The Writer’s Cats - A Tale of Two Personalities

For the last few weeks in our house, we have been trying to integrate Saphie, our tiny tabby kitten, with Hendricks our two-year-old cat. There have been many endearing and hilarious feline moments, but to be honest, many more trying ones. Saphie still crawls on my lap to sleep while I write at my desk, occasionally shredding a piece of paper or hiding a pen – all quite charming.

Big cat, Little Cat

Yet since my last blog on introducing a little kitten to a big cat, we have found the big cat, Hendricks, to be the very least of our worries. After a couple of weeks, Hendricks stopped whingeing about little Saphie and became more intrigued by the incredible speed she could move at and her endless capacity for play; he soon realised he had a little playmate for those many rainy days to come. 

As for Saphie, she followed Hendricks around the house in awe, trying to mimic his actions. It was not long before Saphie’s confidence grew. Did I say ‘grew?’ Well, it actually soared to unbelievable heights. Even though she is less than a quarter of his size, Saphie now stalks Hendricks, chasing him from room to room, biting at his tail and ankles and wrestling him to the ground at every opportunity. She will wait until he is asleep, then showing him the ultimate disrespect, climb up and stand on his head to nip his ears. 

The more we pull Saphie off Hendricks, the more persistent her naughty behaviour becomes. So we move her to another room to cool off for five minutes, after which she returns to being a well behaved, purring fluff-ball…. for a short time.

Poor Hendricks is far too soft and sweet natured to rise to Saphie's provocation. I’ve been told it’s very much up to Hendricks to tell Saphie off, especially if he does not want to make a rod for his own back, but all he will do is give her a gentle bop on her head, leap to a height she cannot reach, or hide in a paper bag. So all we can do for now is distract and supervise the two.      

 

Hendricks hiding from Saphie

My novel The First Sense is available from several online retailers. Please visit my website www.nppostlethwaite.com for more information. 

The English Lake District & Cumbria… an unlikely source of inspiration for science-fiction?

On the Cumbrian fells

The English Lake District and Cumbria was the main source of inspiration for my science-fiction novel The First Sense. I’ve lived in Cumbria for twenty years but it got under my skin in the first 12 months. 

In The First Sense, Cumbria is the fictional ‘Lakes City.’ It retains natural beauty juxtaposed with futuristic urban architecture and culture. ‘Lakes City’ is known as ‘The Green City’ of Britain, and ‘The City of Sport,’ as it has a large number of unusual outdoor sports on offer, along with those we are more accustomed to now.  

So was The Lake District and Cumbria the only source of inspiration for my novel?

No. Here’s a list of the rest:  

Longing, love and loss. (So that’s three things, but they often come together, although not necessarily in that order)

Slivers of other cities: Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Bergamo, New York, Bruges, Oslo and Aarhus
Human intuition – something we all too often defer for conscious reasoning.

My love of creating recipes - when I had my restaurant Eclectic, one of the best things was coming up with new recipes each week. Good ingredients are magical because of their endless combinations.   

In my previous blog, I listed my favourite places in Southern part of the Lake District, now for North Lakes:

·   Wastwater. It’s such an unforgivingly serious and lonesome lake. This lake makes you feel like you’re the only person left in the world as you gaze into its deep, dark waters. Wastwater is the deepest lake in England and once named the ‘UK’s best view’ in The Telegraph .While you’re there, be sure to visit The Wasdale Head Inn at the head of the lake for a hearty meal and to replace the fluids you should have lost on your mammoth hike/climb/bike around Wasdale. 

·   For me, one of the most scenic drives in the Lake District is to Keswick from Ambleside on the A591. This road winds past Rydal Lake, Grasmere and Thirlmere before reaching the town of Keswick. Once there, I head to Café Bar 26 with my husband to work our way through the wine list and tapas. Sometimes this is followed by a performance at the Theatre by the Lake (it is what it says)

·   For absolutely fantastic food, steaks and a great selection of ales, I love Tweedies Bar at the Dale Lodge Hotel, Grasmere.

    The drive over Kirkstone Pass - with an altitude of 1,489 feet – has heart-stopping views. The Pass connects Ambleside to Patterdale and is aptly known as 'The Struggle.' At the top sits Kirkstone Pass Inn, the third highest pub in England, complete with a bunkhouse.

·   For pure decadence and old-fashioned glamour, you can’t beat Sharrow Bay Hotel for a champagne afternoon tea while gaze right out at Ullswater lake from your table. The calorific guilt can be worked off afterwards with a stroll in their beautiful hotel gardens.   

