This light-hearted story is a modern retelling of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella, told through diary entries written by one of the ugly sisters.

A Sister’s Diary

Monday 24th June

The day Mother told us she was getting married again, I was very upset, especially when it meant gaining another sister, but it’s actually worked out rather well.

In our old house, I had to share a bedroom with Gloria. We don’t exactly see eye to eye, so that wasn’t much fun. My step father already had a daughter, Lucinda her name is, so when we moved in with them, I assumed she’d be keeping her room. After all, this has been her home for twenty years, AND she was here first, but Mother had other ideas.

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This story is written from the viewpoint of a man who wants funding to put up bat boxes. He finds himself in opposition to a woman who not only doesn’t like bats, she wants to spend the money on restoring the clock tower. As the clock tower holds painful memories for the man, he is determined to fight her. In the end, the battle becomes more complicated than either of them would have imagined.

Boxes and Clocks

“Can you please shut up about bat boxes?”

Those were the first words Diana Fletcher ever said to me.

I hadn’t seen her before. All I knew was that she’d recently moved into the village, after a divorce.

It was hardly the most promising start. If you’d asked me then what the odds were of us becoming romantically involved, I’d have laughed in your face.

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A man takes a job as a chauffeur so that, on her wedding day, he can be near the daughter he has never seen. His plan goes wrong when the main car gets stuck in traffic and he has to collect her himself.

Driving Miss Katie

Today I’m breaking a promise I made twenty years ago. I promised Julia I would stay away. No visits, no phone calls, not even a card at Christmas.

It’s a perfect September day. The sky is a blanket of blue. No breeze disturbs the perfect stillness of the afternoon.

I’m outside number 25 Sunnycroft Road exactly on time. I walk down the clean path, past the watching lines of maroon and white dahlias, and up to the door. Inside, I know they will all be ready. Rattling round like peas in a pod, just waiting to be popped. I feel the excitement in the air as I ring the bell.

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After finding a wounded seagull in her garden  a woman begins her own journey of healing.

Healing

Go away, you nasty bird.

The seagull is half hidden by a bushy penstemon. Only the whiteness of its feathers makes it visible.

I shout at it, but it doesn’t move, however loudly I rave, or wave my arms. I take a step out into the garden. It’s then that I notice the blood on its breast. I go back indoors and stare at it through the French windows.

It’s just what I need. An injured bird.

I can’t let it worry me. After all, it isn’t a pretty little bird like a wren or a robin. Seagulls are just great big pests. At least that’s what Patrick always said.

I never admitted it to him, but secretly, I’ve always rather admired them.

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After Valerie’s mother dies, her father remarries. It isn’t long before he admits he’s made a big mistake. Shortly afterwards, his new wife tells Valerie that he’s gone away and doesn’t know where. Valerie suspects foul play, but is she right, and if she is, will she be able to prove anything?

Her Father’s Hat

“Is everything OK, Dad?” Valerie asked,” Only you don’t seem your usual self.”

She stopped the car at the end of the road and reached over to put her hand on his arm.

His laugh was thin and hollow like his cheeks. “I’ve been a sad silly old fool, Valerie. You were right. Angela only married me for my house and my savings.” As he turned to look at her, Valerie saw tears in his eyes. “I’m 73 and she’s 42. I was daft to think she really loved me.”

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Helen is a put upon woman. It’s Christmas and her family have come to stay, expecting her to do all the work. Pushed to the limit she leaves the house and goes to the river. There she meets a man who says he’s an angel and can show her what difference she has made to people’s lives, rather like in her favourite film, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. What happens next doesn’t go quite as the angel had planned.

It’s a Wonderful Life

“I can’t stand it anymore. I’m going to jump off the nearest bridge.” Helen’s outburst attracted the response she’d half expected – nothing.

The dining table bore the remnants of their meal, red, gold and green garlands criss–crossed the walls, cards covered the mantelpiece, but despite all the glitter, it didn’t feel Christmassy. Even the wonderful tree, festooned with twinkling white lights didn’t lift her spirits. All Christmas meant to her was extra work.

Her brother Bob glanced up from the TV. “If you’re going to the kitchen, make us a coffee, will you, sis?”

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A dog gains a bad reputation when his owners keep dying. When he is returned to the rescue centre for a third time, it seems he may have to stay there for ever. Molly has to fight for his release, but is the dog’s reputation well deserved?

Saving Sam

Molly had never seen so many loveable animals. The dog rescue centre had every kind of dog from tiny Yorkies to gigantic Irish wolfhounds, plus everything in between. It was going to be very hard to choose.

“Do any of them appeal to you?” the girl asked.

“All of them,” laughed Molly. “How does anyone ever decide?”

The girl grinned. “I’m lucky.  I get to spend time with all of them. I don’t have to choose.”

As they turned the last corner, Molly stopped. A black dog was curled up at the back of one of the runs.

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The story follows a couple who meet at the University Boat Race. He supports Oxford, she Cambridge. The story  follows them through the years, each time focussing on the day of the boat race. As the years pass, their relationship comes under threat. Will their love of the boat race help them to stay together?

