Help save PS Ryde (aka Ryde Queen)

There is now an online petition you can sign to stop the historic paddle steamer, PS Ryde (aka Ryde Queen) from being scrapped. Visit it at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/PSRyde

I have already signed it, as have many other people and the list of signatures is growing – but you need to add yours asap!

Elsewhere, I gave a talk to the ladies of East Cowes WI last night (Tues) and they were very enthusiastic about my trip and my efforts to raise money for the hospice.

On Sunday, Twiglet and I scooped the Novice Pony of the Year showjumping championship at Brickfields – this is the fourth time we have competed at this premier show and the fourth time we have come home with a trophy. Twig has now won the Purewell 13.2hh and under championship twice (2007 and 2009) and the Novice Pony of the Year twice (2008 and 2010.)

End of the Ryde Queen?

This week it looks as if the Ryde Queen (aka PS Ryde, the historic paddle steamer) may be scrapped. However, I understand it is likely that a further appeal will be launched to save her, so watch this space.

Elsewhere, the snow has FINALLY gone, I am up to my ears (and drowning!) at work, I am showjumping at the weekend and I will be giving another Trans-Siberian talk in East Cowes on Monday night.

January song

I was 35 yesterday, which finally brought it home to me that I am not exactly a young thing anymore. Not that it particularly depressed me – Hugh and I went to open a champagne bottle in bed and it exploded and showered us.

We shrieked the place down and were still laughing ages afterwards – goodness knows what the neighbours thought of us!

Perhaps there is life in this old girl yet!

On the challenge front, not much has happened in January and we are still about £70 short of raising £5,000 for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

Wishing you a happy New Year

Blimey – I don’t know where the year has gone!

Just to confirm, this challenge has so far raised over £4,920 for the hospice and more people are hearing about my Trans-Siberian escapades all the time!

I have got loads of talks booked for 2010, although I can always do a few more – just get in touch!

Within the last few weeks I have been busy judging an under-12s children’s writing competition, which was great because all the stories were really good fun.

One of the ladies involved in organising that read my book immediately afterwards andemailed me with comments – see the Reviews page on this site.

I have also been working on our Walk The wight supplement, which comes out in January and will tell people all about Walk The Wight, the massive annual charity walk in aid of the hospice. See www.iwhospice.org/wtw for more details.

I wish you all a happy New Year – the writing challenge will finish at the end of 2010 and I hope to raise £7,000 for the hospice – that is the cost of keeping this amazing facility open for just ONE DAY!

Countdown to Christmas

It has all gone a bit quiet on the talks front now, although loads of people have been booking me to come and speak to groups next year.

Things are still ticking along – I am still selling books and we are not far short of raising £5,000 for the hospice, which is not bad in this current financial climate.

I am just starting to get the house cleaned up/decorated for Christmas and I am hoping for a peaceful time with my family. Merry Christmas to everyone who has been supporting this project!

I did get my hands on a Lonely Planet guide to Trekking In Patagonia the other day … well one can dream!

Great railway enthusiasts

I had a lovely time last night at the Southern Vectis club in Newport, where I gave a talk to members of the Vectis Railway Enthusiasts, the Wight Model Railway Group and the Sandown Railway Enthusiasts and I really enjoyed it.

Not only were they really interested in the trip, but they were appreciative and the VRE, which hosted the talk, gave a nice donation to the hospice. Some members also bought books, which was great.

Furthermore, they even had refreshments, which I was really grateful for because I have had a madcap weekend and was pretty tired on arrival at the Southern Vectis club.

Also this weekend, I attended the prize presentation for the Island Voices poetry competition on Saturday afternoon and this was a real celebration of a very special year here on the Island, because not only was it the centenary of the Poetry Society, but it also marked 200 years since the birth of Tennyson, the Island’s most famous poet, who was born in Lincolnshire but wrote some of his most famous works at his home on the Isle Of Wight.

What was particularly lovely was that the poetry competition judge, Gillian Allnutt, bought one of my books – so a copy is now winging its way back to Durham!

On Saturday night I went to a family party and learned some very interesting news about a family member – but I can’t possibly reveal it now!

On Sunday, I spent practically the whole day at Brickfields showjumping and Zack only just missed out on a rosette, while Twiglet was third – I hadn’t had much chance to do any preparation , so I think this is a good omen for the season ahead (but waiting around all day was jolly tedious and I was knackered when I got home!)

Also this week, my Scottish war veteran has been in touch and we have agreed to commit his memories to paper for his family to keep, which is quite an exciting project for both of us!

Wonderful Wootton

I had a great talk at Wootton last Friday night and loads of people came out – despite the rain and the numerous fireworks displays that were on.

Hugh was brilliant with setting up and dismantling my equipment, as from the word go I was so busy chatting with people – some of whom had been on the Trans-Siberian or had visited China.

Amazingly there was a fabulous collection and I was astounded to be handed £104 – then there was a book sale or two, which was great! Added to the running total so far, we have reached almost £4,800 for the hospice!

Next Monday (Nov 16) I will be talking to Vectis Railway Enthusiasts and other railway-related clubs – I don’t know lots and lots about trains, so I hope they will bear with me!

Talk, talk

I am quite busy with talks this month – starting with a talk at Wootton Bridge Methodist Church tonight.

I am amazed at how many books I have sold this summer – I haven’t done a proper count-up yet, but I think more than half my books has gone, which is great news. If you haven’t got your hands on one yet, try to get your copy soon because they are selling like hot cakes!

Elsewhere, I am up to my ears in wall-to-wall writing about Christmas! Bah humbug – it’s all too early to be Christmas shopping for me!

A bit mad…

It’s been a bit chaotic here, both in terms of my social life and at work!

I had a great time at Barton Manor Christmas Fayre on Sunday, October 18 – I sold 13 books on the day and met lots of lovely people who said they had read the book and enjoyed it!

I am currently up to my ears in preparing talks for November, including one at Wootton Methodist Church on Friday, November 6, and one for railway enthusiasts at the Southern Vectis club in Newport on Monday, November 16.

I have also just been asked if I would help judge a writing competition which is to benefit the Earl Mountbatten Hospice and Love Russia – quite fitting I thought, given my Trans-Sib adventure!

Hugh and I are going out to dinner tonight – which is a very rare occurrence for us, so I am really looking forward to it!

Inspirational

I had a great time in Bath yesterday – it was fantastic to see Nikki again and to see her book, ‘Trans-Siberian Travels’.

She has created this poetry book as a companion to mine and I am thrilled to announce that it is also being sold in aid of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, which is really nice of Nikki. (The book is also in memory of several of her friends who have died of cancer recently).

I had also not quite realised how my challenge had spurred Nikki to write too – it’s brilliant that both of us have produced a book from the trip.

Together, we gave a talk and poetry reading at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution yesterday and sold several of both books to raise another £56.50 for the hospice!

We are now thinking of doing a joint reading/talk on the Isle Of Wight at some point.

If anyone would like Nikki’s book, email me on kate.drom@googlemail.com or call me on   07791 803449  and I will put you in touch. You can also find out more about Nikki’s work on her website at www.nikkibennettpoems.com