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Creative Captures

Lynn Chapman Writer

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    • Monday Memories

      Visit To Port Lympne

      A few weeks age, my partner and I visited Port Lympne Wild Animal Park & Reserve, here in Kent. We were gifted the tickets last Christmas and our visit included a gorilla feed and truck safari.

      So, as you can imagine, we were excited to experience the thrill of feeding these mighty Western lowland gorillas. The family included a silverback, adult females and young males, with the youngest being only three years old. We had to make our way to the roof-top for the midday feeding, which included cucumber, yellow peppers, lettuce and chicory. They actually get fed up to seven times daily.

      What fascinated me is how they all knew their place in the pecking order to be fed, not straying from their ‘spot’, even if a stray chuck of cucumber landed within a few feet. One particular gorilla held her arms up to catch whatever was being thrown; these apes are so intelligent.

      After we’d thrown all the food and they realised they weren’t getting any more, some of them made their to the rear of the enclosure to pick nettles to snack on. The keeper told us they prepare the nettles so as not to catch their mouths and get stung.

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      Afterwards, we had some lunch then boarded the truck for our safari experience. Unfortunately, the heavens opened and most of the animals decided to stay in their indoor enclosures. I don’t blame them; we got drenched even with a cover on the roof of the truck! A couple of brave giraffes stayed outside, along with a hippo, who seemed to be enjoying rolling around in the rain.

      Despite the weather, It was a great experience and we had a fabulous day.

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    • Notes From The Desk

      Write what you know – what does that mean?

      I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been given this piece of advice, or read it in a book or online. Of course, writing from personal experience can be very effective – but I think it can also be limiting.

      When I first started writing, many moons ago, I used to write only non-fiction. I would write about ‘what I knew’, which was mainly music and tennis. At the time, those were my passions and what made me feel alive. As I studied my craft and gained more experience as a writer, I began writing short stories and poems. I think it was a confidence thing with me: was I good enough? Can I really be creative?

      For me, writing is all about creating, whether that’s a new character, scene, or even a whole new world. I get an incredible buzz when I write something new: a poem, short story, article or whatever. I like to write what I feel as opposed to what I know.

      I’d love to know your thoughts on this.

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    • Are You Having Fun In The Sun?

      I hope you’re all having a good week and the writers amongst us are getting lots of writing done. If you reside in the UK, you’ll either be loving or loathing this exceptionally hot weather we’re experiencing at the moment. Personally, I’d prefer it ten degrees cooler.

      I thought I would share this short video, which landed in my in-box this morning from Writers Online. If you’re struggling what to write, have a look at the video.

    • Photo of the Week

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      Staying with the plane theme this week. A very brave lady wing-walking and raising lots of money for charity. It’s not something I could ever do – I don’t like heights!

    • Monday Memories

      I hope you all had a lovely weekend. This week’s piece is written by fellow writer, Susan Batten. Thank you, Susan, for sharing your holiday memories with us.

      HOLIDAYS IN SIGHT

      Everyone has different expectations of holidays: some long for lazy days lying on a sunny beach, some look forward to authentic cuisine and local wines, some of us just want to escape the tyranny of the clock.

      For me, the best holidays have been the ones with pleasant surprises: places and events which have not been googled into my agenda.

      I still have a carved shell from a little workshop I found on the Île d’Aix, opposite La Rochelle in France, where they specialize in working with mother of pearl. This mysterious substance, produced naturally by certain molluscs such as oysters, is prized for its durable decorative properties. We know it from the classic shirt button, but it also makes an appearance in jewellery, home decoration, time pieces and musical instruments. I had never seen such a display, or even thought about this shimmering, luminous material, so the discovery of this collection made for a memorable visit.

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      Susan ‘s beautiful carved shell

      In a nearby town I found, quite by accident, a perfumery which had, on the first floor, a room dedicated to a collection of perfume bottles of every shape and size, complete with references and anecdotes. We’re familiar with modern – sometimes eccentric – designs for scent bottles, but the forerunners of these models, in such profusion in a small space, made a wonderful, bewildering exhibition.

      Changing the holiday venue, I once went to an exhibition in Logroño, in the Rioja in Spain, where they had on display a weird collection of old-style cooking utensils.  I say “weird” because at first glance I couldn’t be sure that these antique waffle-makers or cookie cutters were not some Spanish instruments of torture… They were not in mint condition, but this meant I could imagine generations of stay-at-home mothers labouring over their open fires and rudimentary ovens to produce some of the cakes and confectionery still popular today. The video that was running showed women working at a kind of horse trough where they were bent over, kneading and mixing the ingredients by hand to make the famous Spanish “turrón”, a Christmas sweet made with almonds and sugar. Often this large scale production was undertaken in convents and then sold in the district as a seasonal treat.

      These are a few of the discoveries I have made, exploring as I travelled around. Because they were unexpected, they gave me a lot of pleasure, though idle sunbathing also had its place in my holiday plans, of course.

    • Notes From The Desk

      This week’s thought-provoking piece is written by fellow writer, Susan Batten.

