How to books

Come on admit it, you've probably got more than a few sitting on your bookshelves that you've bought in the past, thought I'll read that and have never got round to doing so. Well, if you won't admit I will. So, the other day I picked one up. Lynne Hackles' book 'Writing from Life. How to turn your personal experiences into profitable prose.' And I began reading it. Ah, but not just reading it, I'm doing the exercises she suggests too, so with brand new notebook and shoebox to the ready, I've been going around my house collecting things that hold special memories for me.

However, one of the exercises she suggests did make me smile as it took me back through the years to when I was five years old. I hated singing lessons. Yes I sing now and on the whole I have enjoyed singing through most of life but not when I was five.

The exercise that prompted this memory was when she asks about silly songs you used to sing at school. I can see it now. There I was sitting on the dusty floor in my green and white gingham school dress, my pink shell framed specs sitting on my nose dreading the opening chords to 'Down by the river where the green grass grows.' The second line was 'there sits Susie pretty as a rose.' Aw sweet I hear you say except for one little lad who used to grin at me and sing at the top of his voice, 'there sits Susie picking her nose.' My cheeks would burn as my face turned crimson and I so desperately wanted to run from the school hall and hide.

Do you have any memories of silly songs you used to sing at school? Why not tell us about them below and who knows what you write may lead to either an article or story that we'll all read next year.

Incidentally Lynne's book will make a fantastic present for a writer and it's not too late to order it from Amazon. For details click here

Albrighton County Infants on the left, with the Junior School on the right and the swimming pool I learned to swim in. It was supposed to be heated, emphasis on the 'supposed'.