·   For camping with a difference, try a timber built, insulated ‘camping pod’ at The Quiet Site,Ullswater. These pod-like huts are beautifully crafted and suitable for all weathers - in fact, the moodier it is outside, the cosiest they are inside. While you’re there, don’t forget a walk up to the nearby waterfalls at Aira Force - take note of the trees on the way up, some of them are straight out of a fairy tale!

Another blog on Cumbria I am loving at the moment is Lake District Life by Chris Shaw  (twitter name @cragchris or @grasmerevillage http://www.Grasmere-village.co.uk Her blog contains some absolutely stunning photography from around the Lake District.

My novel The First Sense set in the Cumbria of the future is available from several online retailers. Please visit my website for more information. 

Life Changes, Wallpaper and Changing Seasons

 As the seasons shift, the reoccurring theme of the last few days has been ‘change’ – notably in the careers and homes of the people around me, as well as my own.

At the weekend, my husband and I transformed a light and airy bedroom to a moody dreaming-room  with flocks of birds across the walls. The bird theme seems to have escaped from the cover of my novel, created by the very talented graphic designer Anna Cleary . 

I must credit the wallpaper to K& K Designs - available from Roger Austin Interiors and the wallpapering skills to my husband (who remained very patient and calm throughout.) 

The finished bedroom 

On Friday, I attended a fantastic evening of prose, poetry and music run by Spotlight in Lancaster. The significant change was it marked the leaving of a talented writer, poet and friend: Miss P – who is moving to the ‘mean streets’ of Oxford to study  - our sad loss, their huge gain. Miss P writes and recites raw, edgy poetry that is also darkly humorous, and you find yourself belly-laughing as you listen, yet fascinated by the compelling narratives of her poems. 

The next Lancaster Spotlight date is the ‘Spotlight’s Litfest  Open Mic Slam’ – I will definitely attend again, and give it three minutes of prose.

Sailing on Lake Windermere

Yesterday, I observed the changing of the seasons from a different perspective - from the water. Thanks to a dear friend and his yacht, The Scurvy Dog, we spent a glorious six hours sailing along Lake Windermere. 

I love discovering the secrets of the land from the water. It was a gloriously warm afternoon,  superseded by the biting Autumnal chill of the evening. We watched the sun slowly bleed pink and gold into the green landscape until it darkened, then we tick-tacked back to Lakeside, Newby Bridge.

N P Postlethwaite is author of The First Sense eBook 

You can visit my Webpage  for more information 

Statement from the Author of 'The First Sense' Novel

Subject to the hijack of my blog (below) and on the advice of my solicitor, I would like to confirm the following points:

1) I am not a fictional character in one of my books 

2) I am a living, breathing human author (the last time I checked) and not a shapeshifter

3) I have never travelled through time 

4) All the characters in The First Sense are fictional 

5) There is going to be a character assassination in the next novel 

Thanks, N P Postlethwaite 

Hijack of An Author's Blog

Picture of Me - Eiko

I’m Eiko Jansen, the main ‘character’ in The First Sense by N P Postlethwaite and I’m hijacking this blog.

Unlike Thorsen from The First Sense, I wasn't invited to guest blog by ‘author’ N P Postlethwaite and we are not on first name terms, because she and I do not have a connection any longer.

I’m going to tell you exactly what I think, but I first I want to get one thing clear: I’m not bitter towards Thorsen who is a sweet and good person and one of the few people in my life who didn’t let me down. 

I was very impressed Thorsen managed to guest blog from the future, but from where I am writing is a much more impressive place - you'll know where I mean if you've read about me. If not, tough.  

The thing is, I see much more deeply into people than they would like me to, due to unusual shadows that tell me all sorts of interesting things. A recent event has allowed me to interpret the shadows correctly the first time round – so no more mistakes, either. 

What’s really interesting is that I’ve seen the ‘author’ N P Postlethwaite’s shadow but I can’t describe it to you because it changes shape too quickly... like a shapeshifter. She must have multiple personalities or something,  I mean, I've never, ever, seen a shadow change so fast.

So people, ask yourself, is N P Postlethwaite what she seems? How does she write about people that exist in the future?  I’ll give it to her, she’s got to cheek to call The First Sense  ‘fiction’  when she’s simply listened to our stories and wrote them down.  

I didn’t see any acknowledgements either – not for me, Thorsen and …. I can hardly bear to type his name, but not for Zach either or anyone else mentioned in her novel. So, how did she leave her comfortable life in your time to come and meet us in ours, to find out everything that she did? Is she one of us? Or is she the real work of fiction? 

You should be asking several more questions about N P Postlethwaite and her novel ‘The First Sense ’ because I am telling you, it certainly isn’t a fantasy. It is real.

I’ve got to go before she comes back, but before I do, I have a warning for N P Postlethwaite. Don’t think you’ve got away with it, because I can come back any time I want to and hijack your blog!  

