Patricia M Osborne

Check out this five star review for House of Grace on Goodreads.com

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33862249-house-of-grace?ac=1&from_search=true#other_reviews

I followed Grace through thick and thin, both elated at her joys and cast down with her misfortunes, distressed when she was forced to make hard decisions. Grace is like a best friend. You want her to find happiness, you root for her success, you will her on. She’s a modern woman who takes responsibility for her own choices and whose values and beliefs keep her grounded and committed to family and friends, and steadfast in her talent as a fashion designer.
Patricia M Osborne leads us through Grace’s story with a restrained hand and a detailed eye. Era and place are evoked with sensitivity and clarity, be it coal miner’s house or grand mansion. Grace struggles against the inequalities of the time, insisting on living her own life, free of the limitations imposed by society. I laughed and cried along the way, reluctant to put the novel down. Grace stayed with me long after the last page.

Makes you want to read the novel?

Watch this space – not long now…

Hello Friends

I know I keep promising you that House of Grace is coming but it really is. It won’t be long now. Watch this space. Here’s a little taster – the cover. Please let me know what you think.

And here’s the blurb on the back:

It’s 1950 and all sixteen-year-old Grace Granville has ever wanted is to become a successful dress designer. She dreams of owning her own fashion house and spends her spare time sketching outfits. Her father, Lord Granville, sees this frivolous activity as nonsense and wants to groom her into a good wife for someone of his choosing…

Grace is about to leave Greenemere, a boarding school in Brighton. She’s blissfully unaware of her father’s plans when she embarks on a new adventure. The quest includes a trip to Bolton’s Palais where she meets coal miner, Jack Gilmore. Grace’s life is never the same again.

Travel with Grace through two decades as she struggles with family conflict, poverty and tragedy. Is Grace strong enough to defy Lord Granville’s wishes and find true love? Will she become a successful fashion designer? Where will she turn for help?

*

In the meantime I shall be starting some beginner poetry workshops at my local Victorian park where I am Poet in Residence. This is part of my Creative Writing MA. I will post the exercises that we do so you can join in too.

That’s all for now folks…

 

 

Because I enjoyed Swanwick so much last year, I couldn’t wait to book myself a space again once booking opened on Wednesday, February 1^st, 2017. This creative writing retreat happens between 12^th-18^th August, 2017 and I can’t wait.

Swanwick is a charity and really good value. I believe you’d pay more in a local hotel for bed and breakfast, yet Swanwick includes tuition, all meals, coffee or tea, accommodation and evening entertainment.

Fancy dress, Poetry Open Mic, Buskers Evening, Meditation, Guest Speakers are just a few of the extras. I’ll post the link for anyone interested. It’s for writers of all levels and although around 300 delegates it still manages to have an intimate feel like being with family. If you come once, I promise you, you’ll come again the following year.

First timers are named white badgers and there’s always someone at hand to help you settle in. No one is alone, unless of course you want to be.

Beautiful surrounds including a lake and of course you all know my love of water. What better place to be inspired to write a poem or a story than watching ducks or other water fowl for inspiration.

It’s a great place to make new friends too, as well as expanding your creative knowledge. And would you believe they even have their own book room? So if you’ve written a book you can bring it along to sell. I shall certainly be including a batch of House of Grace in my suitcase this year.

What’s not to like? You can book online or via a booking form and snail mail. Maybe I’ll see you there? Are you ready to escape?

Swanwick week now has a regular slot in my diary for years to come…

http://www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk/

 

 

 

Is it just me or have things changed rapidly over the last 50 years or so? For those of you born in the fifties like me, or even sixties, then I am sure you will agree.

What has changed? Well everything. The houses we lived in, the way we heated them, television, telephones, schools and how we were taught and of course we never had computers or mobile phones.

I thought for the next few weeks while we wait for House of Grace to be launched I would take a wander down memory lane and compare with life today. Some of the things I’ll touch on, do in fact turn up in Grace’s life.

Do you remember the old cobbled streets and terraced houses, all very close together? I spent a few years as a child living in one of these. It was called Bamber Street in Daubhill, Bolton. I’m sure there are some Boltonians out there that remember this little street with a small church school named Emmanuel lying at the bottom. It only had three classes in total. And it took children from 5 – 11 years. Imagine that now? Although I don’t doubt in some little villages these schools still exist.

