A Fun Chat in Brighton

I recently found a super new pair of boots in Horsham, which is a town in West Sussex. I am not someone who goes on a lot about footwear, but small things can mean a lot and I really liked wearing those boots to a wonderful wedding I attended some days later. I’d wanted new boots for absolutely ages but hadn’t got around to getting them, And then when I went back to Horsham, a lovely town that was once ‘home’ for some years, I found a pair that seemed just what I wanted. Not too flashy. Comfortable. Just a little hint of the wild west about them. They even looked slightly worn in that fashionable way. A light sort of unexpected brown.

I have also spent quite a bit of time in Devon…such a lovely place! I house-sat in Totnes, sometimes called the Alternative Capital of England and also worked for a wee while as a voluntary organic gardener in a Buddhist Retreat Centre. I wanted to learn more about Buddhism but I also learned quite a bit about the hard work of being a gardener and the joys of picking dew laced vegetables very early in the morning! The retreat centre was mostly ‘silent’ so I sometimes chatted with the squirrels! I also lived for some months in Teignmouth, Devon and I finished The Truth Club there. It’s a town by the sea and very pretty.

Large parts of ‘Ready Or Not?’ and ‘The Truth Club’ were written in Sussex, so, as a sort of ‘local author’ I recently found myself being interviewed on BBC Southern Counties Radio in their Brighton office. It was good to visit Brighton again. It’s a bouncy, colourful place that thrives on variety. Gordon, the lovely interviewer, was a joy to talk with.

Best wishes,

Grace