I've also hijacked the blog on her author's website at www.nppostlethwaite.com  I'm good at this aren't I? 

Why I will never leave the English Lake District

The stunning landscape and waters of the English Lake District inspired some of the most celebrated poets and writers in English literature: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransome, to name a few. The Lakes’ rugged terrains, rolling lands, historic villages and towns sparked the idea for an alluring, green city of the future in my novel The First Sense , the hub of which is the Lake District. Like many people I know, I moved to the Lake District from a city, but now I could never leave . Here are my top 9 reasons why:

1) In all seasons, torrential rain, snow storms or on dark moody days, the Lake District is hauntingly beautiful 

2) In the Lakes, it’s often too far to get a taxi back home from dinner at a friend’s house, so we sleep over in our van and wake up to an amazing Lakeland landscape

3) At a party, no-one bats an eyelid if you swap your heels for trainers or put a windstopper jacket over your party dress

4) If you pop to your local shop for a newspaper, the fact there’s usually someone there with an American, South African or Australian accent makes you feel like you’re on holiday

5) There are animals to be seen everywhere: nestling under pub tables or punctuating and colouring the landscape

6) If you ask for a beer at a pub, there are at least eight different types, including several real ales  

7) The Lake District is a food lover’s paradise; there are some of the best gourmet food producers, brewers, farm and eateries in the country  

8) When someone finds out I live in the Lake District, they automatically think I’m a really good climber/mountain biker/hiker (all completely untrue) 

9) I’ve finally got a surname originating from the Lake District, thanks to my husband

My favourite finds in the Lake District (this is South Lakeland only, this time):

Low Sizergh Barn – a charming farm shop, craft shop and tea room from where you can watch cows being milked

Staveley Mill Yard - a wealth of retail businesses and artisans including the relaxing Wilf’s Café, and craft ale brewery:  Hawkshead Brewery & Beer Hall 

Gillam’s Tea Room and Shop, Ulverston – a beautiful tea room and shop with an organic menu

Café Ambio, Newby Bridge stunning river views, great food and a motor museum  

The Swan Hotel & Spa, Newby Bridge - great décor, cream teas and a gorgeous setting by the lake 

The Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Windermere – delectable food and accommodation  

For cinema : Warehouse Café at Brewery Arts Centre , Kendal - enjoy a comfy leather sofa, bottle of wine and pizza with your film

The Eagle & Child Inn, Staveley - a great pub in a fantastic village  

The Strickland Arms, near Sizergh - a beautiful setting and great food 

The White Hart at Bouth - great beer, food and beer garden to watch the sun go down

The Wilson’s Arms, Torver – delicious food, drink, views of the Old Man of Coniston, interesting animals in the beer garden and a fish tank phone box

What are your reasons for living where you do? Do you have any favourite Lake District places to add to my list?  

You can find out more about me and The First Sense novel at www.nppostlethwaite.com 

Falling - A Poem about the Changing of the Seasons

I couldn’t breathe under the tangled branches

The rain didn’t help and the sky had fragmented

I closed my eyes to the earth for my lungs to betray me

I gasped in the air and choked on your needles

Your ancient wood thrives on life-giving-sap,

But my skin dries and cracks, my world had turned black

Your ground hit my fall but you ignored my fear

The warmth of your world is so far, yet so near  

As your branches withdraw from the edge of our summer

I hope you’ll think of me still, think of me there   

I feel the dark swirling silence chilling my skin

I don’t know how long we have left or when the light will begin

Absorbed by your land and torn by your hands,

We move further apart from each other again

I would love to know what your favourite poems are about Autumn, mine are :

110. Autumn(To My Mother)

by Jean Starr Untermeyer

Sonnet 73 

by William Shakespeare

Fall, leaves, fall 
by Emily Jane Bronte

My author's website 

You can connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest 

A Guest Food Blog from The Future - Thorsen’s Recipe

If you’re read The First Sense novel by N P Postlethwaite  – you’ll know I’m a key character: Thorsen. The author N. P. or ‘Nisha’ I call her (I think I know her well enough - she wrote all about my unusual abilities and some deeply personal stuff) asked me to guest write on her blog. 

Of course, being from the future, it wasn’t an easy ask, but I found a way to do it; I can’t tell you how - although knowing Nisha and her over-inquisitive nature - she’ll find out and reveal all in her next book, despite what I think. 

I’m sorry if I sound a little harsh: Nisha has depicted my café and talent for cooking brilliantly, but she’s been a little bit too honest about my moods and alcohol consumption. You wouldn’t judge me if you’d read what I have had to deal with, and I know Nisha doesn’t either, but it was raw reading back some of the darkest times of my life in The First Sense ebook. 