My late sister and I went to Emmanuel. Most days we arrived late and last, upsetting the Headmistress, more so because we lived less than 100 yards away. This must have had quite an effect on me as I always made sure my children arrived at school in plenty of time. But isn’t it often the case that the nearer you are to something the less time you allocate  to get ready and before you know it, time has run out.

Anyway, I’m digressing. I’m supposed to be talking about how things used to be. And I’m supposed to be still on the subject of little streets and I was about to say that before long, you are in for a little treat. A local artist, Vanessa Cumper, is busy creating a pencil-sketched drawing of a street such as this from the picture I’ve described to her. As soon as it’s ready I will post for you all to see. This street is featured in House of Grace but I’m not going to tell you where or why, because I don’t want to add any spoilers. However, once you start reading and you get to the street you can take a look at the picture and see if it’s the same as what you’re picturing. And ask yourself, have you ever come across a street like this or possibly you may have lived in one too.

During my track down memory lane, I will look at streets, plumbing, coal men, milk men, bread men, corner shops, televisions, telephones, carpets or lack of them, curtains, windows, so much has changed.

My first vivid memories don’t actually occur until I’m about six years old so around 1961. I was living in a top, third floor, flat in Kirby with Mum, Dad, two sisters and a baby brother who’d not long arrived. I remember glass baby bottles, big National Dried milk tins and horrid bottles of concentrated orange juice from the clinic. Are you old enough to remember them?

A most vivid memory of mine is in 1962 and I was seven. It’s about my first junior teacher.

This teacher was a Miss. I do remember her name and exactly what she looked like because she made such an impact, however for the purpose of this blog she’ll become Miss H. She was quite young, probably twenties, dark straight hair to her shoulders and big glasses. On the face of it she seemed nice but unfortunately possessed a nasty streak.

In those days if you needed the toilet during class it was frowned upon. I’m not sure what it’s like today but it certainly isn’t the same as then. Unfortunately there were days that I needed the toilet despite going at playtime. I’d put up my hand and request to be excused. Miss H would nod but always reminded me what would happen when I got back. When desperate there was no option but to agree. On return Miss H would call me to her desk and I’d hold out my hand. She would take three thick rulers, not the thin flimsy rulers you get today but three thick wooden rulers, raise her hand and strike the wood across my palm at least three times. It didn’t half sting.

Another instance, she had returned our exercise books and told us to check our marked work before starting the next exercise. Minutes later we had to put up our hand if we hadn’t started the new work. The whole class made up of 30 – 40 boys and girls (I can’t remember the exact number – well I was only seven) shot up their hands. A queue was formed around the classroom and one by one she slapped our palms with these three thick wooden rulers. Imagine that happening today? Thankfully, I didn’t stay in her class for too long as we moved to Daubhill in Bolton and I went to Emmanuel School.

In my next blog I will take you down some memories from Daubhill and Tonge Moor, both in Bolton.

Bolton made quite an impression with me even though I only lived there for four years but it is for this reason that I featured it in House of Grace.

I hope you enjoy my memories and look forward to hearing some of yours from the same era.

I spoke to Debra Hart, a spokesperson for Save Bolton Palais Campaign. It seems that they can’t demolish the building because it’s protected but there are plans to try and change it. Please read what Debra has to say and don’t forget the petition. The people of Bolton need our help.

