Tag Archives: Murder Now and Then

January 6, 2015 · 1:01 pm

Clophill History Discovery Walks by Colin Watt

A friend emailed over the holidays sending me a link to a walk around Clophill he’d enjoyed. Led by my curiosity for everything ‘history’ and ‘countryside’ related I was excited to read one of Colin Watt’s Discovery Walks –  e-leaflets – and I thought it perfect to share this with you, alongside my virtual tour of Bedfordshire.

I knew Colin Watt through a local magazine called Spotlight where he shares interesting snippets he’s gleaned about his local history research. I can recommend these leaflets because they provide up to date information about available pathways in the area and what to look out for en-route from a historical perspective.

You can find the leaflets on this link:

Clophill History – Discovery Walks

It is Walk no 4, Clophill to Haynes, which will take you past many places pertinent to my novel ‘Murder Now and Then’ from the Village Green at Clophill by the Flying Horse and The Green Man, through to The Stone Jug, up the Slade, over the fields to Haynes Church End and passing Haynes Park. From there you take a path to the village of Haynes and passing The Greyhound, or pausing a wee while for lunch, then you find a path across to Appley Corner and Chicksands Wood. This leads back towards the Old Church at Clophill and you are nearly where you began your walk.

I learnt information previous unknown to me, for example about the obelisk, of which I was aware. It was in memory of “George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax,(1716-1771) who was a British statesman of the Georgian era. He helped to found Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia.”

(My great great grandfather was a sea captain who was lost at sea travelling to Nova Scotia back in the middle of the nineteenth century. It is a place I would love to visit, inspired by my father who has been carrying out extensive research about this gentleman, who left my great grandmother an orphan on the island of Alderney. His wife was travelling with him at the time and also perished.)

Returning to Walk 4, if you have read ‘Murder, Now and Then’ you will be walking in footsteps close to many of my characters. If you haven’t yet read it then, if you do the walk you might be inspired to do so. It is a murder mystery with a sense of family and local history.

Here’s a link to  its latest five star review. *****

Available on Kindle and in paperback

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December 17, 2014 · 4:36 pm

Capitals or not capitals – do lower case letters in a title irritate you?

When I was looking at options for a cover design for my latest book ‘Murder, now and then’ a friend suggested I set the task as a challenge for design students at his college. The tutors are always on the look out for ‘real business opportunities’ to give their students experience of following specifications, meeting deadlines and working with the business world.

I was delighted to think that my new book cover would be designed by local students and, as a college tutor in a previous life, I looked forward to working with them both actually and virtually. There was also a certain amount of nervousness about the outcome too.

After an eventful but enjoyable time the proposed covers were submitted for a competition. The outcome of this was that I chose the two covers which won the most votes, one to be used for the paperback and the other for the ebook.

Murder, now and then available on Amazon

~  Murder, now and then available on Amazon

This is the overall winner and paperback cover. It is intriguing, combining:

~ the elements of time – the poppies and dagger-like objects – WW1

~ the circuit board at the top – the future – 2019

~ farming – with the fields

~ the missing piece of the puzzle over Bedfordshire

~ the grave of the girl murdered in 1919

 

Back coverMNAT

 

~ and on the back a Sherlock Holmes spyglass

~ over the island of Jersey

~ and the cameo of the missing girl from 1919 !!!!

Would readers grasp even half of the symbolism embedded in this cover? Did it matter? Would readers think about it afterwards? Yet again did it matter?

Strangely, this cover was particularly liked by female potential readers.

Does it have effective impact as a design? These were all questions I set aside as I prepared for the launch.

The e book, which was preferred by the men who voted, was quite different.

Available on Kindle

Available on Kindle

~ it had an impact with the colours red and yellow

~ the dagger-like weapon slashed through the centre

~ the figures spoke of scarecrows or of country dancing –  a link to country roots

~ it had a retro feel with the lettering, speaking of days gone by – the dual time zones of 1919 and 2019

 

Using two covers has been great, but they have also caused a few problems. One of them being the title. In my specification I suggested that the ‘now and then’ should almost be an aside and did not have to be in capitals. That was fine but one chose to use them and the other didn’t. My dilemma now  is how do I write about the novel – with capitals or not? Often I have used a comma and not used capitals, but sometimes I felt it appropriate to be more conventional.

My question to you is ‘does it matter’ as long as I am consistent? What do you think?

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December 10, 2014 · 1:40 pm

Murder Mystery Virtual Tour of Bedfordshire no 5 Shortstown and Bedford

tour5ShortstownBedfordWe will begin this tour at the Chicksands Bike-Park opposite Rowney Woods near Haynes and you could be driving or for the fitter ones among us you could be riding a bicycle (although we will be going into the town of Bedford and roads will be very busy, so I would not recommend it)

Shortstown Hangers

Shortstown Hangers

Go straight on at the cross roads over the A600 and in a mile or so turn left. This will wind its way, passing the local Warden Abbey Vineyard on you right, now run as a cooperative and worth a visit if it is open. (Warden Abbey sparkling is featured in ‘Murder, Now and Then’ but not used for murder – I can assure you! It is very good) Turning left on to Southill Road, a lane really, you will drive past probably the best views of the back of the Shortstown Hangers, icons of Bedford Vale seen for miles, and a reminder of the airships at the turn of the twentieth century. The old redbrick buildings of the village of Shortstown were purpose built for the community of workers at that time, and the company showed a social responsibility for the health and well-being of their lives. (much like Cadbury’s)

This lane will go through Cardington and if you turn left at The King’s Arms it will go to the roundabout which takes you under the A421 bypass an on to the A603 towards Bedford. Glance to your left at this roundabout and you will see the memorial to the R101 disaster and it is worth pausing to reflect (although not so easy to stop!)

The A603 will pass the Barns Hotel which stands on the River Ouse and Priory Lake, a lovely place to take a stroll. You are now driving into the town of Bedford and will pass Tesco and the leisure centre before reaching a roundabout. Turn right here and as you cross the river beside the boating lake take a left turn along the Embankment, a delightful area of Bedford. It is possible to park by the side of the road here for up to two hours (check the notices first! I cannot be held liable for parking tickets.) and you can walk along to The Swan Hotel (featured in ‘Murder, Now and Then) The Swan Hotel Bedfordon the main bridge, then wander through the market by St Pauls’s Church  (if it is market day) and into the town – or just amble beside the river, crossing one of its bridges to return. This time of year I’m told that the Embankment Hotel does a creche service for husbands while their wives go Christmas shopping!  The Bunyan Meeting House and Museum and Cecil Higgins Museum and Art Galleries are well worth a visit too, and all close by to the river. (as are many restaurants and cafes)

Back at the car, if you drive along the Embankment and turn left on to the main bridge it will take you to a busy roundabout. Go straight on to the A600. **This will take you through to Shortstown and on back up the A600, passing a turning to Haynes on your right and back to the crossroads at the start of this tour.

(**You could have taken a small detour through Elstow and the home of John Bunyan 1628 – 1688, famous in these parts, and visit Elstow Abbey)

Diana Jackson is an author with an interest in history. Many of the places mentioned above feature in her recent novel ‘Murder, Now and Then’ a murder mystery set in the heart of Bedfordshire and based on an unsolved murder in 1919 at Haynes Army Camp. It is set in 2019 with flashback to 1919.

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