 Anyway, on to brighter things: I thought I’d share a recipe for my fish soup – Nisha makes a fleeting reference to it in Chapter 4 of The First Sense eBook, but it definitely deserves more attention on the page: 

Thorsen's Fish Soup Recipe 

Wash 8-10 razor clams in cold water to remove any grit. Heat 175ml of dry white wine in a pan and steam the clams for 30 seconds until they open. Discard any unopened clams & pour yourself a large glass of wine for your effort. Chop the clam meat into chunks; strain the cooking liquid & set aside. 

Add a slab of butter & a drizzle of olive oil to the pan & gently fry 2 sliced red onions until sweet & caramelised. Add a handful of sliced fennel, 2 cloves of grated garlic & 1 chopped finger-sized purple-striped chili. (Nisha’s just said purple-striped chillies don’t exist yet, so use what medium strength chili you can get). 

Gently fry for a few more minutes but don’t let the mixture burn, then 500ml of good fish stock, the clam liquid, 400ml of pulped tomatoes, a good pinch of saffron, a tbsp. of grated orange rind & two tbsps. of fresh orange juice – I’ve heard some fruit in your time’s grown with pesticides (I’ve never known it) but make sure the orange is not. Simmer the soup for 20 mins, cool and blend. 

Before serving, poach your preferred quantities of firm fresh fish in the soup and add the clam meat, I generally use halibut, salmon & chopped octopus. Add half a tsp. of crushed blue peppercorns – I’ve been nudged again - use black peppercorns as you can’t get blue. Add sea salt to taste - I use Maldon Sea Salt – it’s been around forever, but it’s the best. 

Add a drizzle of fresh ginger & coriander blended in olive oil, to the soup & serve with warm bread. My roast fennel and lemon bread goes perfectly, but that’s another recipe, for another time. Enjoy.

 I’ve got to go back to tomorrow and my Edible Remedy café. Now I know how to, I’m sure I’ll visit another time.
Regards, Thorsen 

You can find out more about me at www.nppostlethwaite.com 

Delicious Wedding Food in the Cumbrian Hills, and a Wedding Party on Wheels

Last week, I helped prepare the wedding reception menu for two dear friends’ wedding in the Cumbrian Lake District. Beautiful bride-to-be, Michala, lives in Edinburgh with her beau Andy, but hails from a farm in the Southern Lake District. For two days at the family farmhouse, surrounded by the beautiful green and grey landscape, we prepared a wedding lunch and dinner for eighty people plus. It was all hands on deck.

I arrived at the farm on Thursday morning to huge boxes of organic fruit and vegetables, bouquets of herbs, homemade pickles and jams, bags of spices from (Scottish) corner shops, slabs of cheese, bottles of pressed oils and aromatic  vinegars. 

I certainly had flashbacks from my restaurant days: surrounded by mountains of fresh ingredients with a huge menu to prepare, but never had I seen such an organised operation as this and it ran like clockwork over the next two days. I am not sure whether this was down to the bride and groom’s meticulous planning, or that everyone just got on with the tasks (and each other) – it was probably both.

 

Marje, bride Michala, and me 

There is something to be said for Cumbrian families – although, I’m not sure if it’s the ‘Cumbrian’ element or just this family in particular, but they were so warm, deliciously close and light-hearted - that nothing was too hard or tiresome. I know from experience how stressful weddings - and catering kitchens - can be, but I didn’t once detect an edge, frazzled nerves or sharp words.

Instead I was surrounded by family and friends working away and cracking jokes, serving up rounds of tea and sandwiches, while we chopped piles of vegetables, greeted friends who brought bags of garden-grown vegetables, pounded aromatic mixtures to marinate the meats, rolled citrusey butters, pressed piles of lemons for homemade lemonade and whisked fragrant dressings. 

It didn’t stop there, the bride’s sister, Donna, was baking several types of bread and a huge ham; homemade elderflower champagne was on its way down from Scotland to be served alongside the barrels of Cumbrian ale, and the groom’s mother was making her way across from Yorkshire with twenty different homemade desserts in her car. It was going to be a wedding feast like no other.

The Smiling Bride and Groom on their tandem bicycle  

The bride and groom were married on the Saturday at Ulverston Town Hall and crowned by the guests in petals. The ceremony was poignant, joyful and beautiful. Then, twenty members of the wedding entourage mounted their pushbikes, while the bride and groom got on their tandem bicycle, and they cycled the rolling  hills for seven miles to the wedding party venue at Ashlack Cottages. I kicked off my heels and followed in our campervan, amazed that the bride and groom did not appear once to break into a sweat, and they never stopped smiling.

I would love to hear about your own unusual wedding experiences and feasts!

My eBook novel containing magical food writing is The First Sense 

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