Never Too Late to Learn – PLUS New Book Out Now: “Death at the Old Curiosity Shop”

Don’t we all have a skill we yearn to learn but have never quite got round to mastering?

When I entered the job market post-university, one of the first things I did was to learn to touch-type. That skill has been a boon in every job I’ve ever had, using every generation of technology from the electric typewriter to the electronic tablet.

Aiming for a job in journalism, I also planned to acquire a decent shorthand speed. Instead, I got no further than buying a Teach-Yourself Pitman’s book before landing my first full-time job.

Optimistically, I also bought a copy of a Sherlock Holmes novel entirely in Pitman’s shorthand

Lucky to be in constant employment from then on, my shorthand book gathered dust for many years until, working as news editor for a trade magazine, I decided I didn’t need to learn shorthand after all. Instead, I gained the knack of writing longhand very fast, joining letters in unusual ways to speed the pen across the page. My once-neat handwriting became a scrawl, but it worked for me.

Ironically, I still write the first drafts of my novels by hand

Expecting the rise of digital voice recording to have rendered shorthand obsolete, I was surprised to discover recently that it still flourishes in certain quarters.

Shorthand is essential for court reporters, for example, because voice recorders are not allowed in court.

At my age, I don’t plan to become a court reporter (though I’m longing to be picked for jury duty out of pure curiosity). Nor do I need to write secrets in a code illegible to others, as Pepys did in his diary.

Now that’s confusing – in this portrait, Samuel Pepys appears to be holding a piece of music (Portait by John Hayls, Public Domain, via Wikipedia)

So why does the idea of learning shorthand still appeal to me? As Mallory said when asked why he wanted to climb Everest, it’s simply because it’s there. Of our two challenges, I’ve certainly picked the easier.

Also, we’re constantly told that learning new skills keeps our brains young. While I’ve worked hard to maintain a lengthy Duolingo streak in Latin, shorthand will be more useful in daily life. My first Teeline instruction book is now on order.

Like Mallory’s ill-fated ascent a century ago, my journey will start with this single step. Thankfully, my adventure is less likely to make me disappear without trace.

This post first appeared in the October 2024 edition of the Tetbury Advertiser.

In Other NewsOut Now: Death at the Old Curiosity Shop Order now at your local bookshop or library, via your favourite online retailer, or click the image to buy from Amazon.

My fourteenth cosy mystery novel is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook, from wherever you prefer to buy books. Order here via Amazon, search your favourite online retailer, or ask for it at your local bookshop or library.

Death at the Old Curiosity Shop is the first in a brand-new series set in the Cotswold village of Little Pride. When Alice Carroll (50) loses her long-term partner and her job at the city museum, she plans to start a new life in the country, turning a derelict bric-a-brac shop into a cosy cottage-core home. But in Little Pride, nothing is quite what it seems, including her new home.

When she discovers that planning regulations require her to keep the shop trading, the villagers rally round to help her. Then one of her customers is found dead, and the race is on for Alice to save her shop, her reputation and her freedom. With a lively cast of characters to help – or hinder – her quest for the truth, this is a fast-paced, funny, feel-good read, with a touch of gentle romance.

As with every book in this new series, the mystery revolves around an item stocked in Alice’s Curiosity Shop.

Published last Friday, Death at the Old Curiosity Shop is already attracting excellent reviews from book bloggers such as:

“Well-written with a fantastic protagonist” – @StoriedConvo

“Plenty of wit and charm” – Alyson Read

“Fun, clever and really enjoyable” – @RamblingMands

The sequel, which I’ve already written, will follow on 3rd March. Title and cover to follow soon!

And Finally … Meet Alice Carroll!

No sooner was the book published, than Alice was “interviewed” by bookblogger Dru Ann of Dru’s Book Ramblings. She runs a fascinating blog in which fictional characters describe a typical day in their life. Read her interview here, where Alice also introduces some of her new friends and neighbours.