To everything there is a season ...

And this was the season to be bone idle for a couple of days! We went to visit my daughter and be waited on hand and foot. It didn't quite work out like that because I decided that it was high time the latest book was finished! Didn't quite happen but the first draft is on paper - only numerous edits and re-writes and the design of the cover to worry about! GOES was presented with a very welcome cheque, which will be paid into the bank on Monday and immediately sent via BAYBA to help a young family in a small fishing village. So, the being bone idle intention didn't quite work but we had a most enjoyable few days together - apart from our host - hope you're better soon!
 The smog, laden with dust from the Sahara, might have been the prompt to finish the book?
Must find out about the copyright laws relating to 18th Century art work - 'Am I not a man and a brother?' It would make a great cover picture.

Words make money - I hope!

I spent another pleasant day at Gladstone's Library in Hawarden, near Chester, yesterday. It's a wonderful resource for writers: desks to work at, food to eat (the cakes are tasty) and even beds to sleep in if you want to stay overnight!
As darkness fell I drove home with 2000 new words added to the latest book in the Malinding series. Just 20,000 more to go! This will be the fifth (and possibly the last) book in the story of life in a Gambian village, seen through the eyes of a mixed-race family. Malinding village exists only in my mind, as do the characters who inhabit it, and who travel between there and the North West of England.
The books are for sale on Amazon for Kindle readers. All money from the sales go directly into the GOES Co-op Bank account, and from there to help the humanitarian work of that charity in The Gambia. Much of the work of the charity which has been described in this blog has been funded, at least in part, by these works of fiction. So, imaginary people help real-world men, women and children: fiction becomes fact.
Back to cake - no! I meant back to work!
Tom

Carry on!

Heavens, I was down when I wrote that last page! True, these things have to be faced but not just yet - see what Manflu can do to a soul!
Today is a better day. been chatting to Gambian friends about schools and clinics. A friend sent a photo of her daughter, a beautiful little girl, happy and healthy.
Barclays Bank in Stockton Heath, presented me with hundreds of pens to distribute to schoolchildren when we arrive there in November (it's November already and we still haven't packed!)
I've been bust re-editing 'Empty Bananas' after withdrawing the book from sale on Kindle. There were too many mistakes, so when the new edition goes on sale again at Christmas it should be a much better buy! (In the mean-time you can still purchase the other books in the Malinding series. All income from the sales goes directly into the GOES bank account.)
We've written to the chief medical officer at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Banjul about material we've been given - thanks, people, you know who you are!
Haven't heard yet from Thomas Cook about extra baggage allowance but our fingers are firmly crossed!
Must sort out the Travel Insurance, buy another suitcase - the zips have give up the will to carry on!
Thanks for reading this,
Best wishes - when are you going to visit The Gambia?

Tom

Still trying!

We've been away from home for a couple of days. I needed a break - this stupid business with the Co-op Bank has really been getting me down. We took refuge at Gladstone's Library, where the first Gladfest of Poetry and Prose was being held - a great success and a good opportunity to try to forget the hassle of failing to deal with the Co-op Bank and the USA's IRS for a while. Great food too!
A fellow poet (Annie, many thanks) made a kind donation to GOES with the condition it should to used to make a child smile. Will do, and thanks. 
 Mention of money brings me back to the problem with the Co-op Bank a/c - slight progress; we now have a form to fill in which, after we have posted (post? Not fax or e-mail???) back to the bank may enable us to receive a new debit card so we can withdraw money from the account and send it to people who need it! So, we may be back in business sometime next week. Possibly. Perhaps. 
 While we were at the Library I managed to fit in a few hours work on the latest Malinding book - the word count is now over 30K ! 

Still banging my head ...

Yes! Still banging my head in despair at attempts to regain access to the GOES bank account. The 'Co-operative Bank' are being totally un-co-operative, and we're now into the third week of trying to operate without a bank account. I've been able to use some of our own money to help the most needy people but we can't keep on like this. Telephone calls to the 'customer support' line offer no help. and visits to the local branch reveal that workers there have no more success then we do. Oddly, I can deposit funds - I just can't make withdrawals!
 Happier notes: the tilt-top table sold for £26 and went to a good home (the money is buried in the vaults of the Co-0p Bank ...
 'Stories for Gambian Children' is now available on Kindle - free!
I'm going to try my hand at registering with The USA IRS so they won't deduct tax on the $1 that each of the Malinding books sells for over there.
Maybe tomorrow will bring a positive result from the Bank - you'll be the first to know if it does!
Thanks for putting up with me again!
Tom