by Maggie Fogarty | Mar 26, 2015 | Uncategorized |
We’re gearing up to Easter here in West Cornwall and already there is much talk about the ‘Poldark’ effect.
No, not just Aidan Turner’s impact on women of all ages – though that is a certainly there.
Let’s face it, Mr Turner is not the only one easy on the eye. So too is the incredible Cornish scenery, basking in last summer’s sunshine.
The prediction is that the county will now attract even more visitors wanting their real life fix of those beautiful TV shots.
It will be fascinating to see if this turns out to be the case. Certainly last summer’s amazing weather gave a boost to the tourist industry, so an added dollop of prime time TV coverage is likely to have another positive knock-on effect.
Meantime, for those of us lucky enough to live down here, it is that lovely time of year when you can still walk your dog on the beach and watch as the visitor preparations get underway.
Businesses are being given a new lick of paint, gardens tidied up and those little niche gift shops are stocking up.
It’s a bit like a huge community ‘make-over’ – an all over scrub, a manicure and a dollop of war-paint just to finish things off.
So hey you visitors out there – we’re ready for our close-up.
Talking of community, the thousands who turned out to pay tribute to the popular Falmouth police officer, Andy Hocking, made for a truly moving sight.
Andy died suddenly, aged just 52, and the idea was for people to join his family and colleagues on a walk along his usual Falmouth foot patrol.
Organisers expected several hundred but instead thousands turned out, literally ramming the streets of Falmouth.
It was a great and uplifting example of community support and not surprisingly, the pictures featured in a number of national newspapers.
The images represent a poignant mix of sadness for a life cut short and a celebration of his lasting impact on the community he loved.
His family must have been touched beyond words.
Now over to Bonnie for her latest take on things….
‘Hiya folks,
It’s been all go at chez Bonnie over the past few days.
What with a new front garden rockery being built and then a path laid all the way down the length of the back one.
Apart from the usual walks, (yeh – love those!), I’ve been holed up in the living quarters while the rent Paul and his helpers have been doing all the interesting stuff outside.
I’ve tried barking and whinging as a protest, but it hasn’t worked.
Instead, I’ve had to hang around the office with my other rent Maggie who is busy writing the follow-up to her new book and trying to sort out the publicity for the latest one.
Yikes – indoors ain’t for me. I’m an outdoor gal through and through and would rather be digging holes with the other guys.
Still, I’ve had extra rations of my favourite ‘smart bones’ – made of chicken and sweet potato no less – for being a good-ish mutt.
Hey-ho, looks like the garden work is finally coming to an end, so Bonnie can be out and about more.
Meantime, here I go again acting as a one dog book promotion agent to earn my keep….the things we pooches have to do. Woof and out. ‘
by Maggie Fogarty | Mar 13, 2015 | Uncategorized |
The main talk in our local pub last Sunday was the new Poldark drama. Will it be as good as the 1970s original?
Will it result in the A30 getting even more jammed over the coming months?
Could Aidan Turner be the sexiest leading man to hit our screens for quite a while?
The usual stuff of light pub banter and quite rightly so.
Well the first Poldark episode – always notoriously difficult – got off to a flying start.
Yes, one of the fight scenes went on a bit and descended into silliness.
Yes, someone said they had spotted what looked like a very 21st century burglary alarm lurking in the background.
But overall it is escapist Sunday evening drama at its best and the reviews so far have been pretty good.
I expect we will experience a ‘Poldark effect’ with even more visitors arriving this spring and summer, which will be great
news for the local tourist industry.
As for the A30, let’s just hope that everyone from ‘oop country’ staggers their journeys.
And Aidan Turner? Well he really is drop dead gorgeous isn’t he?
So that’s last week’s pub debate sorted then.
Now over to Bonnie, the very Cornish cockapoo, for her news…
Hiya folks,
My coat has started to grow back, so I’m feeling a whole lot warmer.
Well, that and the sun poking its head out from time to time.
Been riding out a lot in my rents’ open top car now the weather has got warmer.
And don’t I just love it? Wind in the fur, outside smells, other mutts looking on enviously.
Hey, I’m a soft top kind of gal and prefer it to that other big boring sensible set of wheels.
Now then – everyone has been talking about a stupid dress. Is it black and white or gold and blue? (Who the hell cares?).
So here’s my challenge – is my coat red, gold or blonde?
