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Snowdrops At My Door

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Dianne Ascroft

I don’t know whether it was because it was overcast on Tuesday (Groundhog Day) or whether it’s just our normal seasonal progression but it looks like winter is defeated. The Groundhog must be ready to come out and play. I’d no sooner finished lamenting about our harsher than usual winter when I saw my first sign of spring.

Credit: Edinburgh Photographic Society

As I walked up to the front door of our office this morning I noticed a clump of snowdrops. There’s about twenty of them. Their plump white heads are bent as if dozing, not yet ready to wake. Sparkling water drops, almost the size of their flowers, cling to and dangle from them. Once they shake off those heavy weights I’m sure they will perk up and look around. Then spring will be well on its way. Seeing them sitting there, waiting, cheers and invigorates me. And it reminds me that it’s time to start using some of the new ideas I’ve been toying with for writing projects .

Posted in February 2010 | Tagged Dianne Ascroft, Edinburgh Photographic Society, Groundhog Day, signs of spring, snowdrops, spring, writing | Leave a comment

Will Groundhog Day Come To Britain?

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Dianne Ascroft

It’s Groundhog Day. Did you know that? The average Brit probably isn’t aware of the occasion but, for a Canadian like me, it’s almost unpatriotic not to acknowledge it.

Today is a red letter day. For those of you who are wondering, it’s the day when the groundhog predicts whether there will be an early spring or six more weeks of winter. As a child I was amazed by the groundhog’s mysterious ability and I was in awe of this powerful creature who held our climatic fate in his paws.

But for most of the twenty years I’ve been in Britain when spring would arrive hasn’t been a

Our lane last weekend

pressing question. Winter just isn’t as severe here as it is in North America. We’re not braving bitter winds and arctic temperatures on a regular basis or desperately huddled in front of our fires waiting for the thaw.

This year is the first one since I moved to Britain that I’ve seen snow fall and stay on the ground for more than 24 hours. We’ve actually had a winter (severe at times) that lasted. So, who knows, in future Brits may also eagerly await the groundhog’s prediction….

Will we one day celebrate Groundhog Day in Britain too?!

Posted in February 2010 | Tagged British weather, Canada, groundhog, Groundhog Day, traditions | Leave a comment

Where Did January Go?

Posted on January 31, 2010 by Dianne Ascroft

Before Christmas I was working flat out to get several pieces finished for their deadlines and then I relaxed over the holidays, just writing when I felt like it. It seems no time at all since I was finishing off those assignments. So it came as a shock on Friday when I noticed the date – it’s already the end of the first month of 2010. I’ve sailed through this month with no pressing deadlines and still don’t have any looming in the near future.

One night earlier this week I was driving home in heavy fog. When I turned onto a side road near my house the fog was swirling around the car and I could barely see past the bonnet. I inched along until I reached higher ground and the fog started to lift. I’m not a speedy driver but that first half mile seemed torturously slow even though I knew it was impossible to go any faster. As I inched along I felt as if I had been fettered; I was itching to break free and sail along the familiar road as I usually do.

During the past month, despite my lack of pressing deadlines, I’ve felt a vague disquiet as I consider what I will write next. It’s like the feeling I had as I looked for a break in the fog the other night. I want to start my next writing project but I don’t know what it should be. It’s like I’ve been caught in a fog of possibilities and can’t see which way to go. There’s lots of choices rambling around in my mind – I just have to pull them past the hazy idea stage, put them into the order I want to tackle them and then put pen to paper.

A fellow member of our local writing group asked me last week if I’ve given up writing since I haven’t brought any new material to the group since the holidays. I assured him I haven’t given up writing. I’ve just been letting ideas swirl around in my mind. Now it’s time to get organised and concentrate on planning my next projects – I know the fog will then lift and my direction will be clear. January may be gone but there’s still eleven months left in this year – lots of time to write.

Posted in January 2010 | Tagged Dianne Ascroft, January, writing | Leave a comment

Introducing Fermanagh Creative Writing Group

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Dianne Ascroft

It’s a new year and the Fermanagh Creative Writing Group is eager to jump into it. The Impartial Reporter will publish stories and poems by our members in the coming weeks and we’re looking forward to sharing our writing with the rest of the community. In my article above (printed in the 31st December issue of the Impartial Reporter) I’ve introduced our group to the newspaper’s readers.

Last year I wrote pieces for several magazines on a diverse range of topics – from music personality interviews to historical articles – and also some short stories. I enjoyed the variety in my writing life. Now I’m eagerly waiting to discover all the writing opportunities 2010 will bring.

