Author | Writer | Photographer
I was lucky enough yesterday to be involved in the inaugural Telford Write Now, Right Now Literary Festival, which took place as part of the Telford@50 celebrations. It’s always a little daunting when you establish something new, because you never know whether all of the hard work will pay off, or whether any of the publicity that’s been arranged will generate any interest. Overall, though, it was a great day.
I thought that cloud over Ludlow looked menacing! It seems Shefali thought so too. It does look reminiscent of April shower clouds. Perhaps we have turned a seasonal corner. Although, …
Here in the Welsh Borders we’ve still got some snow hanging about. If you look carefully on this BBC WeatherWatcher photo, you’ll see a smidgen of white in the top right on the Long Mynd.
A selection of my Snapper Simon appearances on the BBC. 😜
Simon Whaley enjoys a journey around this delightful Devonshire City.
‘Climb the oak tree,’ says the tourist guide, ‘but think laterally.’ She winks as she hands over a map of Plymouth city to help me explore. I have to admit, it’s been a few years since I last climbed a tree. But this wasn’t quite what I was expecting to do in Plymouth.
This Devonian city is sandwiched between two rivers – the Plym in the east and the Tamar to the west. It overlooks Plymouth Sound, a natural bay with deep water channels, perfect for commercial shipping and the Royal Navy’s warships and submarines.
Check out the April issue of BBC Countryfile magazine for my Firth of Flowers piece in their Great Days Out section.
Check out my feature in the April 2018 issue of Coast magazine, packed full of ideas of what to do with A Weekend in Plymouth.
Well, the Beast from the East is approaching, apparently, but that’s nothing that unusual for us here in the Welsh Borders. We get snow quite frequently here – Church Stretton isn’t nicknamed Little Switzerland for nothing, you know!
Still, I missed Shefali’s use of my photo on last night’s late evening broadcast, but thanks to the BBC iPlayer I managed to catch up on the broadcast. It seems Shefali began her broadcast with my image … peeking through her opaque introductory slide …
I love this time of year. March is when we get our free money from the ALCS. Free money? Oh, yes! However, from the many comments I’ve seen on social media, not everyone understands their ALCS statement. Many simply look at how much they’re getting and then file it ready for their tax return. But having a clearer understanding of what you’re receiving the money for may help ensure you claim everything to which you’re entitled.
What is ALCS?
The Authors Licensing and Collecting Society collects money generated by secondary rights from various sources and then distributes it to writers. When you sell an article or a short story to a magazine, you sell a primary right – a right to publish your work, for which you should be paid. But once a piece of your writing has been published, there are legitimate ways in which it can be scanned or photocopied. Organisations and business pay for this legitimate right to copy your work.
Check out the March 2018 issue of Outdoor Photography magazine and inside you’ll find my photo of Aberdyfi in the Viewpoint section.