I see myself as a blondie but I did overhear one of my rents calling me a ‘ginger whinger’, the cheek.
So which is it? Let’s get viral!
PS: I’m told I’ve got to help promote my rent Maggie’s new book ‘Dear Mr DJ’ . Hey ho….http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00U2X77AQ
by Maggie Fogarty | Feb 28, 2015 | Uncategorized |
The past week has been dominated by last minute proof readings and checks for my latest book, a ‘novella’ or shorter novel.
‘Dear Mr DJ’ spans the mid 1970s to the present day, and the main character is Debbie McKay, a recently widowed 50-something with a teenage daughter.
Debbie now lives in Truro after fleeing her Midlands home back in 1975. She is also harbouring a big secret from her teenage days and her life is thrown into turmoil when she decides to contact her first boyfriend, who she calls ‘Mr DJ.’
There are themes of teenage pregnancy, adoption, reunion, betrayal and finding love later in life.
The novella will ultimately be published as a 3-parter and I got this series idea after attending a course on drama ‘story lining’ – essentially plotting – at the National Film and Television School. It was run by a leading story liner who has worked for Coronation Street and other major TV dramas.
Writing a serial book means plotting just like a continuing drama, although I still haven’t made my mind up how it will all end.
My first novel was set in Bermuda, where I was living at the time and now I’m here in Cornwall, it seemed apt to set the latest book in this beautiful county.
‘Dear Mr DJ’ is available now on Amazon in both Kindle form and as a paperback.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00U2X77AQ
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U2X77AQ
Meanwhile, Bonnie the very Cornish cockapoo has been casting her eyes over the fabulously purple and 1970s disco themed cover, designed by Spencer Smart. By the look of things, I think she approves!
So over to Bonnie for her latest take on things….
‘Hiya folks,
Just been checking out my rent Maggie’s latest book cover.
Shame I can’t grab hold of that big glittery ball at the back – I’m well liking the look of it.
And check out my very latest hair cut. This time it took three hours and Pip, my groomer, took a photo of the big pile of fur lying on the floor.
I’m feeling a lot cooler now with all that weight off my back but It’s already starting to re-grow and I’ll soon be a more rounded furrier Bonnie again.
At least all those matty bits have gone and it looks like I’ll be having more regular trims to make sure they don’t come back.
On the plus side, the rents have stopped calling me ‘Knotty Nora’ and comparing me to that Boris Johnson chappy.
Honestly, the things we poor mutts have to put up with.
Woof and out….’
by Maggie Fogarty | Feb 6, 2015 | Uncategorized |
I’ve always had work that involves deadlines.
Whether it is writing for newspapers and magazines, or working on television programmes, every project has an all important deadline to be met.
The good thing is that it keeps you focussed and I’ve carried the discipline over to my book publications.
This time it is self imposed rather than being dictated by someone else but hey – a deadline is a deadline, even if it’s yourself cracking the whip. Ouch.
So February is going to be a big month of deadlines leading up to the publication of the first of my three part novella series.
‘Dear Mr DJ’ will be published on February 28 and the cover has already been designed by Spencer Smart. It looks great and as the story alternates been 1975 and the present day, there are some nice retro images.
Meanwhile, I’m already 10,000 words into the follow-up novella, ‘Decisions and Dilemmas’ – given that it is a book series, it is important that readers are not left hanging around too long for the sequel to ‘Dear Mr DJ’. No slacking then.
Add to this the publicity and a tie-in promotion in the run up to the publication date…well you get the picture.
Deep breaths as they say.
So watch this space and here’s a sneak preview of the cover.
Now over to Bonnie the very Cornish cockapoo…
‘Hi ya folks,
Just had my coat trimmed – a really big cut this time.
My rents have been nick-naming me ‘Knotty Nora’, complaining that my baby fur has got all matted. Doh – as if I hadn’t already picked up on that one.
Anyway, Pip and her new grooming assistant at ‘Just Pet Care’, did a grand job on my coat, Can you believe it took two whole hours?!
The rents sloped off leaving me to it, but I was a good girly considering the pile of fur left on the floor.
I’m back for another cut next week and something tells me I’ll be feeling a bit colder until it all grows back.
A bonus is that I can now see better – nothing gets past me on walks and I can spot a stick or smelly bunch of seaweed from a few paces.
Yeh, even doggy haircuts have an upside!