      ‘To Thine Own Self Be True’

      Exam time! Some kids love tests because a “pass” means they are “all right”. It puts an end to doubt. In the same way, some kids don’t bother to try. Better the certainty of failure than the anxiety of not knowing if they’ve passed.

      There is nothing worse than the no-man’s-land of ‘maybe’.

      The problem with writing is that it is often “exam time” and there is no failsafe ‘pass mark’.  You never know when your work is “all right”. This means we have to live with self-doubt.

      Some articles imply that if a piece of writing is not likely to make money, it’s unacceptable. With profit as a guide, the publishing industry will buck and twist like a whalers’ boat – don’t drown in its wake.

      Be consoled: artists have never liked the straitjacket system of the paymasters. The writer can choose: strike out and be as original as you please, or succumb and tailor your product to their requirements, if you can. And be quick about it because AI is treading on your heels.

       If you disregard mainstream publishing, the infinite realms of imagination are at your disposal and in that land there are no nebulous standards to reach, no word count we must respect, no deadlines to keep us up at night and no faceless critics to satisfy. You can follow your avatar through the forest, suffer in dark dungeons if you must, blow up fortresses full of enemies if you feel like it. Spin your tale. Tomorrow you can be someone else.

      Remember that the mantra of education has long been to compare only the performance of an individual with his or her previous performance, not with other people.

      Is it not better to satisfy the standards you impose, the ones which change as you learn to order, edit, present and entertain, no matter if you are the only reader?

      We shouldn’t be like the child who gives up because he prefers the certainty of failure. Resist self-doubt and “just do it”.

      By discovering and respecting your own talents, your writing life will be more fulfilling, and that, in the end, is what you need.

    • Flowers, Tennis & Cherries

      I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather we’re having here in the UK at the moment. Apparently, there’s another heatwave on the way this weekend. This weather makes me really tired and I have trouble sleeping at night; I’m sure many of you are the same. What is it like in your part of the world?

      We are fortunate enough to have quite a big garden and it’s lovely to sit out in the evenings when it’s a bit cooler. I’m by no means a gardener, I leave that to my partner. Being the green-fingered one, she bought two beautiful Dahlias to plant last week (see pic below), but it’s just been too hot to do anything garden-wise. We live in hope it will cool down soon, because the ground is rock hard at the moment.

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      Tennis and cherries go in hand in glove for me when Wimbledon is on. It’s a tradition of mine to sit and watch it with a bowlful of delicious Kentish cherries. Wimbledon don’t sell them, unfortunately, but I checked out the price for strawberries and cream at this years’ championships – £2.85 – quite reasonable in my opinion.

      But this hot weather got me wondering what they charge for food and drinks, because tennis fans obviously need to keep hydrated. Here’s a selection of prices. As you will see, deep pockets are required:

      Lansons Le Rosé Creation Brut: * Full Bottle: £102.00 Half Bottle: £57.95 20cl Serving: £31.35

      Tempranillo (125ml glass): £7.20 (cheapest wine option found)

      Gin & Tonic – £10.75

      Pimm’s No.1 (Includes reusable glass): £13.45

      Centre Court Cooler (Signature gin or alcohol-free cocktail): £12.80

      Kopparberg Cider: £8.90 per pint

      Gluten-free beer (Bottle): £7.90

      Coca-Cola Zero: £2.90 (330ml)

      Fish finger sandwich: £14.50

      Skin-on fries: £5.50

      Safe to say – I’ll be sticking with the cherries!

    • Photo Of The Week

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      This photo of the Spitfire was taken at Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent

    • Monday Memories

      Wimbledon starts today!🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

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      Click on the photo above for the official Wimbledon website.

      Today, I’m going to share some photos I took on a visit to Wimbledon in 2019, when were were fortunate enough to get tickets in the ballot for centre court. I have a 60x zoom lens camera and captured a few famous faces sitting in the Royal Box – see how many you can name!

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    • Notes From The Desk

      Who is your writing hero?

      Easy for me – Lynda La Plante. Being a lover of both reading and writing crime, this lady has had a huge influence on me.

      I first became a fan when I watched the television series, Widows (1983-1985), where three armed robbers die when the security van they are robbing catches fire in a tunnel. Their widows discover the plans and decide to carry out the heist themselves. The series was non-stop action, with the brilliant Ann Mitchell taking a starring role. I must have watched the two series at least a dozen times over the years.

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      I’ve read everything Lynda La Plante has written; she’s a phenomenal writer in my opinion. I can highly recommend her memoir, Getting Away with Murder, which is both funny and sad in places, a highly entertaining read.

      Many years later, I was lucky enough to meet her when she held a book talk in Windsor, right opposite the Castle.

      You never know if you’ll be disappointed meeting a hero/heroine. I can honestly say she was lovely, so kind and generous with her time. She told me she could see how intensely I was listening to her talk and taking everything in – wow! That meant the whole word to me.

      I would love to hear about your writing hero.

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