I'm running a workshop

Not a bad place to be working

I hope you all enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend. Is it too soon to start planning for the next one?

I hope not, because I'm excited to confirm that on Sunday 27 May, as part of the Festival Books at Delapre Abbey in Northampton, I'm running a workshop on 'Creating Fictional Characters'. Now, I appreciate that not all of you live within spitting distance of the county, but if you did happen to be free it would be lovely to see some friendly faces looking back at me.

The site is worth a visit for its own sake. There has been an abbey there for over 900 years, but it fell into a sad state during the 1990s. Now the building and the beautiful grounds have been restored and it is a venue for all sorts of activities.

Tickets can be booked here.

How to lose readers

I know, I know. If you're going to host a blog it's very important to keep posting regularly or your followers will lose interest and wander off to read the offerings of someone more consistent. Epic fail, then, on my part: nothing posted since 12 June and I missed last week's Celebrate the Small Things. Sorry. May I offer the following in mitigation?

I've done a lot of work, including covering some yoga classes at a local gym. More pleasing, on the entertainment front, I've been to see Ivory Yardsale in a Northampton pub; Jez Hellard and Scott Cook, Fabian Holland and Chris Wood (yes, the Chris Wood, folk legend) in the homes of friends; my friend Will in The Hook, the Arthur Miller play that has lain dormant for decades and has been revived for a world premiere run in Northampton; Robin Ince supported by Grace Petrie at the Kettering Arts Centre; and taken part in International Yoga Day celebrations.

Girl power

I went into town on Friday to watch the Women's Tour arrive at the end of stage 3, the longest and hilliest of the event. I know nothing about cycling, but thought I should go and see what it was all about, since it's quite a Big Thing for it to have come to Kettering. As usual, I was torn between taking decent photos and looking at the event IRL: I chose the latter, as a result of which I have lots of pics of half-wheels and blurry heads.

The other thing that has been taking up my time is helping my friend Rachel. She is opening a shop called 'Not Just Words', which will be a bookshop - but so much more. This is worth a whole blog post in its own right, and one will surely follow in due course. Suffice to say for now that a bunch of us have been running up and down stairs with boxes of glorious second books and, would you believe, shifting a piano on to the first floor of her building. There has been a great sense of community and we have enjoyed getting tired and dusty together. Watch this space.

There has, however, been some sadness, since local musician Stevie Poole has died. I didn't know him very well, but I'd seen him perform many times. He will be much missed in our circle.

Can you feel the force?

I've been thinking about energy. There can surely be no doubt that the support of the GB fans has played a huge part in the ever increasing medal tally. The sportsmen and women competing at Eton's  Dorney Lake, for instance, have all spoken of the crowd as being an extra person in the boat. The positive energy generated by the shouting, cheering, flag waving, jumping up and down and general joy is tangible. (Sadly for the opposition I imagine it must be like swimming against the tide - especially for those who have been up against Rebecca Adlington, ha, ha).

Copyright Julia Thorley

A couple of weeks ago I found myself in Northampton with an hour or so to kill while I waited for my son to take his Grade 8 drum exam. (Yes, he passed, thanks for asking.) So I ambled over to All Saints' Church, which has a lovely little cafe inside that extends out on to the steps. This is the place where poet John Clare used to sit and write, in one of the little alcoves beside the door. In my picture, it has a potted shrub in it.

Anyway, whether it was the fact that I was forced to sit and ponder for a while or whether it was John Clare's energy I can't be sure; but while I sat I came up with ideas for a short story, a couple of possible magazine articles and a book - as well, of course, as this blog entry. Whatever the reason, I came home feeling inspired. I'll let you know if anything comes of this burst of creativity.