Somehow or other (but I’ve got my suspicions) it has got around the village that I’m a writer. When the phone rang yesterday, I was surprised to hear the voice of one of the organisers of our Gardens Weekend, who asked whether I’d be kind enough to write a few words about the next Gardens event in 2022.
What do I know about Gardens Weekend? Absolutely nothing at all is the answer to that. I loathe gardening, and we’re usually at the van on that weekend every year when scores of sad people with nothing else to do all day traipse through other people’s gardens and make knowledgeable comments about their Rubus cockburnianus (yep, really) et al. The organisers make a killing with the car park fees and cream teas, the church gets a new roof (why were there so many dodgy roofers in Victorian times?), and Bob’s your uncle and Fanny’s your aunt so they say.
However, this particular organiser was not to be put off. Apparently I’m a writer, and so I can supposedly write about anything, even Gardens Weekend. I stated my total ignorance on the subject, hoping to end the conversation, but instead was invited to the ‘big house’ for a conference with green-fingered village stalwarts in order to pick their brains for information. I then made a futile plea that I am off on holiday tomorrow, but not to be outdone, the organiser replied that everybody was free today at 2pm.
So… promptly at 2pm this afternoon I knocked on the door of the big house, hoping against hope that the dog was not on the loose. It wasn’t. There were a selection of doorbells on a couple of the doors, none of which seemed to work. I opened a gate into the main garden and tried another bell. Nope. As a last resort I took out my phone and tapped in the number. Success!
I was ushered in to a rather grand but faded dining room complete with that musty smell of old houses, what seemed like the original wallpaper from way back when, and an enormous banqueting table that I could imagine might have held Miss Havisham’s wedding breakfast. No other stalwarts were about. I was offered an alcoholic drink (no thanks), and then we got on to the business of Gardens Weekend.
I made a few notes but I’m not sure I have enough information to make a good job of it, but hey, I’ll give it a go with a bit of fluff and shite. After all, us writers can write about anything…. can’t we?
robertawrites235681907 said:
I think you are being very kind about it, Stevie. I would have just said no. I’ve gone from someone who could never say no to some who can and does.
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes, I think I will have to say no when she asks to go again. I just couldn’t handle a repeat performance.
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dgkaye said:
That is so funny and typical. Hey, you’re a writer, you can write anything. Hey, you’re an eye doctor, can you check my heart. ❤
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Stevie Turner said:
This reminds me of a tee-shirt I saw at a festival once which read… ‘I’m not a gynaecologist, but I’ll have a look’, lol. x
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dgkaye said:
LOL brilliant! 🙂 x
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quirkywritingcorner said:
Writers can write about anything, but will it be as good as when they are writing about what they really enjoy? I wrote bios for our towns magazine for a couple years. It was fun and enjoyable, but scary when I thought about how many hundreds of people read this magazine. I like to write mystery romance, but an idea came to mind about a children’s fantasy. That is what I’m currently working on, but it’s not the same as writing for an adult. I have a have a hard time thinking of words for children. Funny thing is that I’m enjoying the characters so much that I’ve written seven short stories about them. Maybe one of these days I’ll publish my stories.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for your comment. Yes, do publish!
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maulana baba said:
perfect
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Books & Bonsai said:
I think you would need to be a dyed in the wool gardener to do that justice, but I’m all for winging anything. You never know what could happen!
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Stevie Turner said:
Indeed. I’ll wing it and fluff it out a bit!
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Books & Bonsai said:
Exactly!
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Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung (@EslarnerZeitung) said:
How wonderful was that, Stevie? 😉 There could be a lot of information, for a new novel. For similar experiences others would have to visit libraries and archives. You had got it life. Living history, called tradition. Lol Have a beautiful week! xx Michael
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks Michael. You too.
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OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
Reblogged this on NEW OPENED BLOG > https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for the re-blog.
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Phil Huston said:
An old friend and wotkmate who once managed Rod Argent’s keyboard store in London used to say it with a touch of sarcasm when good ‘ere really wasn’t.
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Stevie Turner said:
Another Brit saying along the same lines is … “Anyone fancy a pint?”
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Phil Huston said:
Find last year’s flyer/advert. Edit it, add your notes. I used to get asked to write or edit or fix ll sorts of flyers, newsletters, columns… even to write an op manual for something I’d never used but “it works like all the rest of them, only it’s blue and knobs are color coded.” Well, we all know blue will make it sound better. So hop to it. But seriously, find what passed muster last time. make it “colorful” and thgere you go. Bob’s your uncle. Good ‘ere, innit?
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Stevie Turner said:
Nah, it ain’t.
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Geoff Stamper said:
Yes, you can.
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henhouselady said:
Good luck with your project. I guess writers so write about everything.
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Darlene said:
Of course, we can. What we don’t know we make up! Just your description of the old house was entertaining and could be used in one of your books. In fact, I can see a garden show as a scene in a novel!
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Stevie Turner said:
Ha ha, it was like walking back in time going into that house.
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jwebster2 said:
Yes we can. I partially supported the family with freelance journalism and you rapidly learn the hard way to write about anything. Because it gets awfully hungry if you don’t 🙂
I have written about topics so dire and boring that I knew nobody would ever read the article but they paid me £250 to write it (Local authority development plans anybody?)
And I put a comment in the article that the topic was remarkably dull and I doubted anybody would read it, but thanked anybody who was for staying with me.
I got a phone call from the editor. Basically he said he was ringing to prove he had read it.
But agreed entirely with my sentiments and had left my comment it 🙂
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Stevie Turner said:
Lol, thanks for your comment, Jim. Gardening is a really dull subject to write about, at least in my opinion.
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jwebster2 said:
I would have brought Tallis Steelyard into it 🙂
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