Hello Montreux

Here's a BIG HELLO to everyone at St George's School, the International School of Monts-de-Corsier and Ecole Riviera School in Montreux... I've had a great time with everyone at St George's today and can't wait to meet everyone else... When I get back home I will do a big diary post packed with news and pictures from my week in Switzerland. 

Hello Hello Hello

To everyone at St Anne's R.C. Primary School in Manchester... and especially year six. Looking forward to seeing you later today.

It's hard to believe that this is the first thing that I have written in my diary this year... I've been busy, busy, busy writing and visiting schools and libraries all over the place. From now on though I will make sure I make time to write in my diary... consider me well and truly told off.

Tomorrow I will write and let you know more about what I e been up to, where I've been and where I'm going.

A Big Hello And a HELP!

This week I'm still busy working on the bigger book... at times it has been like wading through treacle but I'm delighted to say that it's moving among much better now... It's taken me quite a while to find the right voice for the story.

Here's a BIG HELLO to everyone at Ashurst Primary School - I'm all packed and ready and can't wait to meet everyone - It'll be a fun day.

And now the HELP! bit... As well as being busy writing new stories, I'm always looking for ways to make my website more interesting and useful. On my Free Stuff To Download page you can download colouring sheets and word searches but I am working on lots of new resources that you can download and use in the classroom or at home... lots of teachers have been asking me to do this so they can do follow on work in the classroom after I've visited school. I've got quite a few ideas of my own for things to add but I would love to hear your thoughts too... So! What would you like to see added to my site. You can email me or you can leave a message here in my diary. I look forward to hearing from everyone. 

Great Days In Schools

Had A fantastic day yesterday for my second visit to Ysgol Llanerchymedd on the Isle of Anglesey (Inys Mon). It was wonderful to see everyone again and to have the opportunity to spend more time working with the Year 5/6 and Year 3/4 classes to come up with story ideas. Last time I visited we had lots of fun working together to come up with story plots and I was amazed to see how much year 5/6 had continued with their story - even adding amazing illustrations... Here's the cover of the book they have made for their fantastic story about a teacher that has big ideas that always end up going wrong... Miss Honey Bee's Brain Waves...

Miss Honey Bee's Brainwaves

   Instead of working together to create, yesterday we came up with a very simple story idea and then everyone let their imaginations run wild as they made the idea their own and took it where they wanted. It was a real privilege to be able to work with Year 5/6 and offer help and advice and a little motivation so they could build on their Creepy Barn, Scary Farm experience... How would you like it if your bus broke down and you had to stay the night in a creepy barn that was filled with rats, spiders and wandering Scarecrows??? HELP... I'M A WRITER - GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!

In the afternoon I was able to work with the year 3/4 class who have been very busy indeed leaning about the Celts - visiting ancient Celtic ruins and writing about them. It was great working with everyone to come up with a story idea that involved time travel, ancient runes and fun and adventure in ancient Celtic times... Well done everyone!!!

Today I'm hard at work on my bigger book and feeling very pleased with the way it's moving along now that I've found the right voice for the story... Exciting Stuff!

Tomorrow I will be spending the day with everyone at Daisyfield Primary School... See you all soon - I'm looking forward to meeting everyone.

Ysgol Llanerchymedd

Today I'm doing a bit of writing and preparing to visit Ysgol Llanerchymedd on Ynys Môn (the Isle of Anglesey) tomorrow. This will be my first visit to the school and I'm very much looking forward to meeting everyone there.

So here's a BIG HELLO to everyone at Ysgol Llanerchymedd.... See you soon.

Happy Anniversary

Today is our second Wedding Anniversary so there will be no writing, texting, tweeting or anything... phones and laptops are switched of and we're spending a lovely couple of days together in the same perfect place where we spent our honeymoon.
Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife, Vicky...

If you'd like to see more pictures from our perfect day click on Our Wedding on my website.

 

School and Library Visits

Over the past month I've been busy, busy, busy visiting schools and libraries all over the place. I've been trying to squeeze in a little writing too but haven't had time to put anything in my diary for ages. I love getting out from behind my laptop and going into schools and libraries to share stories and work with people on their own writing. It's lots of fun and a real privilege to meet so many keen young writers.

On Friday this week I will be spending the day with everyone at Moss Lane Infant School in Surrey so here's a BIG HELLO to everyone there. I can't wait to meet everyone.

A couple of weeks ago I spent the whole week visiting schools and Libraries in the Vale of Glamorgan - starting with a visit to Llansannor Primary School (the Mountain School).

It took me quite a while to find the school - tucked away as it is down some very narrow country lanes - but it was well worth it.

I then visited schools and libraries with the Vale of Glamorgan Library Service so here's a huge hello and thank you to everyone that came along and joined in the sessions - and a special hello to everyone at Cogan Primary School who sent me this wonderful letter full of self portraits. 

It was great visiting Eagleswell Primary School in Llantwit Major where I got to see some familiar faces and meet lots of new people.

Last week I took a train to Chester from our home in Wales - then a train from Chester to Crewe, rushed across the station to catch another train to Euston Station in London, followed by one of the Underground trains across to St Pancras International and then the Eurostar across London, under the Channel, through France and into Brussels. From there it was a short taxi ride Tervuren so I could spend a couple of days at the wonderful British School Brussels (BSB).

This isn't one of the trains I caught, it was part of the playground at school... great isn't it.

 

The BSB were celebrating book week in a big way and had invited lots of authors, illustrators, storytellers and poets. It was a real pleasure meeting everyone in school - the staff and students were so friendly and welcoming - it was an absolute delight. There was even a little welcome bag waiting for me in my room... perfect.

It was also fantastic to have the chance to meet and chat with the other authors as most of the time
I visit schools on my own. So here's a BIG HELLO and THANK YOU to everyone at the BSB and to all the other authors taking part - including Adam Bushnell, Liz Million, Theresa Breslin, Adisa, Helen Grant and Andy Mulligan.

Here's Adam with megaphone in hand just before we climbed onto the cherry picker and went 30 foot into the air to shout out a big welcome to everyone as they arrived at school.


Driving around Tervuren we couldn't help admiring some of the beautiful houses but we were particularly drawn to this interesting fountain that decorates one of the roundabouts...

That's all I've got time to write at the moment.... but come back soon as I'll be writing more...