Woof and out…’
by Maggie Fogarty | Jan 21, 2015 | Uncategorized |
I’ve always been a bit of a list enthusiast – I usually start the day with a ‘to do’ list and love it when they get ticked off.
It’s not just about every day work either. In life as well I’m an avid goal setter. The trick is to be realistic – have just a few achieveable aims, a workable time scale and keep a regular note of how you’re doing.
Studies have shown that people who set goals are more likely to get what they want than those who just muddle along, hoping for the best or for a fairy godmother to wave her good luck wand.
Maybe it is just the simple act of writing it down that can help to seal the deal.
Back in 2004, I set myself 4 big goals.
1) To move to a beautiful part of the country by the sea.
2) To spend some time living abroad.
3) To write more, including journalistic pieces and a novel.
4) To own a dog.
Well, guess what?
All four have been achieved with a move to Cornwall; a brilliant year spent living in Bermuda and writing a regular column for one of the island newspapers; two novels completed and a third underway along with a couple of published short stories.
Oh, and not forgetting Bonnie the dog.
So what next? Let’s just say there are still more goals and I think I’ll go to my grave with that ‘to do’ list!
Of course, you can never plan your life too rigidly – expect the odd curve ball and things to go off track. But focussing on what you want to achieve and making that all important note does help.
And I’ve still got that 2004 list to prove it.
Now over to Bonnie, the very Cornish cockapoo, for her latest take on things…
‘Hiya folks,
Ain’t I just loving those winter beach walks? Yes, it’s a bit nippy and sometimes I need to wear the new doggy coat I got for Christmas.
There’s been the odd windy and rainy day too but hey – a beach is a beach whatever the weather.
My favourite thing is to grab bits of seaweed and run around with them like a demented geezer. The smellier and soggier the seaweed the better.
It’s a great meeting ground for mutts, where we can have rolling in the sand and digging holes parties.
It’ll all change in the Spring when us pooches are banned from the beach but in the meantime it’s doggy paradise out there on them beaches.
Yee ha! Woof and out….’
by Maggie Fogarty | Jan 9, 2015 | Uncategorized |
Now for a confession.
I actually like January. Repeat – yes like January.
I know it has a bad reputation as a miserable month, Christmas decorations all gone, bills coming in and terrible weather.
So time then to celebrate the upside of poor old Jan and in typical British fashion, I’ll kick off with the weather.
Here in Cornwall it’s been pretty damn good so far – hell I know I’m tempting fate here – with unseasonably balmy temperatures and even ‘T’ shirts getting a winter look in.
My car ‘soft top’ has been down several times this week and somehow Spring doesn’t seem that far away. OK, it’s not the same story all over the country but we are sure enjoying the early January days down this way.
Then there’s the start of a new year and the chance to begin afresh. Whether you call it ‘resolutions’ or ‘plans’ or simply ‘thinking ahead’, January is the month to get them going.
For me it’s starting my second Novella. I’m aiming to be at least three quarters of the way through it before I launch the first one of the series at the end of February. A tough deadline but it’s looking promising.
January is also a great month to take up those offers at local eateries, before they hit busier times.
Many have post Christmas deals and if your resolution is to lose weight, you can always be virtuous and go for the healthier options. Or make sure you combine it with a good walk before or afterwards. Simples.
Finally, January is the month when TV companies show case their big dramas and best factual programmes.
There is some fantastic viewing at this time of year and it’s a treat to settle down to a cracking bit of goggle box watching – in our case in front of a cosy wood burning stove – with a nice glass of tipple in hand.
Yes here’s to good old January. What’s not to like?
Now over to Bonnie, the very Cornish cockapoo….
‘Hi there folks,
Well didn’t I do well for my first Christmas?
New fleecy bed, over coat and plenty of tasty treats. Lots of people dropping by too and extra walks on the beach. Hey, this is a brill time of year!
The rents have been muttering about me getting another hair cut. They’ve been saying that I’m starting to look a bit like that Boris Johnson chappy again, the cheek.
So it looks like I’m in for another trim soon, with the lovely Pip at ‘Just Pet Care’. Can’t say I’m looking forward to all that clipping away at my lovely coat but hey ho – if I play along and look hang dog, I can always bag myself a new toy.
Meantime, I’ve been trying to be a good gal and help the rents with the house cleaning – see the pic of me with a duster to show I’m not making it up. Woof and out…’