Hi Tricia, as you know the building dates back to 1928, is older than our Civic Centre in Le Mans Crescent and holds lots of memories of WWII and the Americans coming to dance there, it did a lot to keep the people of Bolton’s spirits up during WWII. This building is not going to be demolished 🙂 just thought I’d point that out. The current owners would love that to happen. For some very odd reason the leader of the town’s councillors would like that to happen too (we can only speculate on why that might be). This building is in the Deansgate Conservation Zone, these Conservation Zones are protected by English Heritage (the building on its own has no heritage listing, but the streetscape is protected – the visual elements of a street, including the look of the lights and street furnishings on the road and the building material should all be as close to authentic as possible). The Palais has been protected so far and its heritage in the Art Deco Era is still there behind the cladding. Nobody has managed to destroy this so far and we have every intention of keeping all Councillors (including their leader) to the objectives of having a conservation zone. The owner of such a building may use materials of the era to beautify and uplift a building within a conservation zone. What they cannot do is destroy the building and replace it with a modern glass building – glass is not in keeping with the Deansgate Conservation Zone. The giant sized silver item on the roof is certainly not in keeping with the zone. If that planning permission is granted – by council in consultation with English Heritage – then it would be fair to say ‘someone is on the take’ – there is no way that a glass building with a giant silver item on its roof fits in with an English Heritage Conservation Zone – no way in the world. I’ll add a picture of the building, which was taken as the building’s authentic character was being protected many years ago. Nobody wishes to hold the building back from having future potential, but once one destroys a building from 1928, it is then gone forever. All eras of buildings have equal brilliance within this conservation zone, with the exception of a 2017 building made of glass and steel. We intend to keep the buildings that pre-date Le Mans Crescent, we will protect it. A book featuring the Palais would be great, Boltonians would love that. Hopefully the building’s owners will love it too as I’m sure it will promote the building, which of course they must restore in keeping with the conservation zone in which it stands. Bolton needs to be promoted as a historically brilliant town with buildings from some very exciting and dramatic eras – we do not intend the centre of Bolton to be a parking lot for people visiting Manchester, they can use the outskirts of Bolton for that idea. Thanks for your interest Tricia and we look forward to reading your book. I will write again once I’ve read how exactly we are supposed to voice our objections to the glass and silver metal building to the Bolton Council, just in case they need help in making the very obvious decision of saying no to the developer, or rather the building restorer who just doesn’t know it yet. We intend to follow the correct process, whatever that may be.

I thanked Debra for clarification and details. I asked if she was happy for me to post her comment on my blog.

This was Debra Hart’s response:

It is absolutely fine by me 🙂 We would love everyone to appreciate heritage. Australians and Americans know that it is what England does best. Bolton should keep and promote its best asset. Supporting this one conservation zone is really also supporting the whole of England’s Heritage. These zones are what visitors to the UK want to see. Australia has the sunshine and the beaches and England trumps us all with its history, which is why UK TV sells so well, people around the world want to see the settings. Why else would a world traveller ever wish to visit the UK if it wasn’t for the heritage and nostalgia. This particular zone has many eras of buildings in the one afternoon walk, but nobody wants a cheap 2017 building ruining it all. I honestly think your book could help the owner of the building but they make take some time to realise that. Thanks

Thank you Debra for filling us in and keeping us up-to-date.

Please see below a letter sent to Bolton Planning Department from another spokesperson, Maggie Gallagher. Maggie has given me permission to post it on here:

Bolton Planning Department, Tracey Crouch, Mr Martin Mansell and Mrs Marion Barter,

Re planning application number 97795/16

I am writing on behalf of a group of people that wish to preserve the Palais de-Danse building and enhance the Conservation Zone in which it stands.

We would like to present our petition with 3,231 supporters, who wish to have the building preserved, and this Conservation Zone enhanced.

The Palais de-Danse building was built in 1928, before the Civic Centre on Le Mans Crescent was built. The building is within a Conservation Zone and we wish to protect the zone with this building included. We would like to see the outside of the building restored by professional restorers to enhance the Conservation Zone and keep the Art Deco Era of this building alive within the Conservation Zone.

We have been in contact with Jon Wilson from Darwen Terracotta and Faience and he has been telling us of buildings that have not retained their original interiors but have still managed to have a great decorative façade that is in keeping with the era of the building. We would like the people who are paid to look after the Deansgate Conservation Zone to speak with Jon. We know that the previous owners, who wished to open the building as a restaurant, found the building to be in a good condition and had their design plans sent to council with no mention of the building being structurally unsound or only fit for demolition. We feel that Bolton has a good future in tourism and has a lot of history available on the internet for world travellers and British tourists. We want Bolton to preserve its buildings that predate Le Mans Crescent so that it can have a future in tourism. According to the UK Government’s Tourism Action Plan, tourism is one of the UK’s most important industries, directly responsible for 1.6 million jobs at all entry levels throughout the UK.

