The Priory Church of St. Peter and The Priory Gardens
Dunstable Borough Council’s addition of a curved path leading to a newly erected Pergola gives much to the sheer beauty of the centuries old Priory Church of St. Peter and its gardens.
She sat within the glow of the coals… their red heat penetrated the pores of her skin and warmed the white of her bones. She stared long and hard into the glass of whisky as if it were full of nettles… and finding no reason to swallow the liquid her mind moved over matters best… with gradient carefulness of an undertaker’s assistant.
A deleted scene from ‘The Shriving of Miss Esme Stamp’ by Patrick Callaghan
Barney Westlake hadn’t expected to walk into another relationship quite so soon, in fact, his presence in Scotland and particularly his arrival in Largs was to forget Madeleine. That was some hell of an affair. He was sure to this day the woman was mad! Well, it certainly had felt like it. She had terrorized him and made his life an absolute misery with her unjustified jealousy and insane tantrums. To get away from her domination of him and her possession of his mind became his prime objective. Their relationship had become intolerable and near boarded on violence.
From ‘The Truth about Madeleine’ by Patrick Callaghan
To the south of Kensington Gardens, high above the watchful glittering towers of The Grand Imperial Institute, wholesome breezes fell upon the narrow arboreal road leading to the quiet repectable villas of Dorset Square. Further to the south… The Thames shone silvery like the winding path of a passing snail in that lowering black dead of night.
From ‘The World of Irene Mansell’ by Patrick Callaghan
Electricity Pylons – much needed blots on the landscape or artistic creations from the past? They seem to impose on every aspect of our lives! I read a book many years ago where the author saw these as abominable creatures that rose up and strode upon civilization crushing everything before them! OK. I know, the BBC made a series from that called I think… Tripods… correct me if I’m wrong… but these now accepted oddities in our lives are present in every photo one takes of the countryside! (see Jan’s Queensland sunset) I remember, as a nine year old, talking to the ‘Irish Paddies’ – God Bless Ireland, when teams of these guys were contracted from the depths of rural Eire, payed a basic wage, no tax, if you returned home within six months, wonderful men that were simple and devoted to their work, and talked in no uncertain terms of their increased wealth of British income and how welcome they felt the British had made them before they returned to their motherland. I would add; many young men liked this fine county of ours so much that they stayed here and raised a family… And then, when Britain required the construction of it’s first motorway… It was Wimpey and Irish labour once again! If anyone said to me: “Well, the standing joke at the time was – Wimpey – We Import More Paddies Every Year!”… I would likely reply: ’You are quite right and jolly good for the country… It Was!’ Since before the Romans, this country has been a melting pot for all nationalities… You just name one that has not trod these shores, has not made a life here… And has not contributed to the well balance of this pearl set within a silver sea.
