I'm dreaming of a white beach hut...

I saw an interview on television recently that aptly conveyed the joy of reading. An old lady, confined to a wheelchair, was asked  how much books had influenced her life.  'That's easy,' she replied. 'A novel can take me anywhere I want to be, anywhere in the world, with anyone I choose.'

 Listening to those words I realised that I  write for  exactly the same reasons. How else could  I escape the snow and ice, sit on a sandy beach and soak up the sun, all without moving from my desk? Or travel back in time to see how my ancestors lived?

As a child I was bewitched by  'A Peep behind the Scenes,' the story of  12-year Rosalie who works in a travelling theatre at the end of the nineteenth century.  The author, Amy 'Mrs' Walton, cleverly  contrasts   the  make-believe scenes  on stage with the sad reality of the girl's miserable  life.

Most of us have a story to tell, whether read, written or remembered. But if you're not in the mood right now - don't despair. You can always reach for the holiday brochures...