Darwen Terracotta and Faience http://www.darwenterracotta.com/restoration/

The current owners of the Palais de-Danse building, which they refer to as the former Ikon nightclub or Jumping Jaks, imply that the building should be knocked down and replaced by a glass and steel hotel, which is not in keeping with the Deansgate Conservation Zone in either building materials or original design of 1928. Bolton may well be able to have a new hotel but it needs to be located on another block of land, we do of course like the look of the plans for The Link on Bow Street. The Bow Street block of land does not already house a vintage building as it currently has an unusable car park on it.

We do not hope to dictate the use of this building, our objection and our petition is to stop the Palais de-Danse building from being demolished and therefore ‘keeping it’ for the future. We do believe that it has a very valid future in the entertainment industry and could be used for dancing and parties etc but we leave its immediate use in the hands of the owner. All that we ask is that you do not allow anyone to destroy the building. If the current owners do not see a viable potential for them, then they should sell the building to a buyer that does see the potential of an Art Deco Era of building, which was built in 1928 and stands in a Conservation Zone.

The building is home to a huge amount of Bolton’s history, with many WWII dance parties, including a VE Day party being held there. It also holds many personal memories to the people of Bolton since 1928. Many of these historical stories have been covered by the Bolton News. We want to keep the home of these memories standing and not have it replaced with a new build. At the moment there is cladding protecting the original features of this building, which have probably been protected by the Conservation Zoning so far.

The Palais and the Pictures – going out in Wartime Bolton. http://www.boltonswar.org.uk/t-goingout.htm

This story is titled Dancing the night away in the Bolton Palais. http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/…/13808272.Dancing_the_nigh…/

At this time we ask for either reassurance that the building will not be allowed to be bulldozed, or time to gather further letters of petition from local businesses and time to contact groups such as Royal Services League for any help and letters of support that we can gather.

Please let us know by return email of any time limits that we need to work with in gathering further support and presenting our petition to Bolton Council.

Kind regards

Maggie Gallagher

Don’t forget peeps, The Palais is where it all began for Grace and Jack from House of Grace. House of Grace will be launched early 2017, watch this space.

Don’t forget to sign the petition. Let’s keep this beautiful building.

https://www.change.org/p/moorgarth-group-save-bolton-palais-de-danse?recruiter=78113269&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_page&utm_term=des-lg-share_petition-custom_msg

And to keep up-to-date follow Facebook’s Save the Bolton Palais de danse Information Page

https://www.facebook.com/BoltonPalais/?fref=ts

 

 

House of Grace is finally coming. I hope to launch it in the new year, so watch this space.

Grace meets Jack in Bolton’s Palais De Danse. This beautiful building which now risks being demolished. I never got to visit this wonderful venue when I lived in Bolton because I was too young. We moved when I was only eleven but I always hoped that one day I would return and get a chance to view it.

Members from Facebook Bolton’s Palais De Danse allowed me to see inside it through their memories which they shared to me when I was researching for House of Grace.

Now it’s my turn to return the favour and help them by highlighting the threat to this building.

To sign the petition go to:

https://www.change.org/p/moorgarth-group-save-bolton-palais-de-danse?recruiter=78113269&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_page&utm_term=des-lg-share_petition-custom_msg

Also check out Bolton’s Palais De Danse information page https://www.facebook.com/BoltonPalais/?fref=nf

The following is an extract from House of Grace on the night she visits the Palais and meets Jack. Enjoy.

Extract taken from House of Grace – Part I –  Chapter 4.

I looked up at the sign. ‘Astoria Palais de Danse.’

‘Yes,’ Katy answered, ‘only we Boltonians call it the Palais. Come on, let’s go in.’

We waved goodbye to James. He promised to come and pick us up when the dance finished. The foyer was just inside the door and Katy handed over the banknote to the uniformed cashier who returned six shillings. Katy took my arm and led me towards a door on the left. As we entered, I took in the plush powder room. Big white mirrors hung either side of the wall, above swish red and gold chairs. We checked our hair and make-up then descended more stairs to a large cloakroom where we left our coats.

