bookshow

The first radio show was aired in September 2007. The first guest was a local author 'Barbara Simpson' . Barbara came on the show to discuss her book 'The Blue Cloak'. I can not remember the records we aired but the talk content was roughly as follows:

Welcome to the first airing of the Book Show
My name is Linda Thomas and I would love to hear from any avid readers out there to either come along, email or phone with your comments (within reason) on any books you have read. They can be anonymous or signed or you can join a group discussion, whatever, just ..‘do it’. That includes anyone out there listening on the internet (g’day to any one out there in Oz). Just let us know what kind of books you normally like reading, tell us about your reaction to the book you are reviewing, what the book is about, the characters, what you thought of the author, if it was a prize winner did it deserve to be……that kind of thing.
The email address is: mail@thomasli.demon.co.uk
The telephone number is: (01720) 423417

To-day, on this momentous occasion, I have joining me Barbara Simpson. As well as a friend and a quiz teammate Barbara is well known in the community for many things (all good of course) but did you know that a few years ago she wrote a fictional book called ‘The Blue Cloak’, which was based on the Isles of Scilly? If you haven’t read it yet then go get it from the library, read it & let us know what you think of it. Those of you who have read it – did you like it, why did you like it? OR, if you have any questions you’d like to ask Barbara email us or ring on (01720) 423417

Hi Babs, thank you for joining me on this the first book show
I reviewed your book ‘The Blue Cloak’ about four years ago (when we did a two week a year show) and described it as romance & intrigue. So a short synopsis is: The Blue Cloak is a tale of romance & intrigue set around the Isles of Scilly in 1760-65. Ann Batten came from Cornwall to live with a local family, then found work in servitude, at the Star Castle on St Marys which was then the home of the Lord of the Islands and his family. Against her will Ann becomes preganant and has her baby. The baby was found dead under her bed in a box. There was a court case to establish if the death was accidental or murder.

Barbara, where did the idea for your book evolve?.
'It was based on a true sighting of a ghost – a young girl in a blue cloak – seen on the Garrison. The sighting was by a couple of visitors who were staying with me in my guest house. It was a bright, sunny, Sunday morning. The couple were walking around The Garrison. They sat down on a bench looking across to St. Agnes and both saw the figure in the blue cloak. They turned to each other to confirm what they had seen, looked back and she was gone. A couple of days later I mentioned it to the museum curator who said “oh, that would be Ann Batten”. I was intrigued and started researching the story behind Ann Batten.

'I trust when they saw the spirit they hadn't been on the spirit?' Do you believe in ghosts Babs?'
'I know they liked a sherry but never before dinner. I have never seen a ghost but I have no reason to believe they do not exist'.

'Have you written any other books or are you writing any at the moment?
'No, I had never written anything before but I am working on one at the moment. It is again based on the Isles of Scilly and is set during the last war. As you know we had flying boats stationed here as they searched the Atlantic for submarines and several warplanes.

What books do you like reading Babs, when you have any spare time that is as I imagine researching for your books must take you an incredible amount of time?
'Yes it does and typing it all up afterwards. I like reading a wide variety of books except for sci-fi. Some of my favourite authors are Elizabeth Jane Howard, P.D.James, Jodie Picoult.

'One last question Babs, who designed your book cover and did you have final say'?
'MaryWinter, a local painter, did the design. I asked her for a painting of the Star Castle, as it would have been in that era, with a girl in a blue cloak in front'. Basically I got exactly what I asked for first time.