As I look forward to my first state pension payment landing in my bank account tomorrow, I’m thinking about the wise advice about financial economy that I received from my grandma when my grandpa was about to retire.
Category: Family
The Gift That Keeps On Giving: Reading for Pleasure
In my last post before Christmas, I’d like to pay tribute to Iceland’s heartwarming Christmas tradition of Jólabókaflóð – when everyone gives each other books on Christmas Eve, before curling up by the fire to read them.
Continue reading “The Gift That Keeps On Giving: Reading for Pleasure”
The Secret Life of Button Boxes: Memories, Mysteries, and a Murder Clue
When, as a child, I used to play with my grandma’s button box, I admired each button like a tiny work of art.
Born in 1900, Grandma grew up fastening her button-boots with buttonhooks. As a young woman, she embraced flapper styles. The contents of her tin gave a miniature history of twentieth-century fashion.
My mum (91) still has her own button box from when she used to make clothes for her children. Her 21st birthday present was a hand-cranked Singer sewing machine, on which I later learned to sew.
My grandma and my mum used old toffee and biscuit tins as button boxes. But my buttons live in a smart Cath Kidston tin, labelled The Book of Buttons.
My daughter uses a tartan shortbread tin to house hers.
The contents of every button box are unique. Plunging your hand in is like a lucky dip. You never know which tiny treasure you’ll pull out, nor its provenance.
- Whose duffle coat did this toggle once fasten?
- Which child fiddled with this little blue one on their school cardigan during a tedious lesson?
- What kind of party dress did this diamante disc once adorn?
Last century, every home had a button box. These days, with fewer people making their own clothes, it’s an endangered species. Yet it’s easy to keep the tradition alive. You can buy interesting vintage buttons in any charity shop or thrift store. If you’re lucky, you’ll find something similar to the fancy fastener at the heart of the mystery in my new novel, Death at the Village Christmas Fair.
When Wendy chooses a bear-shaped button from her daughter Alice’s Cotswold Curiosity Shop and sews it onto a hand-knitted scarf, it soon becomes a vital clue in the hunt for a ruthless killer.
The unusual scene of the crime is a Santa Run, in which hundreds of fun-runners race dressed as Father Christmas. What’s so special about Wendy’s little wooden bear? You’ll have to read my novel to find out!
Do you have a button box in your home? What’s your most unusual button? Which is your favourite, and why?
Death at the Village Christmas Fair is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audiobook. The third in the Cotswold Curiosity Shop cosy mystery series, it may also be read as a standalone novel.
(This post first appeared on the blog of Boldwood Books, my publisher.)
In Other News
I’m just recovering after a very wet and windy Hawkesbury Show, where our Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival tent nearly blew away. I’m sure we had the most windswept spot on the showground – the wind seemed to be coming from all directions at once! However, I had great fun with fellow authors Lucienne Boyce, Sarah Siân Chave, Frances Evesham and Jack (Jackie) Chandler. All except Jackie will be speaking at the next Festival event on Saturday 27th September – and the only reason Jackie’s not coming is that she lives in Germany, otherwise she’d be there like a shot! Thanks to Sarah for the attached photo of us on the stand, dressed for the weather!
I’d just about dried out and warmed up in time to give a short talk at the traditional annual Songs of Praise service held in the Show Marquee next morning (thankfully in sunshine by Sunday morning!) At our Songs of Praise service, six local residents are invited to choose their favourite hymns and tell us why they’ve chosen them. It’s always fascinating to learn more about well-known hymns and heartwarming to learn about the personal connections for the speakers. For this service, I spoke about the power of music to unite communities and bring people to faith.
As a Lay Worship Leader, I occasionally give short talks at services. Lay Worship Leaders aren’t licensed to preach – instead we just talk about something timely or relevant for each service. I thinking of saving them up to turn them into a small book, similar to my collected columns for the Tetbury Advertiser and Hawkesbury Parish News. Let me know if that’s something you’d like to read.
Now that the Show is over, I can concentrate on preparing for the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival on Saturday 27th September, which will take “Strength of Character” as its theme. The programme is going to be fascinating. Find out more and book your tickets here.
And with my other hand, I’m still writing my novelisation of The Importance of Being Murdered, due to launch early 2026.
But somehow, I still find time to curl up with a book….
What I Read Last Week
Hafren: The Wisdom of the River Severn by Sarah Siân Chave
A fascinating personal response to the Hafren, aka the River Severn, with something for everyone.
