Bev Allen's Blog, page 4

August 16, 2012

16

I like the number 16. I was born on the 16th and I was married on the 16th.
I always hoped one of my kids would be born on the 16th, but it wasn't to be.
However, on 16th August 1902, Georgette Heyer was born.
She was the first "grown up" writer I ever read. My first venture, at the age of 12, into the world of adult literature.
And I think she was the first writer I knew to be something very special,not only the teller of wonderful stories, but someone who did it with consummate skill, elegance and craft.
She is a writer I can return to again and again, never tiring of her, never thinking I have read the book a dozen times before, sometimes more than a dozen times before.
The beauty of her English is pure delight and so many of the characters she created are delicious. Not necessarily the main ones, very often it is the second divison who provide the most amusement.
It was from the references to her beloved 95th Regiment that I discovered The Rifle Brigade and the Napoleonic Wars. It was "Infamous Army" that inspired me to find out as much as I could about Wellington's military career.
Which of course took me back to India and from there to The H.E.I.C. and and on into Queen Victoria and her Little Wars.
If you have never read her, I envy you the treats in store.
There is a school of thought that would like to lump her in with the likes of Barbara Cartland and other so called writers of "Regency Romance".
The two are as alike as a processed cheese slice and a handcrafted Stilton.
(Okay, I've got this book on making cheese at home and its got me all excited, watch this spot.)
Heyer wrote romances, but there is nothing shallow or trite or cliched. She tackled arranged marriages and all the emotional difficulties of two strangers sharing a life. She never promises "happy ever after", hinting that some of the marriages won't work and that others will only survive if love is prepared to ignore infidelity, but this is because her people are real, with all the flaws and courage and hopes of real people.
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Published on August 16, 2012 08:00

August 7, 2012

Diaries

There is something about diaries which is a source of fascination.
I am definitely a non-diary keeper, it takes all my self discipline to get dressed in the morning.
And yet...what treasures diaries can be and how much we have to thank those who kept them. Pepys, Queen Victoria and Chips Channon, with their eye on the centre of power.
Nella Last with her Mass Observation diaries, giving us a view of ordinary people living in extraodinary times and, of course, Anne Frank.
Why am I talking about diaries I hear you cry...okay I don't, but thinking I do makes me feel warm and wanted:-)
The reason, best beloved, is because I am in the middle of transcribing a previously unpublished diary.
Written mainly in 1900, it is the day to day account of his life by an ordinary British soldier serving in the Anglo-Boer War.
And it is fascinating because... not much happens!
Surprised?
Think its sounds boring?
I am captivated by it. Finding out what he is eating (or not eating as they are on half rations at the moment), his views on the evils of drink...this from a Britsh soldier, but apparently temperance had a big following.
His opinions on officers, the Yeomanry and, this is a gem...The Daily Mail!
Yes folks, its 1900 and the popular press is about as popular with the troops as an end to the tobacco ration.
I am, hopefully, preparing this for publication, providing the family agree. There is much work to do by way of background research and I will need a lot of help from regimental sources etc, but who knows, maybe "Charlie's War" will be a book eventually.
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Published on August 07, 2012 06:47

August 1, 2012

1st August

Today is Minden Day.
On this day in 1759 British infantry advanced against a force of French cavalry.
As they went they plucked roses from the hedgerows and put them in their hats.
They won a great victory in what became known as The Seven Years War.
Ever since on 1st August roses have been presented to The Minden Six, the regiments who took part.
Today their names have been swallowed in in the modern amalgamations, but the tradition remains.
So here's to "The men who fought at Minden" and their "anarchistic bombs":-))
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Published on August 01, 2012 02:46

July 25, 2012

Soldiers

You must have known this was coming:-) It was inevitable that I was going to devote a post to one of my favourite subjects eventually.
I will restrain myself, I promise.
The other day someone asked me why the RSM in "Jabin and the Space Pirates" is a Sikh. To me the answer is blindingly obvious, but I suspect not everyone has access to the inner workings of my mind.
He is the best and bravest soldier in the battalion, what else could he have been?
All right, a number of other things, but if you are thinking soldiers and you start making lists of superlatives, the Sikhs are going to be right there.
Their courage is legendary, or it should be. When kids talk about heroes, these guys should be on their lips. I could make lists, talk about WW1 and the Burma Road, but for me Saragarhi says it all.

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Ba...