Posted in January 2010 | Tagged authors, creative writing, Dianne Ascroft, Dianne Trimble, Enniskillen, Fermanagh Creative Writing Group, Frankie McPhillips, Ken Ramsey, Wayne Hardman, writing | Leave a comment

Saintly Sounds Online

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Dianne Ascroft

At the end of November I told you a little about The Priests’ new album, Harmony. The trio have exceptional voices that blend in wonderful harmonies so I really enjoy listening to them sing. Before the album was released I interviewed each member of the trio about their music and their lives for several Irish and Canadian magazines and newspapers. Two of the pieces were included in the print editions of Senior Times and Ireland’s Own (the first part of a 2 part article) that were on the newsstands at the end of November/beginning of December.

This week Senior Times has posted my piece, Saintly Sounds, online. You can read it at:

www.seniortimes.ie/mysitecaddy/site3/music-priests.htm

Posted in December 2009 | Tagged Dianne Ascroft, Dianne Trimble, Harmony, Senior Times, The Priests | Leave a comment

Rekindling Wonder At Christmas

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Dianne Ascroft

Christmas is only a couple days away. I haven’t posted here during the past month as I’ve been busy finishing off writing assignments – articles based on my interview with The Priests and an article for the Impartial Reporter about the Fermanagh Creative Writing Group. The articles have now been filed and I think I will wind down and enjoy the holiday season.

Christmas means different things to each of us. One of the important aspects for me is re-discovering childlike wonder in simple things. These moments keep us in love with life and remind us why we want to be here.

So I’d like to share a passage from my novel, Hitler and Mars Bars. For me this scene evokes that wonder that I never want to lose.

Chapter 3: She’s My Mammy!

Bray, Ireland

December 1946

Erich and Paul sat up in their beds as the grey light streamed in the skylight and window.

“I hope Father Christmas brought me a lorry!” Paul said.

“He come?” Erich asked.

A door creaked, then footsteps padded along the hall carpet. Margaret shrieked with glee. Erich and Paul rushed into the hallway. A trail of silver flakes ran along the red wool carpet from their bedroom to the sitting room.

“What that?” Erich asked, pointing at the glittering carpet.

“It’s angel dust. It leads us to the gifts,” Paul replied.

The flakes scattered under their bare feet as they ran to the sitting room. Margaret was seated cross-legged on the floor in front of the tree. Gifts, wrapped in bright patterns and plain colours with handmade tags, were piled under the tree almost touching the lower branches. Paul leaned over to read the nearest tags.

“That’s mine!” he exclaimed, after inspecting one.

Erich bent to look under the tree, surprised to see so many parcels sitting there. He looked behind the sofa and then pulled the curtains back to look behind them. Uncle Richard and Auntie Alice came in, dressing gowns wrapped around them and tied securely to keep out the chilly early morning air.

“What are you looking for, Erich? All the gifts are under the tree,” Auntie Alice said, noticing him prowling around the room.

“Angels,” Erich replied.

Auntie Alice looked at Erich, puzzled. Erich looked up at the top of the tree and then around the back of it. Paul stopped trying to read the tags and glanced at Erich.

“He’s looking for the angels who left the angel dust,” he said.

Auntie Alice smiled.

“Oh, I don’t think you’ll find them there. You’re not meant to see them. Now, children, go and get dressed while Daddy lights the fire. Then you may each open one gift before church.”

I was asked, in an interview last year for Wendi’s Book Corner, why I included this passage in the story. This ‘custom’ of sprinkling ‘angel dust’ is not a tradition in Ireland; a woman I know told me that her family did this when she was a child. I found it a charming and unusual idea and I thought it illustrated a child’s innocence and delight so wonderfully that I had to include it. Wendi, the interviewer who asked me about this passage, liked the custom so much that she decided to use it in her own family last year for her son who turned two years old on Christmas Eve.

Whatever traditions or customs you and your family have, I hope you have a Christmas filled with wonder.

Posted in December 2009 | Tagged angels, Bray, Christmas, Christmas traditions, Dianne Ascroft, Hitler and Mars Bars, Ireland, The Priests | 1 Comment

Hooked On Harmony

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Dianne Ascroft

Not since I first heard the Voice Squad’s spine tingling harmonies during the 1980s have I been as captivated by any group’s vocal talents – until I first heard The Priests last year. Their full, melodic blend of voices blew me away.

Except for the odd Liona Boyd or John Williams classical guitar album I rarely listen to classical music, and never sacred music. But I was so impressed by their voices that I bought their cd – and listened to every track.

