Anglesey Snow

Snow may no longer be a big story but not even the locals can remember a time when Beaumaris beach was covered like this.  And I’m glad I took the photos when I did, as after a sudden thaw on Boxing Day night we were woken by the sound of snow and ice sliding off the roof and looked out to a world changing back to green and muddy brown.

And so life returns, although slowly, and I have ditched sustained reading (or writing) in favour of bits and pieces, in particular some short story magazines which arrived in December to provide store-cupboard sustenance. I’m impressed by Scribble,  not just because my first subscription issue happens to contain  Mouse Years (although that helps!) but for the variety of the writing and the entertainment value of the stories.  To my mind few of them are perfect, and only a couple bring off a truly satisfying ending, but hey, only one funeral scene and only one coming-to terms-with loss. Instead we have romance, history and a touch of the surreal. A refreshing change!

By comparison,  Issue 5 of The Yellow Room  (with its lovely cosy cover image) shows, arguably, superior crafting, but also a certain predictability.  So far my favourite is Elementary Mechanics by Anne Goodwin. I was a little unsettled by the time shifts in the context of a short story, but totally satisfied by the ending.

And finally, fellow blogger Maureen was kind enough to send me a copy of Between the Lines by Linda Leatherbarrow, a gentle story that also reminded me in these Kindle-crazy times of  how good printing and fine illustration enhances the experience of reading. It also takes me back to my student days when I had a brief but memorable run in with a printing press and some real moveable type.

I urge anyone of similar tastes to investigate the other products from Slightly Foxed who have produced this in their Christmas Fox series.