You may, if you've read me, recognise a name from the casualty list and all I can hope is that I have done nothing to dishonour them.
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Published on July 25, 2012 03:19

July 15, 2012

15th July

St Swithin's Day.
According to legend, if it rains today, it will rain for the next forty days.
Now, what are the chances, given the weather we are currently enjoying in England's green and soggy land, of it raining today?
A racing bloody certainity I would say.
Good luck with the Olympics, I just hope those wish to see it can spot the events through the rain.
Today also the birthday of a dear friend who had to leave us since his last one, sleep well Grant.
It is also the anniversary of the executions of John Ball and the Duke of Monmouth. One a hero of the people, or should be, the other a complete burke.
Why do I bring this up? Because the young hero of my latest work in progress is also the bastard son of a king who has rebelled against his lawful sovereign. He is also a bit of an idiot, but has age as an excuse and will be cured of at least some of his dafter ideas.
Its also the day Boney surrendered on board the Billy Ruffian...huzzah!
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Published on July 15, 2012 06:56

July 9, 2012

An Interesting Day

For reasons many and varied, I have decided my next book is going to feature flintlocks.
Having come up with the idea, I realised that while I know the basics...ramrods, ball ammunition, black powder, flashes in the pan etc, I am not as technically knowledgable as I will need to be if I'm not going to sound like a complete idiot.
So today has been a research day and may I commend to all of you a splendid book, "The Story of the Gun" by Ian V Hogg.
I would dearly love to try handling a real flintlock musket, but if they weigh anything like the 1853 Pattern Enfield I tried to lift the other day, I'm guessing trying would be the best I could do.
I managed to get the Enfield up to my shoulder, but it was just as well no fool was going to allow me to do anything more as it was so heavy I couldn't hold it still.
Tomorrow I shall embark on what an army on the march requires and probably find out more about latrines than I want to know.
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Published on July 09, 2012 15:43

July 5, 2012

The Road to Damascus

I've just had a road moment.
The scales have fallen and I now know what it is I really write and what I can say to all those people who say "What's your book about?".
I write RIPPING YARNS.
I don't understand why it didn't occur to me before.
I knew reading all those 1920/30 boy's adventure stories must have had some effect.
What I'm doing is writing up to date version of them.
Woo Hoo!
Let's hear it for the good old ripping yarn.
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Published on July 05, 2012 10:23

Running to Catch Up

Today I will start writing book 3.
But, I hear you groan,you've only just finished book 2.
And you are right, but at my age there's only so many writing years left and I've got a hell of a lot of stories to tell and a limited time to tell them in.
If I was even 20 years younger, I could afford to pace myself, leave time for things to ferment and to relax, but I'm not.
This time I'm going far, far more into fantasy, but there will be NO magic. I can't do magic, it always feels like cheating to me, all that finger and nose wriggling to get out of situations:-).
Soldiers are back on the agenda, I like soldiers. This time they will be the sort that fight with flintlocks, not lasers.
At least, they will be by the time I get to the end.
I think there will be the odd dash of disgruntled princeling, a hint of rebellion and maybe just a pinch of seasoned campaign commander.
Pass me that spoon, I'm about to mix me another (I hope) ripping yarn.
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Published on July 05, 2012 04:45

July 2, 2012

My Next Book

I should probably have titled this "Write About What You Know Part 2", because what I have chosen to concentrate in my next book is another of my passions.
I'm rather fond of Planet Earth. I'm rather fond of all the things that grow on it, I'm even prepared to put up with slugs, and protecting it is something I believe we should all be doing.
At its most selfish we should be doing it for reasons of self preservation, but at best we should be doing it because everything else alive deserves the same chance of survival as we do.
So I have written my eco warrior book.
But, being me, there's a bit of adventure, a bit of mystery, some violence...okay, a far bit of violence, but this is aimed at teenage boys and I couldn't find any places to work sex into the story. I did manage beer at one point though, so two out of the three main interests of that age group are covered.
Its being edited right now and then I'll see what my publisher thinks. Watch this blog for news.
So, I have now covered the army and the environment, that leaves paleo-anthropolgy, modern blown glass and quilting.
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Published on July 02, 2012 05:37

June 27, 2012

Cross

I'm cross and I'm going to have a rant. Leave now if ranting bothers you.
I've read something on the BBC news which has got me very cross.
A small group of soldiers preparing for the funeral of a comrade where refused service because they were in uniform.
The Queen's soldiers were refused because they were wearing the Queen's uniform.
Outrageous.
I'm not an innocent, I am very aware that soldiers aren't always the best behaved little boys in the world and a bunch of squaddies in civvies out for a night on the pull...yeah, I'd think twice about letting them in.
But to refuse to serve boys in uniform for no other reason than they are in uniform is wrong.
And its not as if they went in for beer, they just wanted a warm wet.
I thought the days of "Tommy this and Tommy that" had passed and it was all "Help for Heroes", but it seems they are still with us.
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Published on June 27, 2012 10:31