I dropped my gardening tools, threw my bicycle over a hedge and went in search of fortunes laid beneath the hangman’s noose.

You have to feel the bite of the wind to appreciate the warmth of a winter coat.

Look back, but never look down.

The thing that matters most is what matters to you, not anybody else.

Creative people need strong encouragement.

I’m pretty sure I’m the only author who intends to take the longest possible route to a destination that will always be over the next hill.

There’s merit in being different, inspiration in being individual, courage in being unique, and freedom in being yourself.

Doing nothing can be as rewarding as doing something. And doing very little can be as productive, in a creative sense, as doing a lot.

The pen that was once a gift has come to represent all that I hope to achieve.

One cannot help but identify with the life-giving quality of water, not just to quench our thirst, but for our emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

It’s ironic that those who lack self-confidence are often the ones who find it hardest to say no.

The process of creation begins way before one starts writing.

Often I have found myself gazing up at clouds – yesterday’s seas and tomorrow’s streams – to think of them as floating on an ultraviolet sea, beyond which is the infinity of space that presents...

I write into an old book that smells of dust and whose pages are floppy with damp. Sometimes the ink splodges onto the paper, other times it will barely leave the nib of my pen.

Why should we change that which makes us unique?

As an angler and a gardener, I cherish each drop of rain that falls.

I wasn’t born to fetch, or sit, or accept a beating. I’m here to be me, to write, and know my purpose.

Progress isn’t always good. There’s a reason why ‘breakneck speed’ is described as such.

Books are the most important of all my possessions. They capture the thoughts, feelings, dreams and lives of their authors, welcoming us into their worlds and inspiring us to emulate their adventures.

I like tea so much that I’m considering changing my name to Bergamot so that I can exist in a perpetual state of Earl Grey contentment.

Rarely will I write indoors, even if it means getting wet during rain, or my hands numb in winter.

December, being the last month of the year, cannot help but make us think of what is to come.

Rural and traditional escapism. That’s my angle. Places and events where we are free to relax and be ourselves, where nobody tells us to hurry along or conform or grow up. Somewhere we can properly...

It’s the wonderment of water that makes it so appealing: thoughts of what’s beneath the surface, or out there beyond a watery horizon.

It is possible to escape the complexities, challenges and pace of modern life. All we have to do is close our eyes and picture a quiet world where time moves slowly.

It is possible to be happy and successful by living on one’s own terms.

Dreams free us from normality. Daydreams, especially, take us somewhere between the real world and the dream world.

Imagination is the real magic that exists in this world. Look inwards, to see outwards. And capture it in writing.

The young man only looks to the future because he has lived little; the old man looks to the past because he has little left to live.

A pen that has clocked up a million words, a lifetime’s memories, is worth more than the centrepiece in a jeweller’s window.

Take a step back and view the world through your eyes, not someone else’s. Listen to your heart and decide what you really want.

Every layer of complexity creates greater distance from life’s simple truths.

Everything from the humble woodlouse to specks of dust moving through a ray of sunlight. Each tells a story.

Water is intrinsically linked to the mystery and excitement of discovering new worlds.

Stop – Unplug – Escape – Enjoy.’ This is the message of the Priory, and the key to enjoying a peaceful and rewarding life.

Old buildings whisper to us in the creaking of floorboards and rattling of windowpanes.

Wear your heart on your sleeve. Write about what you think and feel. And share it with your friends.

The greatest moments of creativity come in absolute solitude, when one’s mind is free from distraction and able to probe the depths of the impossible.

It is this brighter side, the romantic side, the emotional side, that appeals to me.

If a pen can communicate our thoughts, dreams, and emotions and be the voice of our soul, then ink is the medium that carries the message.

Disconnect from society’s pressure to conform. Do things your own way.

It is the quietening of the day that most appeals.

It’s not always best to know what’s going on beneath the surface.

Lake water, even when boiled, has an effect on my digestive system similar to the movement of a hangman’s trapdoor.

Cherish the moment and the time in which you live.

As a child I would play with such imagination that the ‘real’ world was never real at all. It was full of mystery, adventure and possibility.

A man can never have too many books. Neither can he have too many fountain pens, hats, fishing rods, waistcoats, tea caddies, paintings or whatever helps him to feel at home in his surroundings and...

Committing your thoughts and feelings to words is like putting your soul on a plate and hoping the diners will like what they eat.

May, more than any other month of the year, wants us to feel most alive.

Writing ink is the magic that allows nothing to become something. It catches the fleeting idea and seeks out the glances of those who wish to see. Even a random ink splat will mean something...