Following the course of the river from its source just outside Aberystwyth, Sarah Chave’s narrative Includes Welsh mythology and Welsh and English social history, as well as geography and natural history, environmentalism, and family history.
Overall it is a thoughtful, philosophical work, acknowledging and mourning the impact of industrialization and climate change, but also an effective cry for positive action going forward. While nostalgic for what we have lost, it is ultimately constructive, as evidenced by the following quote:
Pastoralism can provoke feelings of nostalgia, a yearning for an unchanging utopian idyll, but it can, instead, be a approached in a different way – as a challenge to care for and protect the wider natural world.
The author cites and embraces Rupert Reed’s argument in favour of “thrutopias” to “encourage us to live our dreams in the present where we can, change things where we cannot, and strive together towards building a more caring world for all”.
Illustrated with a route map of the river to give the reader their bearings, and gentle black and white drawings by Rachel Elinor Collis, the book also boasts an evocative, slightly dream-like cover illustration by Andy Ward. All in all it’s a slick and beautiful package, published by the University of Wales’ imprint, Calon Books, which gives it the stamp of authority.
A great gift for anyone who loves any part of the Hafren/Severn, whether Welsh or English – there’s something in there to satisfy all kinds of readers.
All At Sea by Flora McGowan
I downloaded this short story onto my Kindle after having a fun conversationon my Facebook author page about who we name our characters after. She named her central character Carrie after her grandmother. I’ve never yet named one of mine after my beloved grandmothers, Lily and Peggy, but I’m going to think about doing that now.
All at Sea is a gentle tale of a very English day out at the seaside – an outing that sounds as if it should be simple and fun, but in Flora McGowan’s hands, turns into a thoughtful, poignant, memorable and melancholy tale of love, loss and responsibility. I won’t say more for fear of spoiling the plot.
Inspired by the Badminton Benefice Festival of Music
“If you want something done, ask a busy person.”
That may be one reason that I’ve found myself helping behind the scenes with a wonderful new music event founded by Badminton Benefice Music Director Ben Humphries. Badminton Benefice – part of the Diocese of Gloucester – contains ten ancient and beautiful rural churches, each in an idyllic, timeless setting. Sharing one vicar between them, the Reverend Richard Thomson, there is a limit to how many church services they can host each month.
One of the aims of the Festival is to provide occasions for more people to visit the churches and to enjoy these historically significant settings which are such a rich part of our local heritage. The other aim is to create live, accessible music events to the local community. All of the events are free to attend, but donations towards the maintenance of the churches and to the music charity Youth Music, which gives young people the chance to transform their lives through the power of music.
Each event will be different, resulting in a glorious mixture of musical offerings, some with art and/or flowers, and always refreshments, to be held on Sunday afternoons, one each month, from May to September. The event poster provides a handy summary of the programme:
The charming line drawings of each church are by Gillian Dawson, a former member of Hawkesbury Choir.
My role in the Festival has been as part of a small team behind the scenes, helping to raise awareness of the concert series and to attract an audience. I sang in the first event, which took place last month at my home church of St Mary’s, Hawkesbury.
The Come & Sing! event, directed by the brilliant singing teacher Amy Garry of Voices Together, also inspired me to write the following article for the May issue of the Hawkesbury Parish News. Even though the event has happened now, I thought you might still like to read it.
For the Love of Singing
One of the highlights of primary school for me was the daily assembly, in which we’d all sing together in the school hall.
Days Lane Primary School, in Sidcup, Kent, was actually two schools in one, a single-storey brick quadrangle built in the 1920s. The infants were in one half, the juniors in the other, each with their own school hall and head teacher.
The daily assembly included two hymns from the pale blue Songs of Praise book and a few thoughtful words to inspire us. Every Tuesday, the Juniors stayed on after assembly while the teachers went back to their classroom (or maybe to drink coffee and smoke in the staffroom), leaving our jovial headmaster, Mr Bowering, to lead the whole school in hymn practice. From his lectern on the stage, accompanied by a pianist, he taught us new hymns. He also insisted on a rousing weekly rendition of ‘Jerusalem’. I still remember the words and numbers of my favourite hymns.
I loved this vibrant act of community – the only occasion that all the pupils were engaged in the same activity. How Mr Bowering must have enjoyed conducting our singing in one roof-raising voice as we gazed up at him.
I also loved the sense of place. A simple map of the globe hung above the stage, making us feel like citizens of the world. Tiny lightbulbs picked out the capital cities of the most important countries. Mr Bowering controlled them from a box of switches beneath his lectern. When he lit up a city, we’d have to shout its name.
