never knowingly without a pen
A small rambling post about what I'm up to at the moment, what's happening out here in my little corner of the West Wiltshire town that's been my home for the past 17 years, and what's new since my first post about living through the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. News in the garden: our… Continue reading Corona Diary: Half year, middle of the week catch-up
Whichever way you look at it, lockdown is coming to an end in England, and gradually elsewhere in the UK, too. Non-essential shops are open, churches are open for quiet prayer, public transport is running, roads are much, much busier, businesses are opening up although everyone is expected to keep two metres apart and wear… Continue reading Once upon a lockdown
Paper Nations is an arts organisation which commissions writers throughout the South West of England to create new work. Earlier this year, they ran a scheme called 'Time to Write' and invited writers who face particular barriers (time, money, location, opportunity) to apply for up to £1,000 to enable them to develop a writing project.… Continue reading Paper Nations: Time to Write
Since lockdown started, and both of my children were sent home from their universities, which I wrote about here, I've had less time on my own in the house and less time to focus on my creative projects. When I wake up each morning, the first thing I do is make a mental audit of… Continue reading Still here in June
Very little to write about this week. Where I live, in West Wiltshire, there is a vague sense that something is about to change, possibly because of the government's new slogan (Stay Alert!) and ahead of Boris Johnson's broadcast to the nation tonight. We've noticed more cars on the road and there seem to be… Continue reading Lockdown Week 7: Quiet and Slow
It's one month since we started lockdown in the UK and about six weeks since I wrote my first blog post about this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. People talk about not knowing what day it is, about time passing slowly, or quickly, or both; one day merging into the next, sleep patterns disrupted, routines… Continue reading Corona Diary: One month in
I'm thinking about new things happening during lockdown and one thing is unexpected subjects turning up in conversation now that we're spending more time at home and, for some of us, more time than usual with the same group of people. I'm here in Wiltshire with Andrew, my husband, and our two adult children who've… Continue reading Lockdown Conversations
Last week started off gloomily with instructions from my local police force - and other police forces - that the UK lockdown meant people weren't allowed to drive even a short distance to find open space to exercise. The thought that I'd be breaking the law if I drove somewhere nearby to stomp through woods… Continue reading Corona Diary: Lockdown Continues
I'm not sure if this strange time had a proper beginning and I certainly can't see its end. This week I haven't wanted to be online much even though there has been an explosion of people offering online workshops, readings and classes. I've been slightly ill and still feel under the weather but I'm sure… Continue reading Corona Diary: Possibly Week 3 – but are you counting?
Things I've done this week for the first time in my life: attended a webinar about what older women want to read (unfortunately I kept losing my internet connection). went to my writing fiction class via Zoom (never heard of it before). Overheard comments: "I should've worn make-up!" "I'm not switching my camera on because… Continue reading Corona Diary: One Week In
Josephine Corcoran 