Keith's September Newsletter

Hi Folks!

Well, it’s been quite the month over here at the Steam Factory. Many adventures were had, disaster was very narrowly averted, and some big changes have been put into effect so, without futher ado, let’s get down to it!

HETA GREJER

So… the disaster.

Did you know that you can have two airplanes leaving the same airport, at the same time, both headed to the same destination? Because I didn’t.

Heading to Sweden I rocked up at Gate 2 of Stanstead only to find that the wrong airline was being advertised. Right time and destination, but it was not Ryanair. A mistake perhaps? Surely it must be. I checked my app. PLEASE PROCEED TO GATE 59. BOARDING IS ABOUT TO COMMENCE.

Fuck.

Let me tell you, my heart sank. Not only was I at the wrong gate, I was at the wrong end of the airport. And getting to the other end is no mean feat. I had to go to Gate 30 where a nice lady in a hi-vis vest took me through the back corridors back into the main airport, then I had to run as fast as I could as I had 30 minutes before my flight left, and it was a 20 minute walk.

I tell you what, you think you’re fit until you have to run full pelt with a suitcase for 10 minutes straight. I almost died. How I made it I’ve no idea, but I got to the gate somehow, and it seemed like they were waiting for me. Perhaps the nice lady told them I was coming.

I collapsed when I got on the plane. I haven’t done that much cardio since… y’know what, I don’t think I’ve ever done that much cardio. There aren’t many things I’ll run for, but Stockholm is one of them apparently.

If you haven’t been to Stockholm I thoroughly recommend it. Eminently walkable, the weather was lovely as were the people. I mostly pootled around Gamla Stan, the old town, which was gorgeous, but I also took a boat ride along the coast and back, as well as checking out some of the many museums. I saw the big boat at the Vasa Museum, and went to the Skanska open-air museum, which proved to be massive and full of stuff. As well as two separate zoo areas they had an aquarium as well. I was so knackered by the end of it I had to get a tram home. I wasn’t tempted by the Abba Museum, but if that’s your kind of thing they have a bar and karaoke apparently.

Three days was about right for me. Enough to keep you busy, not enough to get bored. After that I was off to Austria.

I’ve been to Austria many times, it’s where I did my yoga teacher training, and it’s always nice to go back. I often go hiking in the mountains. This time I just chilled out with some friends, visiting the Zotter chocolate factory (where you can eat as much high-end chocolate as you like) and spent the day in a hot-spring spa (the likes of which we NEED in the UK but just don’t have).

I had a great time. I didn’t really want to come back, but come back I must.

No word yet on the job I interviewed for. They were meant to say weeks ago but still have “a few things to sort out” apparently. It’s not a no, it’s just not a yes (yet) which is very frustrating. But, whatever happens I’m still moving to Manchester, so I had accommodation to sort out.

The last few days have been intense on the house hunting front. That’s why this newsletter is a day late. Friday I went to see a flat. It took me eight hours, the flat was rubbish, I wasted a day, and I was not happy about it. I quickly realised that doing actual viewings in Manchester from Leeds was unsustainable. I needed a different approach. So, over the weekend I found a flat I liked, put in an offer covid style, site unseen, and today it was accepted. I’ve filled out the paperwork and, all being well, I have somewhere to move into at the end of October.

It’s in the Castlefield area, for those that know, near Cornbrook tram station. It’s quite urban but that’s okay, I can get the tram to greener pastures if I want. The important thing is it’s a good size and it’s mine. The weight of uncertainty has been lifted. Now I just need to organise everything else about the move and I’m good to go.

News From The Steam Factory

Unsurprisngly, with everything that’s been going on, I haven’t had much time for writing. Or much energy if I’m honest. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have news, and it’s big news if I do say so myself.

GLUNDA THE VEG WITCH is a finalist in the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Awards 2024!

I’ll be honest, I’m kinda surprised. I mean, I know that I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, I’m just surprised other people do too.

I’m glad they do though. It’s a real vindication of all my hard work. I daren’t think about winning, there are fifteen other books in the running, but just to get this far and to be able to say “Finalist” from now on in all my industry communications is a great thing.

I don’t know when the results come out, end of the year I think, so keep everything crossed for me. I hope to win, but at the same time if this is as far as I get I’m okay with that too.

When I’m Not Writing

One weird thing about Sweden is a lot of places don’t take cash, so with fistfuls of kroner burning a hole in my pocket I had no choice but to buy a bunch of books.

I haven’t read them all yet. The Warhammer book I tossed as it was too steeped in lore for a casual reader to enjoy. That’s a shame because I’ve read other Warhammer books and quite enjoyed them, but the quality can vary.

I’ve started on the first Dragonlance book, and whilst I’m enjoying it the writing’s not as good as I remember. I read the Dragonlance trilogy as a teen, eager for some fantasy but determined for it not to be Lord of the Rings, and I loved them. Really instilled in me a love of character and storytelling that persists to this day. Unfortunately these new books by the same writers are a bit “tell-y”, in that they tell you what’s going on rather than show you. I’m still enjoying them, they’re just not what I was hoping for. If you’re into Dragonlance and want to give them a try maybe see if your local library has them before shelling out nearly £11 each for a paperback.

And there you have it, quite a busy month I think you’ll agree. I hope you’ve enjoyed this lengthy update. There was a lot to get through. Thanks for sticking with me till the end.

Next month I should be messaging you from Manchester! Hopefully by then I’ll also know what job I’ll be doing there, although who knows. You can’t predict the future, all you know is that something is going to happen at some time to some one eventually. All you can do is stay hydrated and get some rest in the meantime.

Toodle-pip for now.

Keith