Frank
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Frank's articles

downpour, harvests contd, creative writing summer school, mst alum daisy johnson, everything under, man booker, beware the bonak

Downpour at about five this morning. Ran to close the wide-open windows – though in about ten minutes it was gone. Welcomely cool now. Harvested the last of the blackcurrants earlier in the week. Delicious lightly stewed. Intensity of flavour; rich fruity syrup! The apples are rounding, despite the drought. If they grow to maturity, […]

harvests, high water, spider's web, tim pears' the wanderers, charlotte brontë's jane eyre, downton abbey the movie

Harvested blackcurrants on the allotment earlier. Also French and runner beans and several different kinds of Italian courgette. Lots of watering having to be done too. The plot is amazingly parched. Although the rivers and streams of west Oxfordshire are remarkably full of water, given the last time it rained was ages ago. Perhaps all […]

in flower, heady scents, end of the academic year, education continuing, vibrant expectation

So much is in flower in J's garden now, as we approach the longest day. Heady scents too. Can't quite believe that Oxford has reached the end of the academic year. University spaces are suddenly significantly quieter. Though many courses – particularly Department for Continuing Education ones, which include Creative Writing at masters and undergraduate […]

spring flower walk, fritillaries, cowslips and a snail on a thorn, pippa's song by robert browning, sackler sundays

Too wet to garden last weekend, so starting on the allotment was delayed yet more. Went on a spring flower walk beside the Thames instead. Wonderful! Love snake's head fritillaries! Was intrigued by the snail on the blackthorn, though – and there were many more of them. Brought to mind Robert Browning's poem, Pippa's Song: […]

roadside snowdrops, burns night supper, the debatable land: the lost world between scotland and england by graham robb

Came across this patch of snowdrops when cycling on Saturday. They were on the verge between Clanfield and Black Bourton. As last week, there are days that feel as if spring has arrived and others when winter whistles in with a vengeance. On Saturday night we had our Burns Night supper. Delicious Cullen Skink and […]

witney market square, fantastic christmas lights, concluding seminar, lingering snow, christmas day beetroots, blue danube/shetland black lucky dip, can't wait for the christmas holidays!

Set off for work early, yesterday. Took this photo of the fruit and veg stall in Witney market square as I was waiting for the S1 Oxford bus. The Christmas lights in Witney are, incidentally, fantastic this year – including the long tassly ones hanging from the trees. My concluding long fiction seminar on Thursday […]

stupendous sunny days, tumbling bay, twenty pound meadow, monkey puzzle, wio 25th anniversary party and competition winners

There have some stupendous sunny days – in between the rainy ones – this last week. The photo above was taken from the Thames towpath looking upriver towards the entrance to Tumbling Bay where there used to be an attended open-air swimming pool, now long gone. On the left bank are the Twenty Pound Meadow […]

soaked, logs, ug diploma, ten years, wio, twenty-five years, young oxfordshire writers competition

Got soaked cycling this morning. But at least it was going to brighten up later, I consoled myself… True, the rain stopped mid-morning but it's been dark and damp all day… A log delivery at lunchtime. Nice to have a full store of wood. Preparing for my Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing seminars. Can't believe […]

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