The Priests release their second album, Harmony, today and I’m equally wowed by it. For this album, as well as singing magnificently, they’ve also tried their hands at composing. So how did that turn out? When I recently spoke with Fr David, 46, he seemed pleased with the result as well as eager to get audience reactions to the album. He said, “It was very much a collaborative effort by all three of us and, I think, we are all very happy with the end result. You know, it’s our first attempt and, I suppose, we are nervously awaiting the critical reviews. But we like it anyway. It fits well with the album.”

The words for their song, King of Kings, were taken from a prayer written in poem form by the Donegal saint, St Columba. The trio liked the words of the poem and believe the sentiments it expresses. Fr David explained that the song’s theme is that no matter what difficulties anyone experiences “…we’re in God’s hands…We’re not just at the mercy of fate or destiny”.

They set the words of the prayer to the melody and chorus they’d written and the song was born. Fr David continued, “It starts off quite gently and moves to a fairly uplifting and rousing chorus that, I think, is an anthem.”

So, will they have another go at composing in future? “Why not?” Fr David said, without hesitation. “It shows we can do it. We’d never done it before and we thought, Will we be able to compose? Can we do that? And we came up with something and we’re happy with it. So why not have another go?”

Maybe next time they might pen the lyrics too as they have a wordsmith in the group. When he gets a free moment Fr Martin, 46, writes a bit of poetry. He said, “I find poetry is a great means of putting down on paper what may be going on in your life. And trying to craft words that somehow capture that moment in time and perhaps the message is caught and fixed and you can go back to that…I love playing around with words and somehow put down on paper what’s happening in my own life…My poetry I tend to write reflects my mood or my journey.”

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to the album they’ve just released. Fr Eugene, 50, describes Harmony as an eclectic mix of classical and sacred music. It includes old favourites such as How Great Thou Art and Amazing Grace as well as the emotionally gripping, You’ll Never Walk Alone. My favourite tracks are their own song, King of Kings, and the beautiful Gaelic Blessing. Both display the trio’s wonderful vocal harmonies that first captivated me combined with lovely melodies.

When describing the album to me Fr Eugene said, “We’re quite happy with the sound now and hoping people who hear it will like it.” Well, I certainly do. And now, during the manic melee and mounting tensions in the run up to Christmas, I think I’ll just sit back and enjoy a bit of Harmony.

If you’d like to hear more about the Priests and their new album, articles based on my interview with them will appear in Ireland’s Own magazine (on the newsstands today) and Senior Times magazine (on the newsstands the first week of December).

Posted in November 2009 | Tagged classical music, David Delargy, Eugene O'Hagan, Harmony, Ireland, Martin O'Hagan, priests, sacred music, tenors, The Priests, Voice Squad | 5 Comments

FAA Launches Fermanagh Miscellany 2009

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Dianne Ascroft

FAA launch 1 The Fermanagh Authors’ Association launched our third anthology, Fermanagh Miscellany 2009, last night at Enniskillen Library amidst wine, nibbles and passersby eyeing us curiously.

The Fermanagh Miscellany 2009 showcases the work of members of the Fermanagh Authors’ Association. Included are stories, poems, historical articles and reminiscences. Read stories of good times and tragedies on Lough Erne, an Irish family in France, making hay (among other things) on a sultry June day, how to build a Lough Erne Cot (I’m sure I’m capable of doing it now!), an awe-inspiring performance in Germany, the only monastery in Fermanagh and why an accordion masqueraded as an organ. The book is dedicated to Fermanagh photographer and local character, Shay Nethercott.

book launch The Fermanagh Authors’ Association was founded in 2005 to promote local authors and their work. Included in this anthology is work by Bryan Gallagher, John Reihill, Dianne Trimble, Dermot Maguire, Gabriel Murphy, Vicky Herbert, Sean McElgunn, Winston Graydon, Seamas Mac Annaidh, Cahir McKeown, Shirley Johnston, George Morrissey, Julie Franco, Brid O’Reilly, Michael Donnelly and John B Cunningham.

As co-editor with John B Cunningham it was my privilege to be entertained and learn about Fermanagh life (past and present) as I prepared the book for publication. It was a wonderful experience for a ‘blow-in’ such as me. It’s been an enjoyable few months and last night was a great way to celebrate our achievement. Thanks to all the writers who contributed and, also to my co-editor who helped steer the book on the right course so we were ready to set sail – er, I mean, launch – last night. Congratulations everyone!