Welcome to justthoughtsnstuff

I started posting to jtns on 20 February 2010 with just one word, 'Mosaic'. This seemed an appropriate introduction to a blog that would juxtapose fragments of memoir and life-writing. Since 1996, I'd been coming to terms with the consequences of emotional and economic abuse that had begun in childhood, and which, amongst other things, had sought to stifle self-expression. While I'd explored some aspects of my life through fiction and, to a lesser extent, journalism, it was only in 2010 that I felt confident enough to write openly about myself. I believed this was an important part of the healing process. Yet within weeks, the final scenes of my family's fifty-year nightmare started to play themselves out and the purpose of the blog became one of survival through writing. Although some posts are about my family's suffering - most explicitly, Life-Writing Talk, with Reference to Trust: A family story - the majority are about happier subjects (including, Bampton in rural west Oxfordshire, where I live, Oxford, where I work, the seasons and the countryside, walking and cycling) and I hope that these, together with their accompanying photos, are enjoyable and positive. Note: In February 2020, on jtns' tenth birthday, I stopped posting to this blog. It is now a contained work of life-writing about ten years of my life. Frank, 21 February 2020.

New blog: morethoughtsnstuff.com.

Saturday 20 October 2012

oxford canal, streetbooks lock, bampton post office raid, log fire, cathy x



















Lots of work this weekend, which means cycling in the dark both mornings. So, here are two photos I took yesterday, while walking along the Oxford canal.

The bridge over the last lock will be familiar to jtns regulars and features in The Lock, my first novel--an image of the bridge appears on the cover of the StreetBooks Kindle ebook edition.

It has been, sadly, another violent Saturday. This time closer to home. As I walked into the centre of the village, there was police tape cordoning off part of the square, an ambulance, many police cars and a dozen or so police officers, some interviewing witnesses. I saw a woman being led to the ambulance and our post office manager standing outside his premises.

From what I've learnt since, there was a raid about 9.30 am, involving two men. The woman who works behind the counter was badly beaten up. An incident that has left the village shocked and angry.

[Since writing the above, the story has started to appear in the local press.]

It is not the first raid on a business in the village since we've been here. As someone said, crooks must think little villages 'easy pickings'.

The day has been mostly overcast and cold--though there was some thin sun around noon. The ground is sodden from torrential rain during the week. A chill autumn day, therefore. Log fire this evening.

Thanks to Cathy x for the mention on her blog writeanovelin10minutesflat.
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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous21 October 2012 at 15:39

    Thanks Frank. That's very kind of you to name-check me. Love the beautiful leaves. Cathy x

    ReplyDelete

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