Shades of Blue

As Georgina stepped out of Mortlake station, a blast of cold air whipped across her face, but she scarcely noticed. With her treasured light blue scarf wrapped round her neck, all she felt was a keen sense of excitement. After so many years supporting Cambridge, she was actually going to be there, to see the closing stages of the boat race.

She’d loved the race since she was five years old when, for the first time, she watched it on TV with her grandfather. He was a life long Oxford supporter, but their dark blue was too sombre for her. When he died, just after Christmas, she was heartbroken.

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This story is told by two characters – Marjorie, who works in a pet shop and David, the owner of the shop whose main interest is tropical fish. As the story progresses, we learn how they feel about each other, the question is, will they ever tell each other the truth?

Something Fishy

I tell David the moment I arrive at the shop. “Ted’s asked me to marry him.”

“Oh.”

That’s all he says. Just ‘Oh’. Not even a smile, or a ‘congratulations’.  He doesn’t even ask me what my answer was. My last faint glimmer of hope fades away.

I’ve waited so long for David to make a move, but now it’s time to face the facts, he’s never going to sweep me into his arms and kiss me. He only cares about his shop and his fish. Sometimes I see him gazing at them, his grey eyes so full of love. If only he could look at me like that.

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This story is for all dog lovers. It tells the story of a woman who makes a living as a dog trainer.

The Dog Whisperer

I straighten my scarf, stand tall. I push the button. Somewhere a bell rings. A dog barks. The front door opens.

“Good morning, I’m Miss Wickstead. The dog trainer.”

Between the man’s legs I see a shiny nose sniffing for all its worth. Behind him crouches a woman, her dainty hand, holding on to the dog’s collar, knuckles white with the effort. “Is that Max?” I ask.

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This gently humorous story tells how a woman’s life is changed when she finds an old lamp and conjures up a genie.

The Old Lamp

The old lamp was in a box of odds and ends at a boot sale.

I’d been to see my sister the day before. My nephew couldn’t stop talking about the pantomime his school had planned for next term. He had the part of the evil wizard and kept telling me about magic lamps and genies. If his school had chosen Cinderella instead of Aladdin, I wouldn’t have noticed the lamp.

I pulled it out of the box.  “How much is this?”

The stall holder frowned and pointed to a sign. “Can’t you read? Everything 50 pence.”

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Four elderly women are on a cruise. Harriet, who tells the story, is struggling to finish a crossword, the clue is ‘one of the deadly sins’. As the story plays out, each sin makes an appearance until she solves the puzzle.

The Seven Deadly Sins

“Where’s Lily got to?”

“Don’t get so agitated, Muriel. Remember your blood pressure.”

“Oh do be quiet, Edna. I don’t know why I came on this cruise.”

I put down my pen. “Will you two stop bickering? I’m trying to finish the crossword.”

I know I sound short, but they’re getting on my nerves. It’s like being on holiday with a gang of five year olds.

I used to be able to do the Sunday crossword, start to finish in less than forty minutes, with a bit of help from Ted that is. It’s not as much fun now he’s gone.

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A man, who has never married, steps in at the last minute to give a talk to a ladies group about his hobby, growing insect eating plants. Only one lady shows much interest and asks a question. Will it lead to anything, or will the man continue his life alone?

The Venus Fly Trap

As I finish setting up the projector and the screen, Mrs Willis addresses the audience.

“I’d like to introduce our speaker for this evening. Please give a warm welcome to Mr Alan French, who will be speaking about his life long love of insectivorous plants.”

I thank the chairlady and accept the polite, but faint, applause.

I know how disappointed they must be. They were expecting Vincent Vanderburgh, local author of a popular cookery book. He goes down with the flu, and they end up with a last minute replacement – me. I press on regardless.

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When Eileen is invited to stay with her son in his hotel in Torquay she can’t help wondering if there’s a catch. She soon finds out that yes, there is. They expect her to lend a hand, running the business. While she’s there, she meets a man but her son and daughter-in-law are sceptical. They think he’s looking for a woman to cook and look after him. Are they right? And exactly why do they need her help with the hotel?

What’s the Catch

‘Are you doing anything for the next two weeks?  If not, why don’t you come and stay with us? We haven’t seen you for ages.’

Eileen could hardly believe what she was reading. For the past three years, every time she’d asked if she could come and stay, the reply had been the same. ‘Sorry, the hotel’s full. The business has to come first.’  On the rare occasions she had managed to get an invite, it was for the odd day in February or October, never August.

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This gently humorous story tells what happens when a woman goes on holiday by herself after a row. Are the happy postcards she sends to her husband telling the WHOLE story?

Wish You Were Here

Monday 10 a.m. I’m having a wonderful time!  Blue skies, blue sea. I’m in Room 426, on the fourth floor. There’s a fabulous view. Wish you were here.’

I pushed the postcard with its picture of the Sapphire Seas hotel, into the postbox, with a sigh. At least some of what I’d written was true.

I looked up at the unbroken sky. Not a cloud, anywhere. It was already thirty–three degrees. Some like it hot, but not me. If it gets above thirty I’m done for. All I can do is retreat into the shade and wilt.

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