Monthly Archives: April 2012

Getting the words on the page

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I’m trying to work out what the problem is with getting words on the page. It’s like I have thousands of words in my mind but when I start to write I get tripped up on the smallest of things. I can see where I want the characters in my book to go but when my fingers hover over the key board, I stall. It’s like someone has put a sheet over my head and I can just make out the details through the fabric, but only if I concentrate.

If I get up to put the kettle on for a drink or leave to do something simple like stretch my back. Then Wham, the sheet is lifted off my head and I see it all again. As soon as I sit my but down in the chair, then down comes the sheet. It would be fantastic if I could plug my mind into the computer, I would finish a novel a day.

I remember reading somewhere that writing a novel is like holding a hammer and chisel.

Before you is the complete story, but it’s encased in solid stone. Its my job as a writer to chip away slowly and mithodickly, uncovering the story that’s held within the stone. Always being careful not to damage the treasure inside.

I think that sometimes my arm is just too tired to Weald that hammer. maybe a day off is needed.

Family Day

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Today was once a somber day in our house. Its an anniversary that is welcomed and feared each year. Me and my wife had a baby boy called luke, he was born at forty weeks and five days. His weight was 7 lb. 11 oz and he had dark hair. Sadly he was still born.

This happened on April the fifteenth 2000. He would have been twelve today.

For the first few years we would shed tears, hug lots and visit the cemetery. The years passed and we had two more boys. With these our expectations of this day began to change. Five years ago our oldest son asked if we could do somthing a bit more fun on this day. After a brief period of soul searching and a small amount of guilt we did just that.

Now five years on, this day has evolved from being a day of remembrance. The day has changed, both our boys, and me and my wife call this day our family day. It dosent matter whether it’s raining or sunshine we go do something fun, in remembrance of Luke. Although our two sons never really knew of Luke they are very aware of his presence and importance in our lives. My wish is that as they grow, we can carry this tradition on and make this day always a day for the family.

I ask that you take the people you care for and go and have some fun today. Its what life is about.

British Summer Time

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Today I had a discussion with a friend of mine. He asked me ‘Why do they put the clocks back?’ I in all honesty tried to give him an answer but found my self fumbling around. I just could not give him a straight answer. I said ‘it’s, so its lighter at night.’ he said. ‘no, no its for the farmers and pit workers.

We may disagree but we did agree that we didn’t know the biggest question that surround the changing of the clocks, which is, ‘why?’ You know, why do we have to mess about with the time anyway?

Two weeks ago I was getting up at 06:00am with ease. Now I’m having trouble because in my body it thinks its 05:00am. And I’m staying up later. So I thought I would do a bit of research and find out why we turn the clocks back and forward like we just can’t make up our minds.

The British Summer Time is a period that begins on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. Its introduction in 1916 was to due to a builder placing the proposal. (I bet you didn’t see that one coming) His name was William Willett and after promoting the time change he sadly missed it, as he died in march 1915. Only missing the change by a single year. His proposal was that the clocks should be advanced by 80 minutes in four incremental steps during April and reversed the same way during September. Nights would remain lighter, increasing recreation time and also saving millions in lighting costs. (Always come down to money.)

We had a few hiccups during world war two when British Double Summer Time came into play and we were 2 hours ahead of GMT. In the 60’s we had a few experiments, even keeping GMT+1 throughout the whole year. This took place between 27 October 1968 and 31 October 1971. By this time it was about accidents on the road. Making the roads lighter when busiest. There has been various reasons why we have changed to a British summer time over the last hundred years. I fear that this maybe be a bit outdated in todays new fast paced, media fueled society.

As it stands today people are trying to get a trial in-place for a set all year round time. Unfortunately it keeps being blocked. It seems that the most favored time would be GMT +1 hr.

These are the reasons why we have british summer time, it also seems the general rule that we keep it all year round. For me I think, well why not. Its not the time that bothers me but the change. I don’t think Mr william Willett would have bothered if he were born in today world.