History is about who tells it.
—Daveed Diggs
Hello there,
Thank you to Cal for sending in the above quote. I’m in a historical frame of mind today, because we’ve just visited the site of a Roman villa at Chedworth. I love visiting historical sites, and there were some fascinating aspects of the site, but as you’ll see from the photos below, the people who discovered the remains decided to preserve them in their own special way.
It was the Victorian age, I believe, and in the spirit of the times, the walls were partially rebuilt to knee height and topped with little roofs. For me, the site has lost a lot of its magic, but there are some gems, such as the mosaics that were unearthed and the plunge pools where people immersed themselves in cold water—a health fad that’s popular today.
And of course, there are the raised floors with underfloor heating. The floors were built on stacks of tiles, and one of my favourite pieces from the small museum is a tile bearing a dog’s paw print (pictured below). Some things never change.
While in this part of the world, we went to the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham. I hadn’t visited for years, and I’d forgotten what a lovely old theatre it is. I particularly liked the look of the boxes where privileged guests could sit—they call to mind secret assignations, illicit liaisons and even assassinations.
The play was Dial M for Mayhem, but it wasn’t a murder mystery. It was more of a comedy. The actors gave a spirited performance, but the script was against them. In the interval I overheard someone say that he’d deliberately left his jumper on his seat so that he’d be forced to go back for the second act. It made me chuckle, but he was right to stay. The second act was much better. Still, I always enjoy a night at the theatre. There’s something very special about a live performance, and I clapped loud and long at the end. The actors deserved it.
Featured Photos
Remember, there are 3 ways to enjoy the photos: a collage in the email, separate images in the substack app, an interactive gallery in the online post.
Writing News
If you read last week’s post, you’ll know that I was in a tizz because Chuck Palahniuk had selected one of my stories for a critique. He came back with a lot of insightful comments. You won’t be able to see his feedback online unless you subscribe to his substack, but suffice to say that my mind is now buzzing with ideas. I’m considering rewriting the story as a longer piece, possibly as a short novel. After all, Mr P’s Fight Club comes in at under 50,000 words and many consider that the minimum length for a novel.
If you have no idea what story I’m talking about, it was In Front of the Mirror Alone which you can read at the link below and paying subscribers can listen to me performing a reading
Read it yourself:
A performance of the piece by me:
The Blank Page Experiment
This off-the-cuff writing project is continuing and I posted the third part today, but I didn't send it out via email so as not to bombard you with emails. It’s worth remembering that in substack you can control which emails you receive. Clicking on an unsubscribe link will give you some buttons to click or tap in order to fine tune your inbox.
I’ll be posting the audio for my reading of part 3 very soon so that paying subscribers can sit back and have me read a story to them.
What’s Next?
If you’re waiting for the next Devonshire Mystery, and all this talk of rewriting my short story sounds suspiciously like I’m getting distracted, don’t worry. I won’t be setting Dan and Alan aside, especially now that the first draft is almost done. Travelling tends to knock a hole in my writing routine, but taking a rest from a manuscript is often a good thing, and I’ll set to again in earnest when I get home, determined to get the next Devonshire Mystery over the finish line.
Will there be opportunities for beta readers? Yes. Will there be more snippets? Yes. How will you find out about them? Stay subscribed.
Signing Off
So, apart from underfloor heating and plunge pools and roads and aqueducts and sanitation and architecture, what have the Romans done for us? Well, there were those bits of sponge on a stick for washing bottoms while at the latrine. Perhaps the time has come to bring them back. After all, they’re a more environmentally friendly alternative to toilet paper. Unless you’re a sponge.
And with that thought, I’ll leave you.
Have a great weekend and happy reading.
Take care,
Mikey
PS
Don't forget you can comment or chat - the inevitable buttons are below:
Pip pip.
MC
Mr. Campling,
I have read and enjoyed all of your books, and look forward to your future publications.
But I am very disturbed, that you have audacity to demand a monetary fee from to follow your weekly meanderings.
I am happy to pay to read your books. But it stops there. Chit chat I can find everywhere f.o.c.
Sincerely
Alan Hume