Katy said we needed to meet Jack and Eddie at eight o’clock under the clock in the ballroom. It was nearly time, so we headed that way. Lots of young couples waltzed around the dance floor, the men, dressed in plain suits with shirts and ties. Red, blue and spotted dresses twirled in direct contrast to tight black pencil skirts. We headed towards the clock situated by the left of the balcony. There was quite a crowd waiting. Two young men swaggered through the door in long brown draped jackets and narrow legged trousers. As they drew closer I noticed frayed hems and shiny patches on their coats.

‘Close your mouth,’ Katy said, ‘you look like you’re catching flies.’

I put my hand over it to stop me sniggering and signalled towards what was making me laugh.

Katy was horrified. ‘You’re such a snob, Grace Granville.’ She waved to the new arrivals.

I realised it must be Jack and Eddie. Shame consumed me.

The young men smiled as they approached.

‘Jack. Eddie.’ Katy pointed and then reached out to Jack to give him a brotherly hug. She kissed Eddie on the lips.

‘This is Grace,’ Katy said.

Jack took my hand, lifted it to his face and kissed it gently. ‘Pleased to meet you, Grace,’ he said.

Eddie finally took his eyes off Katy to say hello to me. When no one was looking she scowled in my direction. I mouthed I was sorry and sensed her softness returning.

Jack was tall and slim. Although his draped suit was ragged, I could tell the Venetian silk mohair was good quality fabric. Once he started chatting and I looked up into his grey blue eyes, the clothes didn’t matter. Blonde curls flicked across his forehead.

‘Come on, let’s dance,’ he said. ‘It’s The Fat Man, by Fats Domino.’

 He led me to the centre of the floor. Before long he was swinging me under his arms and making me twirl. I hadn’t expected a coal miner to have such immaculate timing. After a while we went up to the balcony for coffee and a pastry. There was no sign of Eddie and Katy but she’d given me three shillings from the change earlier.

‘I’ll get them,’ I told Jack, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He marched up to the counter and ordered cake and two coffees at sixpence each.

We sat down. Jack lifted the cup to his mouth. ‘Mmm,’ he said, ‘sugar, unusual these days.’ He smiled. ‘I don’t know, the war’s been over for five years, you’d think sugar rationing would be lifted by now.’

We laughed together. I was having a wonderful time. My heart beat fast, my tummy had more butterflies than a buddleia in bloom. We were so engrossed with each other’s company that we didn’t notice Katy and Eddie arrive at the table sipping coffees. It was only when I recognised her laugh, I looked up.

‘Ah, Gracie,’ she said, ‘having a good time?’

I smiled, pleased she’d forgiven me.

‘Shall we go back downstairs and do a bit more dancing?’ Jack asked.

Excited, we all headed back down. I was Cinderella at the ball. I’d only ever danced with girls at school. Yet here I was, gliding around the ballroom with Jack.

We must have danced every Waltz, Foxtrot, Quick Step, Rumba and of course the famous Jive. My feet had never moved so much. The clock struck twelve and the band went silent. Everyone rushed to the cloakroom to collect coats and outdoor shoes. When we walked out of the building, James was ready with the car. We all squashed up on the back seat, leaving me very close to Jack. My heart pounded, I was sure he could hear it and tried hard to silence it, to no avail.

*

 

And don’t forget HELP SAVE THIS PALAIS DE DANSE – SIGN THE PETITION

Also check out Bolton’s Palais De Danse information page https://www.facebook.com/BoltonPalais/?fref=nf

 

Today is National Poetry day so I thought I would share a couple of poems. Unfortunately I haven’t quite sussed out how to do the formatting but hopefully it comes out okay. Enjoy.

 Rapture  


I stand on a wooden footbridge
            look down
                         at the wrinkled stream
            flying fish dive
                        among lilies    burnt-red reeds.
Wild amber browns    forest greens
                        enfold me
            under the clear blue.



First published by Reach Magazine Issue 214 

 

Eclipse




Set in slow motion
the moon’s silhouette
cloaks the plate of the sun.

