This photograph is a
much-copied one from my first trip to Washington DC with Flag Officer Plymouth’s Band under the direction of then Lt David
Cole RM. We stayed out at Andrew’s AFB, where Airforce One is based. We were
hosted by The Presidents Own Band of the US Marine Corps. They looked after us
very well, in fact, this was the first time that I had had the pleasure of a
team of roadies who set up all our equipment and it was an amazing experience.
Our host, one of the Presidents Own officers, took us around several sites including
this visit to the White House. The President at the time was Ronald Regan and
he was on an Easter visit to Hawaii. We were afforded a complete tour around
the White House and the RN Photographer with us came up with this shot. I seem
to remember that I somewhere up on the right side.
It has been a bit of a fruitful week for my writing this
week and on the whole, I have been keeping up with most of my goals. To coin a well-worn
phrase from my days in the Royal Marines, I’m well chuffed.
Today, Saturday, I have written the outline for an article
for the latest assignment of my Creative Writing course. I have to outline and
writing articles for two very different magazines. I have one almost complete
but I have been struggling to find an idea and magazine to place it. Initially,
I had come up with two ideas which required a bit of research. I sent out emails
and unfortunately, I have heard nothing back from anyone. This is just one of
those things that you have to come to expect as a writer sadly, so I have put
those ideas back on the shelf for another time. It is sad really as one was
going to be aimed at a local, to Exeter, magazine. I had an event in mine and I
wanted to take the reader around some of the City’s excellent venues. This
would have been an excellent publishing opportunity for me with some
advertising for those that I was trying to contact.
It is amazing though where and when an idea for an article will
strike though. This morning Kathy and I took our little Murphy to the groomer.
It was a new location and whilst Murphy was having his monthly
spruce up, I sat in the car with my laptop to do a bit of writing. When I finished
what I was doing I went back into the groomer and started chatting and low and
behold another idea for an article popped up. Thankfully I had my notebook with
me so I have the notes for future work.
On Monday evening at Ottery Writers, I read my article that
is going to be published in the forthcoming edition of the Royal Marines Band
Service Journal ‘The Blue Band’.
I’m honoured to say that the excellent and talented writers
gathered for our first meeting of 2020 greeted it with great acclamation. It
then brought about much conversation around the subject matter which was most
pleasing.
It also confirmed to me that this was a subject that I can
market elsewhere without too much further research.
I have also come up with an idea for a follow-up article,
which, I have briefly discussed this with the editor and will be planning a
pitch very soon.
So those of you who receive ‘The Blue Band’, I hope you will
enjoy the piece and for those of you who don’t, I will endeavour to get
permission to post it over on my blog in due course.
And in other news, a visit to ‘The Nog Inn’ here in Feniton
last Saturday has led to a cracking idea for a short story. I have blasted out
an initial few hundred words and I will work on further in the coming days
ahead. Raiders of the Lost Ark meets
Eddie the Spray is proving quite humorous!
As I said at the beginning of this blog, it has been a fruitful
week for writing. I have a number of articles to work on, a couple of short
stories to round off and if you live in East Devon I will be featured in next month’s
Ottery Writers piece in the Ottery Gazette.
Let’s see what the week ahead brings!
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