August 21. 2023
The digital home of author, artist & photographer Chris Elphick | All content, unless otherwise stated, is copyrighted © Chris Elphick
Monday, 21 August 2023
Sunday, 20 August 2023
My Caldey Island Fuscia Clone
Sunday, August 20, 2023
Take this fuscia, for example. I grew this bush from a tiny 4-leaf cutting I took from the mother plant on Caldey Island a good few years back. I remember pinching off those few leaves and dropping them inside mt empty bottle of diet coke to keep it humid until I got home as though it happened only yesterday. Yet look at it now, as big and sprawling and colourful as its mamma plant that still grows on the holy island off the coast of Tenby :)
Monday, 7 August 2023
Me and the Bad Bois
Monday, August 7, 2023
I've decided to take a much needed break from writing through the month of August. Going to chill for a few weeks and get some of my garden and houseplants in some kind of order.
My writing will pick up again in September, when I will start working on Tidal Gower in earnest and continue bashing my Zombie novel in shape...
Sunday, 6 August 2023
Kew Gardens
Sunday, August 06, 2023
Heading home day, but not before a family visit to Kew Gardens:
Two particular highlights I simply had to share from the Gardens was the Pagoda and the giant lily pads:
The steps to the top of the pagoda were not a particular challenge, but I think the video of my descent (albeit sped up) just how the building is. Definitely worth the extra fiver they claw from your pocket to undertake the climb and the view of Kew and the distant London cityscape are outstanding.
I'll close this series of holiday posts with a short video of the popular giant lily pads. I hope you enjoy:
Saturday, 5 August 2023
Under the Weather Hero
Saturday, August 5, 2023
The second day of our family get-together. Unfortunately, it was also the day I take my meds, and I felt more than rough for the full day. So, not too many pics today, but feeling quiet, I took a nice little audio snapshot of the family as we floated gently along the Thames. Whilst that's for the family album, here's the pics I took:
Friday, 4 August 2023
The Day I Met Meowth
Friday, August 4, 2023
Spent the morning doing a little writing before everyone else woke up, then took a chilled stroll along the Thames near our home for the weekend, in a most beautiful part of London, Mosely.
We all took a nice stroll through Bushy Park in the afternoon. The place was full of parakeets, squirrels, rabbits, trout and Red Deer. Heaven on Earth.
I kind of held my nerve for longer than I should have for the following video. Looking back, I kinda wish I had held it a while longer, but better safe than sorry.
I even got to tickle a trout!
All in all, a great day outdoors :) I even bumped into this character!
![]() |
Meowth's fur was softer than I had imagined |
Whilst I have a strong dislike of London (it's way too busy and polluted), I think I could live in Mosely quite happily.
Thursday, 3 August 2023
The Whispering Sky
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Needing to get away for a few days to meet up with my daughter, we took a long weekend break in Mosely, London, where we rented an apartment for three nights. The weather forecast was gloomy but as we crossed the Severn Bridge to England, the sky whispered a promise for a brighter few days ahead.
Thursday, 27 July 2023
I visited my favourite Yew tree yesterday
July 26, 2023
My day job is getting VERY stressful, and I can feel my anxiety issues starting to peak again. And so, even though I only have a couple of days of my annual leave remaining (until March 2024!), I needed to take a half day from the place to sort my head out. And so, accompanied by my good friend L8, we head down Gower for the afternoon, during which I visited my favourite Yew tree in the old graveyard in the tiny hamlet of Ilston.
Sunday, 23 July 2023
Tidal Gower
July 22, 2023
Friday, 21 July 2023
Let me introduce you to Old Nick
July 20, 2023
I was in too much of a good mood this morning to hang around the office for too long today. So, instead, I thought I'd catch up with my Swansea documentary project and have myself a nice walk around the city, including the old Swansea Museum. Whilst there, I bumped into Swansea's infamous 'Old Nick' statue. Now, this guy has a very interesting story to tell - one I may relay to you in the near future. For now, though, for those who have yet to meet him, let me introduce the devil who is said to have cursed the city's largest church and engulfed the building in flames!
Monday, 17 July 2023
Vampires from Hell
Sunday, July 16, 2023
I have felt very rushed with work and deadlines lately, both with my writing career and in my day job. To try and get at least a few of my evenings back, I devoted this past weekend to getting my novella completed, which I am happy to report has now been accomplished. So, you may ask, what next?
Well, first of all, I am going to remove the deadline for Cold Comfort, which had been set for the end of 2023. Now, Cold Comfort has one hell of a long word count, and whilst it is true that the novel is on its final third edit, it still requires a fair bit of work. Expect to see that novel out sometime in 2024 now, along with another project that has been quite a while in the waiting - Pyewacket. I haven't written anything remotely to do with Pyewacket for a while now, but the plot of the book has been on my mind. I have high hopes for Pyewacket, but don't hold your breath waiting to get your hands on a copy. Not just yet anyway...
In the meanwhile, look out for another fotozine on a topic close to my heart coming out sometime over the next few months. These are a lot easier to put together than novels or guidebooks. Plus I actually enjoy putting these together. So, whilst I am intending to go slow with my next couple of writing projects, I won't be lazy. So, watch this space...
Saturday, 15 July 2023
Sunday, 9 July 2023
Even vampires can change their names
July 09,2023
Saturday, 8 July 2023
The sun is shining
June 08, 2023
Friday, 7 July 2023
Cracking on with Vampires...
July 07, 2023
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)