Shed Stories #16 ‘Just Another Diamond Day’
My office today is our sun soaked September garden. One of our robins is singing away in the hawthorn hedge while a pair of pigeons contemplate each other with thoughts of trying to squeeze in another brood of chicks before the autumn is out! The neighbours have ceased their endless strimming and mowing, and although the distant farm machinery and main road still drone on in the background, I am not complaining.
It is a complete haven here and I can appreciate it more than usual after being away whilst Jackie and I have been continuing to promote Wild Folk, our foundling, feral book.
We are, hopefully, close to a deal with a North American publisher to take Wild Folk for the USA and Canada, and we have just begun negotiations with a UK publisher but until something is signed Jackie and I, along with my daughter, Nettie, continue to work to sell Wild Folk direct to UK independent bookshops and to appear at events organised by ourselves with some very special bookshops.
In August Jackie and I did a lovely event with The Book Lounge bookshop in the Methodist chapel in Kirby Lonsdale, Cumbria. We filled the place including the minstrels’ gallery, met many wonderful people and discovered Kirby Lonsdale to be a gorgeous market town that really needs further exploration. Although I lived in east Cumbria in the early 1990s I didn’t actually make it to that little corner of the county. This event came into being through a couple of inspirational women who also showed us around the local area including The Great Stone of Fourstones with steps cut into its flanks. Work doesn’t get much better than that.
In September we were booked to do an event with the incredible bookshop, Toppings, St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. I couldn’t see the point of traveling that far north without adding a few days holiday in (and I love Scotland!) so I came up with a bit of a crazy road trip. First of all we stayed for a couple of nights on the iconic Mull of Kintyre, on the stunning Torrisdale Castle estate, complete with gin distillery and a beautiful beach where we saw a kingfisher and otter paw prints!
But the main reason for heading west was that I’d always wanted to visit Kilmarten Glen, Argylle and Bute. This whole area is rich in standing stones but more excitingly in some ways, in rock art. I had seen so many photos of these sites and in September (just on the cusp of the equinox) I finally got to see then in person. These are huge stones like gigantic whales, swimming just below the surface of the earth, their backs exposed and ‘tattooed’ with ancient carvings made thousands of years ago and connecting us through time and space with our ancestors. Some of these were positioned overlooking the sea and my favourite of all places, the isle of Arran. The surrounding forest and woodland were also bedecked with all kinds of colourful fungi and lichen making the whole experience of walking in the landscape a mystical and mythic one.
We then stayed in Perthshire for a beautiful few days at a Landmark Trust property which was a flat designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh no less. I had some lovely walks in the area but also during this time Dougal was over in the Swiss Alps taking part in his first UTMB event which was both nerve wracking and then exhilarating for me as the far distant anxious then proud mother! You can support his fundraiser, raising money for the charity he works with, which provides vital help for unpaid carers in Bristol and South Glos.
Finally, Jackie and I went on to St Andrews for our event with the very fabulous Toppings bookshop. What a welcoming place with such warm and helpful staff and a truly wonderful audience. I think we all came away feeling uplifted and as if we had shared something incredibly special in being together that evening.
Also in August Dougal came home for a couple of days so that he and I could sort out our calendar for 2026. (Whoop! Whoop!) We also managed to fit in a couple of walks and a spot of oil painting though I am not half so speedy as Dougal who, having only recently taken up painting, puts me to shame with his enthusiasm and output and makes some great paintings.
We have finally got our hands on the calendar which we are very pleased with and I do hope that you will love it as much as we do. It’s available now internationally in large and small square sizes from our Numonday store, although we prefer UK orders to go through Love From The Artist.
Other news
In between these events I have managed to make new stained glass work for an exhibition at The Haymakers Gallery, Hay on Wye, Powys, Wales; the exhibition runs until 9th November and the gallery is always full of enticing
On Monday 27th October Jackie and I will be back in the south of the country at Yeovil Literary Festival. At present this is our last event of the year so do get along if you can.
I will also have a piece of work at an exhibtion called Memento Mori at Andelli Art Gallery, Wells, 1st -30th November which looks to be a truly inspirational exhibition with many incredible artists involved.
I will also have work at Old Chapel Gallery, Herefordshire from 8th November. Old Chapel is one of my oldest galleries, we have been working together for about 15 years, and Yasmin Strube has been patiently waiting for work whilst Wild Folk has taken my time away from the workshop. Then at some point after that I will be sending some work to Seven Fables, Dulverton. Phew! No rest for the wicked.
If you would like to buy a copy of Wild Folk then please check out stockists on my website.
If you are a shop or bookshop interested in stocking Wild Folk please contact Nettie Abbott at wildfolkbooks@gmail.com.