The moon grazes
the sweltering star,
            a solitaire band emerges,
                         black,
                                  broken beams chase the dark. 
Blackbirds,
             magpies,
                        crows,
                                    loom in circles,
                                                dance in formation,
                                                            shriek erratic screams.
Atmosphere chills.
The moon's shadow slithers away
–to reveal a daylight sky.

(first published in Reach Magazine Issue 212) 

I’ve neglected you all and I apologise for that, been busy with youngest home from uni and I don’t appear to have got much writing done other than a few poems. However, lots of other things have been happening and I’ve now got a writing residency which is a necessity for my next and final module for the MA. I’ll tell you all about it once I get back from Swanwick but there are lots of events being lined up for me already. The first September 10th.

Well for the first time ever I’m off to Swanwick Summer School and I shall come back and tell you all about it. I believe it’s the longest running Writing School but don’t quote me on that as I haven’t had a chance to check my facts.

I best get my skates on and finish the packing so I can catch the train to Derby. Fingers crossed the trains behave themselves and I reach my destination in time to pick up the school bus from the station.

 

 

 

Well university has finished for the summer, results are in and I’m happy with my grade. I have no more modules until February 2017 when I begin my final one, following with a dissertation, and in return I will have completed my MA in Creative Writing.

This summer and the autumn will be spent working on the Coal Miner’s Son, finding an agent or publisher for House of Grace and seeking a suitable placement as a Writer in Residence for Communities of Practice. Of course in between I shall be writing lots of poetry.

Today I am going to share one of my favourite poems  which has  been published by Reach, Indigo Dreams Publishing, Issue 209. This is part of a collection using a theme of Lost Identity, which I began after losing my mum two years ago. I’m sure many of you who have lost a parent have experienced this feeling, questioning who you are. Feeling Lost. The poems are fiction.

Here is Recognition. I hope you enjoy it. I’m afraid I don’t know why the format has messed up and given the poem double spacing. I hope it doesn’t defer your enjoyment.

Recognition

Black and white prints

cover creased hands.

Eyes narrow, dazed,

not seeing…

 

We slung satchels over knitted cardigans,

slammed the door,

grey pleated skirts hitched high above the knee.

 

We stood to attention at the bell,

split from my look-a-like,

a whistle insisted we march

into separate classrooms.

 

In the sixties we explored

Brighton Laines,

rummaged antique stores,

picked up gold leafed books,

bought treasure boxes

to hide shared secrets.

 

We sank into striped deckchairs,

flipped off our tops to reveal

psychedelic swimsuits-

plastic sunglasses concealed our faces.

We lazed by gull-grey waves,

pebbles chattered at our feet.

 

We sniffed salt from the sea,

cardboard cones on our noses,

read Jackie in the sun.

A transistor radio blurred Cathy’s

Clown, from the Top Ten charts.

 

I sit by the iron framed bed,

wait for a flicker of recognition.

 

Chubby Checker

blasts from the box

high on the wall

 

Lillie looks up,

whispers my name.

 

‘Freddie – The Twist.

you and me that day

 down in Brighton.’

 

 

 

There was no seminar for Week 6, instead we had a tutorial. Mine was at 3:25pm. It was no ordinary day as it was my birthday but I’m not going to tell you how young. To celebrate my friend and I shared a yummy chocolate muffin from the Student Union cafe after the predictable jacket potato of course. We know how to live.

I was very nervous about my tutorial as I wasn’t sure how my tutor would take to George and writing as a child narrator is quite different as to when I wrote House of Grace. However, I did not need to be nervous my tutor was lovely. She liked George and pointed out the good sensory bits and where I had shown well. She gave me some great feedback on how to improve it. For instance I was writing in past tense as I had with House of Grace but she pointed out as it was a child it worked better in present. She recommended I read Paul McVeigh’s, The Good Son, also written as a child narrator but in present tense. I have indeed read this novel and would recommend it as a very good read.

I’m  looking forward to an event in April, Amongst the Grown-ups, which is all about child narrators and I’m hoping this will help me too.

We’ve now broken up for the Easter break and the next meeting isn’t until April 12^th, on this session we are lucky to have a Masterclass with Nye Wright which I believe is on graphic novels.