I’ve been nominated by Mark West for the Lovely Blog Hop where I share some of the things that have shaped my life. Thanks for the nomination, Mark. 🙂
First Memory
I’m not entirely sure which is my first memory as I have several around the time I was four years old and we had just moved to St Neots in Cambridgeshire. The one that I remember the clearest is going with my dad and two older brothers to see my mum in hospital. My younger sister had just been born and children weren’t allowed on the ward so my mum, who fortunately was on the ground floor of the local maternity hospital, brought my sister over to the window so we could see her.
Books
I’ve always been a huge bookworm. My first love being Enid Blyton, especially the mystery series. I went on to devour Agatha Christie and anything with a murder or a mystery to be solved. Thrillers and mysteries were my first book love with romance being my second. I covered this in more detail on a recent post here.
Libraries
When I was a teenager my family moved to West Sussex and I had to start a new secondary school in Year 10 (that’s 4th year in old money). Although I never had any real issues with school, I neither loved it nor loathed it, I found myself often skiving days off school, or bunking as it was called in West Sussex. I would seek refuge at the local library and hide myself away in the upstairs Reference Rooms. Rather ironically, it was there I would actually do my school work. I liked the solitude, the autonomy and the silence. I’m not sure what drove me to take days off school and, Mum, if you’re reading this … sorry for all the times you asked me how school was and I said it was great. I actually meant the library was great. 🙂
What’s Your Passion
Other than my family and writing, I suppose it has to be sewing. My nan was a seamstress and pattern cutter in London, I think I inherited my love of fabric and creating things from her.
Learning
My day job sees me in an educational environment with 16+ year olds, I have school and college aged children and I have, in the past, undertaken studies through Adult Education and the Open University – I’m surrounded by conventional education and I do really enjoy learning. In fact, I am currently on an 18 month course through my work so, perhaps, I’m making up for all those days I sat in the library when I should have been learning at school or maybe the solitude in the libraries and self-educating was the forerunner to my independent distance learning with the Open University?
Writing
Having always wanted to write, one of my first collection of stories was when I was 10 years old. It was all about twin sisters and their adventures – I used to love free writing at school, aka, teacher needs to get on with other stuff. I continued to dip in and out of writing, beginning lots of things but never finishing them. It wasn’t until I had my youngest child and I had time at home that I actually completed a full length novel. Of course, that manuscript will NEVER see the light of day and I know I’ve improved since then, but then writing is all about learning – the two themes compliment each other in a continual circule. Write – learn/develop – write – learn/develop.
I’m passing the Lovely Blog Hop baton onto
Suzanne Fortin | Sue Fortin 
Oh, I like this: “Write – learn/develop – write – learn/develop.” So very true, Sue. I actually destroyed my first ever full length ms. Aaaargh! I would love to have a read of it now. Ah, well. How fascinating that you’ve ended up back in the educational environment after all those schooldays spent secluded in the library. You are obviously an avid little learner and determined to share. Love it! I think Enid’s very popular, isn’t she? Fab blog, Sue. Loving that photo too! 🙂 xx
Reblogged this on Sheryl Browne and commented:
What’s Sue been up to? Just look at that pic! Isn’t if fabulous?
Interesting reading about some of the things that have shaped your life Sue.
I loved the sewing articles you used to do for LLm 🙂
x
Thank you, Shaz. Maybe I should have a special sewing page on my blog 🙂
YES, YES, YES 😀
How cheeky hiding in the library Sue! I used to read Agatha Christie when I was about twelve, as YA didn’t really exist then did it? Used to read all my dad’s books like Jeffrey Archer, Ian Fleming etc because my mum used to read classics and serious stuff, and at that time I didn’t want to read it. Changed my mind a few years later when I did English ‘A’ Level though.
Jeffrey Archer another good call. I haven’t read anything of his for a long time but apparently his latest series the Clifton Chronicles is supposed to be very good.
🙂