24 May 2018

BOOK SIGNING AT 'SMATTS DUO' SEDBERGH 26 MAY

This coincides with the monthly SEDBERGH STREET MARKET which is held along
Main Street, a great selection of stalls. Great refreshments at SMATTS DUO and other
venues. Well worth a visit and the weather forecasts are promising. Nanna Strawberry

Update: I had a most enjoyable two day book sale and signing at SMATTS DUO, as above,
being invited to return on the Bank Holiday Monday. Met several lovely children. One little girl
told me she had sent a 90th birthday card to Her Majesty The Queen.  I suggested she recorded
 this special event on the blank pages which I include in each book for adding personal notes.
A lady who came from Wallasey bought book 1 as a gift to her local 'Messy Church', and a
South Lakes radio presenter shared lovely memories of Sir Ken Dodd who he had interviewed.
Sir Ken's lifelong home at Knotty Ash is near my Liverpool home and he was the first Patron of
Alder Hey Children's Kidney Fund which I founded 1968 and which celebrates its 50th birthday
this year.  Many thanks to Sue and Matt at DUO for their friendly hospitality to me and my books.
Nanna Strawberry.

23 May 2018

FAREWELL PRINTFINE, WELCOME STRAMONGATE PRESS

I learned with great regret that the splendid printers, PRINTFINE, were in administration
after a difficult period trying to save the company. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who
helped to make such lovely books for the series of Nanna Strawberry stories. Best wishes
to all the staff whose jobs disappeared and now seek new ones.

The regret was also accompanied by pesonal concern for future Nanna Strawberry
books which will complete the set of twelve. I included Stramongate Press in Kendal
in my quest for the most appropriate printer to complete the books in matching style
to previous ones, and am pleased that Peter has confirmed that they will be able to fulfill
the remainder of the series to the same specifications and good match. Whew! Relief!
Peter knew Printfine well, regards them as very good printers and is sorry to hear of their
demise.. Wayne Stewart will continue to complete the artwork and pdf, I will continue the
illustrations, occasionally helped by Caitlin for some pony scenes which she is very good at.
Dependig on her study commitments.  Book 8 is now underway:

           Nanna Strawberry Remembers Billy...Joan's Strawberry Roan

                                          (the word roan means horse)
 (strawberry is created by an equal mix of white and chestnut hairs to create pinkish colour)

Nanna Strawberry

20 May 2018

ROYAL WEDDING CONGRATULATIONS

Nanna Strawberry extends sincere congratulations to the newly married
Duke and Duchess of Sussex whose wedding at St George's Chapel, Windsor,
was watched by millions of people around the world yesterday, 19 May.. A beautiful
occasion. Handsome groom, gorgeous bride, delightful flower girls and page boys,
especially seeing the older boys being so helpfully attentive to the young girls and not
least the pretty Mums, including the Duchess of Cambridge, who delivered their
offspring to the steps of the Chapel to escort the beautiful bride.Not a hitch anywhere.
Wonderful to see the upright Duke of Edinburgh escort his wife HM The Queen, and
Prince Charles providing a thoughtful protective arm to the Bride and later to her mother
and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall. An energetic sermon in keeping with the spirit of
love and fire of Pentecost Sunday this weekend. A beautfil veil which navigated its own
route behind the bride, no fuss required. Sunshine and blue skies above the town of
Windsor, magnificent Windsor Castle, St George's Chapel, the happy couple and all
participants, including superb horses, in this historic day.


























12 May 2018

PLANT CAKE & BO0k SALE @ PAGE MOSS BAPTIST CHURCH

Sincere  thanks to  Carole and her team for accepting my last minute application
for a table at their Fayre today to display my series of Nanna Strawberry Stories.
I greatly appreciated this and Carole's enthusiastic promotion of "the new children's
author we have with us today". It certainly drew attention to my books and boosted sales.
I really enjoyed taking part. also my bacon bap  and the frequent cups of tea bought
 and delivered to me at welcome intervals. Also the friendly chats. I do hope the young
recipients of books purchased by parents and grandparents enjoyed their gifts later in the day.
Also that Page Moss Baptist Church and Christian Aid .both benefitted from the dedicated
efforts of all the hardworking volunteers who helped run the enjoyable event and their
supportive customers.

This church has always been an active part of the local community throughout my life,
 with happy memories of their BB Band parading along local streets playing their stirring music,
 until the M62 and heavy traffic prevented the parades from continuing.Combined with the beat
 of drums and sound of bugles from Court Hey Methodist Church Boys Brigade too, from their
 original church which was demolished for the M62..Sundays were often very musical throughout
 the whole area. Both gave musical support to local events too, such as Malvern School Fete by
 its PTA  and Bowring Park Galas organised by ' Friends of Bowring Park'.Wonderful memories !
Roby 1st BB were very activie too at St Barts. Including the large family of Asbridge brothers
and not forgetting the Girls Brigades too !
 .
Nanna Strawberry

8 May 2018

BOOKS CAN BE PURCHASED AT FOLLOWING VENUES:

WORLD MUSEUM Liverpool, from its Children's Corner. Proceeds in
support of this wonderful heritage venue

WALKER ART GALLERY as above

SLEEPY ELEPHANT Main Street, Sedbergh, Cumbria

BROADHURST BOOKS, Market Street, Southport

COURT HEY METHODIST CHURCH SALES, 3rd Saturdays 10-12 noon

BOOK READING VENUES (listed in blog) books signed by author.
   More invitations welcome from school and groups, organisations
   email  nannastrawberrystories@gmail.com  07538623739

AMAZON Children's Books (by post)  Full series Nanna Strawberry Stories

FROM THE AUTHOR: Apply to nannastrawberrystories@gmail.com

Books £3.99 + postage where appliable..


4 May 2018

VISIT TO SANKEY VALLEY ST JAMES CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

ANOTHER WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE WITH DELIGHTFUL CHILDREN IN THEIR
LOVELY BRIGHT AND COLOURFUL SCHOOL. Morning Assembly followed the previous
style.  Introducing Nanna Strawberry who then read extracts from Book 6 which describes
the author's experience as a 16 year old teenager when it was announced during her shorthand
class that King George VI had died in the early hours. The new Queen Elizabeth was rushing
home from Kenya. Following the reading, the Deputy Head then led a role play, with children
standing to attention to listen to the sad announcement, and finally singing the National Anthem.
They then returned to their classrooms, where Nanna Strawberry visited each class in turn to
answer questions and to read exerpts from other books in the series. Nanna Strawberry Tells
Stories to Sophie  is proving to be a popular story, with its guessing game to create friendly
competition for the answers.

The children asked intelligent questions and made intelligent remarks. Nanna Strawberry was
particularly pleased by a comment expressed by a boy  "I think you are better than Roald Dahl".

Following these talks, Nanna Strawberry Stories 1 to 7 are available for purchase @ £3.99 each.
of which £1 per book sold will be donated to the school. Booking forms have been distributed..
Many thanks to families who have bought a book, or 3 books at a discount price of £10.00
of which £1 will also be donated to school funds. The net balance will go toward the
publication of book 8
                  'Nanna Strawberry Remembers Billy...Joan's strawberry roan pony'
This is set in our post war childhood, at our aunt and uncle's Moorside Farm at the foot of
moorland hills near Hollingworth.. It describes the terms 'strawberry roan' and 'hands high (or hh)
which describe the colour and height of Billy and also Robin, a brown bay which I rode.
Our Dad bought the ponies and they went to a new home on a Liverpool farm with flat green fields.
which was waiting to be developed as a housing estate. We had a lot of fun with other children
and their ponies.
                                                                    Nanna Strawberry

This is