Happy St David's Day!

It's March 1st which is the feast  day of Saint David, the Patron Saint of Wales.  As I've just come back from teaching in Wales  - and enjoying a chance to  renew my love  of that country, I thought  for St David's day, I'd share with you some of the reasons why I love Wales so much

1. My childhood family holidays were spent there  - first in a small village called Nevin where we stayed on a farm. I was too young to remember much about it as I saw most of Nevin from my pram!

2. More family holidays - ones I do remember  - were  spent on Anglesey where we rented a house right near  the beach in  Treaddur Bay - yes the place where Prince William and that other Kate  visited last week on  their first joint official  appearence

3.  I went to university there - at University of Wales Aberystwyth.    I loved the Old College, living by the sea, my first flat.

4. I met the Babe Magnet there  - my last year, his first -he came to Aber as a 'mature' student.

5. I got my degree and then  my MA there

6. The Babe Magnet proposed and we got engaged there

7. With my new family -  Babe Magnet and The Offspring - I had a couple of  lovely return visit family holidays in   Aberystwyth and Treaddur Bay

8. The Babe Magnet and I were invited to speak/run courses at  Writers' Holiday in Caerleon. We grabbed at a chance to revisit Wales, had the best time at the first Writers' Holiday we went to, met the fantastic organisers Anne and Gerry Hobbs - and Caerleon has been an important   and valuable part of our lives ever since.

9. As a result of Caerleon I was asked to run the Contemporary Romance course at the Fishguard Writers and Artists' Weekend  -  started with the basic course - ran The Novel course one year  and then got asked to create The Advanced Romance Writing course  for this years' Fishguard - and  will be running it again  next year . . . .  As  a result I've met some great writers, great students on the courses, and I hope one day (soon?) to add to the number of new writers I've been able to help towards publication - fingers crossed.

10. I love dragons!  And daffodils and Welsh Cakes  . . .   and I have some wonderful fabulous friends who are Welsh or live in Wales . . . .

I'm already looking forward to going back to Caerleon in the summer. Maybe I'll see you there?

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Dedwydd!