Author: Carol Purves

I felt this would be a good time to remind you about my first and most successful book – Chinese Whispers. The story of Gladys Aylward would make an ideal Christmas present or a New Year present for someone who got overlooked at Christmas.

Gladys was born and educated in Edmonton, East London and never gained any scholastic qualifications.  Whilst working as a parlour maid, she accepted the Lord as her Saviour and felt the call to be a missionary in China.  Not being accepted by the China Inland Mission, she made her own way to China.  The hazards she met on the Trans Siberian Railway would fill a book in themselves.

On one occasion the train entered a war zone and could travel no further.  Gladys had to walk back down the track for a day and a half to reach safety.  (The howling she heard in the night were not dogs as she supposed, but wolves)  Being mistaken for a ‘machinist’ instead of ‘missionary’, which was the wording on her passport, she was nearly kidnapped.

Once in China she ran a hotel for mule train drivers, was shot in the shoulder by rebels, escaped over the mountains to safety with nearly a hundred children as well as facing a crazed axeman in prison.  The film ‘The Inn of the Sixth Happiness’ was based on her life but very much glamorized.

Contact www.dayone.co.uk to obtain a copy of this book.

Carol, the author of Chinese Whispers.

At the Carlisle Christian Writers we always set homework and for our last meeting – see above.  Our unusual topic produced some unusual results.

One member wrote about an unusual wedding present – a porcelain figure of ‘the praying hands’, so popular at that time.  Never liked by her or her husband, they eventually managed to give it away to an admirer.

Two members were able to quote from books they had written and another person gave each person a small shell, a replica of a larger one she had been given by a loved one.  The message was ‘ you can give this away but what will you do with the gift God has given us?’  Two other member wrote thoughtful poems.

The rest of the time was taken up by writing limericks, followed by coffee/tea, of course.  And the next piece of homework – you must wait and see.

Finally, to make you smile –

‘Exaggeration is a billion time worse than overstatement’.

And ‘Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixed metaphors, even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed’

Carol, the recipient of unusual presents.

Carlisle to Oban, train fare, £17.  Shame not to take advantage of it.  Booked into a hotel high up the hill near the Mc Caig’s Monument with a bedroom view  of the whole bay, spectacular when dark with harbour lights, illuminations and ships slipping out to goodness knows where.  One way up was 149 steps, but the view  worth it.

Managed to find time to go on an hour’s sea trip to see a seal colony.  Unfortunately they weren’t told we were coming (wrong time of year), so we saw cormorants and oyster catchers instead!  The commentary on the boat was delivered in a strong Obanian accent (or was it Gaelic?)

Fascinated by one passenger who with some ‘Apple’ gadget circled round and round, photographing all the time. Then sat down to view the results.  She never once looked at the fascinating scenery first hand.  Shame.

Another passenger from Dundee said back in the 60’s, she worked in the jute mills, but only lasted six weeks.  All the mills are closed now and the jute comes from Poland.

Visited a chocolate factory and sampled their wares.  Visited a whisky factory and sampled their wares.  Loved the whole town and hope to revisit.

Carol, the Oban visitor

Life is full of excitement at the moment – Putting the clocks back (extra hour in bed, all in favour of that), Halloween (as a Christian, all against that, we only need one spirit, the Holy Spirit) and now Bonfire Night (I’m all in favour of that, even though we’re celebrating a traitor who was eventually hanged).  We need a bit of pleasure with winter approaching (The kill joys say it just goes up in smoke).

Carlisle is justly proud of their display with 30,000 attending.  As I can’t cope with 30,000 people, mud and jostle, we stood with dozens on the Eden Bridges.   We didn’t see the fire but we did see the fireworks, sparkling, cascading and exploding over the River Eden.

This year the theme of the fire was the Jubilee, with iconic models, a London bus, a Spitfire, a tardis etc, which all burned brilliantly.  Then the 15 minute walk home to hot soup and yammy doughnuts.

Carol, the bonfire night enthusiast.

In my search for unusual bus routes I needed to visit Skinburness on the west coast of Cumbria just north of Sillouth.   I’d been told that the sea flooded the road at high tide.  (though this proved to be untrue). This would have been an unusual attraction.  The hotel at the end of the bus route was long since closed and in all this was a no-go idea.

Meanwhile I had to get back home.  It hadn’t been raining when I started; now I was experiencing the three inches of rain.  I hadn’t realised it was the time of Neap Tides.  Before long the roads became flooded, then they became flooded closed and then they became flooded by the swollen rivers.