I miss those Tuesday mornings. That’s one reason I joined Hawkesbury Choir. Like those school hymn practices, weekly choir practices have become an important fixture in my calendar. I count them as an act of self-care, good for my well-being mentally and physically. I even managed to persuade my GP they count as exercise. (He gave me another tick for bell ringing practice.) I’ve been lucky enough to sing with Hawkesbury Choir not only in our own ancient parish church, but also in the beautiful parish churches of Badminton, Cirencester, Didmarton, and Leighterton.
While community singing can make everyone feel better, hymns aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. So, it’s great news that a fun, free, secular singing event, COME & SING, will take place on Sunday 18th May at St Mary’s Hawkesbury, and it’s open to all ages from 9 to 109. Although it’ll take place in the church, we’ll be singing popular contemporary music rather than hymns. Think ‘Mamma Mia’ rather than ‘Ave Maria’, although I can’t promise Abba will be on the agenda.
- From 1pm, there’ll be a singing workshop led by professional singing teacher Amy Garry of Voices Together, accompanied by Ben Humphries, Badminton Benefice Music Director.
- At 4pm, the singers will perform an informal concert for anyone who cares to attend. Light refreshments will be provided.
All of this is free of charge, although donations will be welcome. Any profit will be shared between St Mary’s PCC and the music charity Youth Music.
- To join the workshop, please register at badmintonbenefice.com.
- To attend the concert, no booking is necessary – just turn up.
COME & SING! is the first in a series of musical events in the new Badminton Benefice Festival of Music to be held this summer in churches throughout the Benefice. All of the events will be free to attend, apart from the grand finale at Great Badminton in November featuring the newly restored organ. More information and dates will be shared on the Benefice website as details are confirmed.
In the meantime, you know what to do… COME & SING!
(This article first appeared in the May 2025 issue of the Hawkesbury Parish News.)
NEXT EVENT IN THE BADMINTON BENEFICE FESTIVAL OF MUSIC: Young Musicians at St Mary the Virgin, Sopworth on Sunday 22nd June
While it’s too late for you to join in the COME & SING! event described above, if you’re within striking distance of the Badminton Benefice, you might like to come along to our June event, an uplifting recital by students of Westonbirt School at Sopworth’s Church of St Mary the Virgin. (In all, five of the Benefice churches are St Mary’s!) It will take place on Sunday 22nd June, starting at 2.45pm. Yes, that is an unusual starting time, but it’s carefully chosen to fit in between the students’ Sundy lunch and their rehearsals later in the day for the school’s annual musical production! 
For more information about the Badminton Benefice Music Festival, visit its website page at www.badmintonbenefice.om/festival-of-music
IN OTHER NEWS
Yesterday I met my friend Caroline Sanderson, author and books journalist, for lunch, and I was delighted to hear all about her plans for the launch of her new book, which is on a musical theme.
The title, Listen with Father, is a nod towards those of us old enough to remember the daily children’s BBC Radio programme, Listen with Mother, heralded each week by the delightful theme tune, the Berceuse from Fauré’s “Dolly Suite“. However, the subtitle, How I Learned to Love Classical Music, alludes to Caroline’s father’s legacy – a lasting love ot the classics. Caroline’s publisher, Unbound, describes her book as follows:
Listen with Father is a book about the transformative power of listening, and about how we remember those we have loved and lost.
At four years old, Caroline Sanderson fell in love with the music of Mozart after listening to it with her father. At eight, she fell even harder for the songs of David Bowie. Her dad made many gentle attempts to persuade her back to his world of classical music, but it wasn’t until after he died that she returned to it, in memory of him.
In a beguiling blend of memoir and biography, we follow Sanderson as she set out to listen, with great care and attention, to the music her dad loved, to work out why he so appreciated it and whether she could too. From hearing Mozart recitals in Salzburg to visiting Sibelius’s house near Helsinki and playing Robert Schumann at home on the piano, this is a beautifully touching and absorbing story of a beloved father, told through the classical music he cherished.
Order your copy in paperback or ebook from the publisher’s website here.
Meanwhile, there is lots of pending news about my books, but some of it’s embargoed until next week, so watch this space!
With My Writing Hat On…
I’ve been a hat addict all my life. In winter I’m usually seen in a beret, and in the summer a linen sunhat. People often say to me, “Ooh, I didn’t recognise you without a hat”.