Tag Archives: Abbotsford

Inspiration, from the present and the past

Sarah remembers inspiration

woman sitting in open window

bigstock/103948520

Commenting on her recent post about good news for romance, Sophie said that in dark times, the smallest patch of sunshine is something to be grateful for.

It reminded me of a little TV gem  I found recently that brought me face to face with something that provided inspiration for one of my books, over twenty years ago!

Every writer needs inspiration

key held towards lock, light coming through

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I find inspiration all over the place. In travel and the landscape, reading real-life stories, and even just from seeing a painting or photograph. Recently I stumbled upon a tv series which I find not only vastly entertaining but also inspiring. In all sorts of ways.

Sometimes one finds a TV series that exceeds all expectations and for me, Saving Country Houses is proving to be just the tonic I need at the moment. Continue reading →

A Brief Encounter with Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott by H Raeburn

Sir Walter Scott by H Raeburn

To quote the Encyclopaedia Britannica:-

“Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, (born August 15, 1771, Edinburgh, Scotland – died September 21, 1832, Abbotsford, Roxburgh, Scotland), Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer who is often considered both the inventor and the greatest practitioner of the historical novel.”

So why do I know so little about Scott?

I confess I have only read one of his books (Ivanhoe).

Roger Moore who played Scott's Ivanhoe

Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

I suspect that was because I’d had a girlish crush on Roger Moore, who played the Eponymous hero in a long-ago TV series.

Scott’s Scottish tales use a lot of old Scots dialect, which can be baffling (nay, impenetrable) to many readers.

But that’s changed and now I know more about Scott

A couple of weeks back, I came pretty close to the man himself. Well, to his tomb. And his books. Continue reading →