Sunday 30th August 2020

As the sun began to slip behind Shepherd Delight clouds, 266ft above sea level, a small group gathered upon an Iron Age hillfort in North Somerset to share poetry, prose and the love of a good story. Organised by Michael Loader – 4 Communities, 3 Trees, 1 Hill Green Arts Wellbeing and funded by the Arts Council Emergency Fund, we listened to an eclectic mix of readings from Dylan Thomas to poems written by a participants eight year old (she’s now 24!). As well as sharing one of my own poems, I read an excerpt of chapter VII from my debut novel, The Secret of Creek Cottage, where I introduced one of the main characters from 1916, Loveday Nance, as well as the Cornish Droll Teller (Story Teller), Gribble Gummo. It was a magical evening and we were guided down the hillfort at dark by the almost full Harvest Moon.