At one point the van in front of me was unable to get through a flood, so I knew I would never manage it.  After attempting a three point turn in a very narrow country road, I was rescued by a knight in shining armour (actually the white van driver; I was blocking his retreat). I k new I could have managed the manoeuvre myself, but I’m not one to decline an offer of help.  Obviously I did get home safely.

Carol, the nearly stranded

Being a free-lance writer gives many fun opportunities.  When I ask my friends strange questions relating to their field of expertise, I just say ‘I’m a free-lance writer’.

My latest adventure was to write about a special bus journey.  After asking friends who knew the area better than me, I settled on the 680, which runs from Brampton to Alston.  The unusual thing is that this bus starts the day as a school bus, then becomes a public service bus but at the end of the day reverts to transporting children.

Of course I had to travel on the bus myself so I could write about it.  I chose a wet day (Well, I didn’t choose it, nearly every day is wet this year and it was my only free day.  The downside was I had to spent five hours in Alston in the rain.

Never mind, I’m a writer.  I spent time in the library and two visits to cafes, writing all the time.  It’s not only J.K.Rowling who writes in cafes.

Brilliant day.  If you want to know more – read the book.

Carol, the J.K.Rowling impersonator.

At the end of September C.C.W. met again for their bi-monthly meeting.  The afternoon started with a talk by John concerning the writings which were and were not included in our Bible.  Having a wealth of knowledge I’m sure his talk veered away from his notes as we asked questions and wanted to know more about the subject.  Some of our members had learned Greek which greatly added to their enjoyment.

We then came down to earth as we revealed what we had written for our home assignment.  ‘Overheard’ (something we had overheard) proved to be a thought-provoking subject.  The words ‘I didn’t do it’, resulted in a fun poem from one member, who then asked ‘If he didn’t it, then who did?’  One ‘overheard’ gave us a beautiful picture of heaven, where we all felt we had been transported there ourselves.  Another member confessed that as a child she blurted out ‘My mum says you’ve got a big mouth, so I’m looking at it now’.  Oops.    Another gem, ‘I’d like a train, please.’  Reply ‘We have quite a few madam, which one would you like?’

You can see we have a lot of laughter at our meetings.

Carol, the eavesdropper

A bright but very windy day saw four of us travelling from Carlisle to Ravenglass by train and then on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway to Dalegrath.  The first part of the journey was right alongside the sea with views of the Isle of Man and Scotland.  As I said a very windy day, the white horses on the water were fantastic. (a friend of mine was ferrying to the Isle of Man on this day, and everyone on board was sea-sick!)

The steam part of the journey was lovely, tiny railway stations, sheep, belted Galloway cattle, hills and views.  Facts – There are six steam trains, one 1/3 the size of normal engines, seven requested stops, up to 210 ft above sea-level and was once used to transport ore from the hills.  A little rain earlier had made everything bright and sparkly.   At the top after watching the engine being turned round on the turntable and us having a bite to eat, we just turned round ourselves and came back down.

The occasion of the day was to celebrate my having lived in Cumbria for six years.  There is plenty still for me to see, so I must keep travelling.

PS. L’al means ‘little’

Carol, the steam enthusiast.

I’ve not done anything ‘blogworthy’ lately, so I’ll give you some other peoples words of wisdom.  –

‘My word is my bond.’ – Stock Exchange motto

‘You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

You can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her and only that she’s gone

Or you can cherish her memory and let  it live on

You can shed tears that she’s gone, or you can smile because she lived.’

                                   said at Queen Mother’s funeral

‘When there is fog in the pulpit, there is mist in the pews.’      Selwyn Hughes

‘Do not regard as valuable anything that can be taken away.’     Seneca, Roman philosopher.

Carol, the lost for words.

OK, here I am back on dry land.  What a fascinating holiday I’ve just had on a 49ft, ten berth yacht, sailing among the Western Isles. Some of you will probably know the places we visited or sailed by.

Starting at Craobh (pronounced Crove) Haven we sailed north past Oban, though we couldn’t actually see it, up the Sound of Mull to Droma Buidhe and then to Mallaig and berthed there one night, under the bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh, round to Plockton (beautiful gardens as the result of the Gulf Stream). 

We then turned south with the islands of Skye, Mull, Rum, Eigg and Muck on our right.  We stopped at Tobermoray on Mull, one night at Lochaline and then back to Craobh.  200 miles in all with about 150 under sail.  It was a completely new experience to me, I was a bit of a landlubber.

We saw Minkie whales, seals, porpoises, herons and mother and baby dolphins played round the boat.  What a wonderful world we live in.  Once got in the doldrums, once fairly rough (though not bad enough to get sea-sick) and on the last day got very wet.

Carol, the sailor