunions were imported from America.

The accompanying this blog is the party picture. I am the little boy in the middle of the back row with the flowers behind me. Looking like butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth, oh so innocent.

Popular posts from this blog

Understand me – I’m a Writer

By
Image
Writers have rituals. Charles Dickens would walk around his house, or take long walks at night. Alfred Lord Tennyson would walk with his son saying his latest poem out loud. This is something those who are not creative do not understand. To them the writer is procrastinating, lazy, or worse playing games. That is not true. The creative process just doesn’t happen it takes time for the brain to work out what to put on the paper. Inspiration comes at anytime not when you try to recall it. All writers have had writer’s block. The mind is closed to anything creative. Therefore the frustrated writer must do things that bring the inspiration to the forefront. This is when the writer is misunderstood. As a spouse/partner of the writer it is their job to assist not nag the creative genius. How you may ask? First make sure there are no distractions, such as children, and pets. They make the best reason for a writer to find an excuse not to write. The environment for a writer is important.
Read more

Readers Understood

By
Image
A presenter must always be aware of the type of people in the audience. Each person listens and learns differently. As writers do we ever consider the reader in the same way? What we write must be of interest to the reader or they won’t bother to read it. How many times have you started to read a book only to put down after a few pages? Never to pick the book up again and to disregard the authors other books. I analyzed three books I started but gave up on and found the writers hadn’t taken into considered the type of person I was. The first type of person we must consider is the ‘what in if for me’. The reader needs to get something out of the book without too much hard work. The writer must give the reader a reason to continue reading. In the mystery writing genre this can be accomplished by holding back a secret only to hint at what it is to the reader. They will continue to turn pages to find out the answer. Remember it has to be something worthwhile rather than a red herr
Read more

Memories of past life - Bob Dylan

By
Image
I am not one of those people that kiss and tell. I respect the artists I have work with even if some of them have not been as friendly as they could be. Bob Dylan was not one of them; his professionalism and warm heartedness endeared him to everyone. Arriving from England to make two Bob Dylan music videos in Los Angeles I was excited to work with such a great musician. They were ‘When the Night comes Falling from the Sky’ and ‘ Emotionally Yours ’. The production company had made base camp at United Methodist Church on Highland just below the Hollywood Bowl. Filming was to start on Cherokee Avenue just off Hollywood Boulevard. Just before Bob Dylan arrived for the scene I had entered a store selling nuts and dried fruit. The owner a tall thin man with an enormous black moustache was obviously not happy with a film crew outside his store. We had a permit to shoot on the street but the production company hadn’t given any under the table money to the store owners. I asked the ang
Read more