Dedication Page for Angel Of Kindness

I would like to give a special thanks to Hartington Cheese Shop www.hartingtoncheeseshop.co.uk
In addition, The Risley Park,
www.therisleypark.co.uk
for allowing me to use them in my story.
Lastly, to you, my readers who have been following and supporting me over the last year—have a great Christmas.
Joanne

Teaser for Angel Of Kindness

Angel of Kindness
Joanne Rawson
Switching on the coffee machine, I waited until the dark brown liquid slowly trickled into the jug, before looking out of my mother’s kitchen window. All the other houses on this quiet Derbyshire cul-de-sac had turned into an explosion of life and colour, with decorated windows, ready for the forthcoming Christmas festivities. Customarily, by now my house in Leightonstone East London would be fully dressed with lights, tinsel, and foliage. A large tree chosen with great care and attention would take pride of place in the living room. The house would smell of cinnamon and spices from endless nights after arriving home from my job at the advertising agency, I would play corny Christmas songs filling me full of Christmas cheer and spirit, while cooking puddings, mince pies and biscuits that we would still be eating well into the New Year. I haven’t a clue why. It wasn’t as if we had a house full of children, in fact, children had never been on my agenda; well, hardly surprising, if you knew my background.
My mother, Lois, had me while she was studying art in Paris. She returned home to Derbyshire just long enough to pop me out and leave me with my grandparents, then fled back to her ménage a trios—a sculptor and his artist wife, my mother’s lesbian lover. Three years later, she returned only to scamper away again, after eighteen months, to live in a commune. So the whole cycle started again, until my grandparents grew old and my mother was forced to return to Derbyshire.
Looking at the garden, there was no plastic Santa Claus, no lights in the conifer tree, not even a wreath hung on the door. Instead of the large spectacular tree, hidden in the corner of mum’s living room, skulked a scrawny little sapling that still looked overdressed with cheap decorations from the pound shop; this Christmas, everything looked, bare, unimaginative, and dowdy, a mirror image as tohow my life felt at this moment in time. Here I was, Megan Shepherd, forty- six, spending Christmas with her sixty-four year old, bisexual mother.
Come on! Surely, my feelings were justified. For sixteen years, I thought I had had the perfect marriage to Ian, a history lecturer at the local college. How wrong I had been.
 

COMING SOON FROM MELANGE BOOKS

More from our visit to Bangkok

 

When MR R and I visit new places, we do not head for the tourist attractions, it is the real people of that country, city or town, and how they live their life that intrigues us both.

Walking can only be the way to do this, by exploring those places not on a tourist map or with a guide, I assure you, you will enjoy it far more.  It took MR R and me six hours of walking for two days, to see the real China Town Bangkok. We met some wonderful people and saw things, that would never appear in a travel brochure.

Here are some of the photos I took on our first walking day.

 

 

MR. R was so thrilled to find this boxing ring set up under a bridge of a main road.

 

 

 

 

Most of the side streets have stalls either side, the umbrellas make a welcome shade from the hot sun.

 

 

 

How could I resist that smile when offered for FREE to try a barbecued banana, and yummy it was too. However, MR. R was off chatting up the popcorn lady.

 

I adore these pink eggs, I have seen black ones in Malaysia but never pink.

 

 

A twist on a laundrette. So what do the women say? "Just off down to the corner shop love to put in some washing."  It was really strange, most local shops had two or even three pay washing machine.

 

 

 

Don't knock it until you have tried it, a jelly drink that really quenches the thirst.

 

 

 

Take a load of red chillies, garlic, vinegar, ginger and lime and mush to a paste. Throw in some beansprouts and you have lunch. This was a man's lunch who kindly let me have the first taste. Hot, hot, hot but full of flavour.

 

 

In the heart of China Town I was not expecting to find a Tesco, which was great for buying food for our dinner that night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finished our first walking day by popping into the railway station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We've included an Upcoming Releases list - we currently have 13 books in progress. There is also a new searchable catalog available now that we have more books than can fit on a page.

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Food at Chatuchak Weekend Market - Bangkok

This is a great place to sample all types of Thai food. There are drink and snack vendors and restaurants on the outside edges of the market.

Perhaps not all to our taste.

 

 

 

If bugs are not your thing, and clearly not ours then try the fish it really was tasty.

 

 

Fancy something a little different then try chicken feet stew.

 

This is more Mr R and me, dim sum dumplings.

 

As I don't eat meat MR R was in his element.

 

I could have eaten the fish all day.

Had to finish off with these cute lollipops.

What a bummer, on the way out full to the brim and what do I see,  but seafood paella.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chatuchak Weekend Market - Bangkok

 

MR R and I love markets, it is the best way to really get to grips with the locals and their way of life, but mention a tourist market, and we both run in the opposite direction. However, Chatuchak Market has to be the best tourist market we have visited in a long while.

 

One of the largest markets in the world, it has amazing bargains for clothes, shoes, jewellery and those all-important tacky gifts to take back home.

 

Plan to spend a full day there, as there are so many stalls both inside and out.  Do not worry if you spend all your money, there are ATM Machines and a money exchange that offers good rates.

 

 

A word of advice, get there early as it gets very busy, and the inside is very cramped.

 

 

I love jewellery and this stall was like heaven to me.  “Why buy there when you have Tibetan Markets in Goa?”  I here you ask. 

The truth? The same stuff sold here as in Goa but 80% cheaper.

 

Five rings and seven pairs of ear rings cost  nine pounds, and a free ring of my choice.

 

Couldn't resist these coffee prints for only 2 pounds each.

 

 

Would have loved these shoes, but on the roads in Goa, would be a broken leg for sure if not my neck, so opted for something more practical.

Handmade leather and unusual design, defo for me only ten pounds.

 

 

Mr R didn't go without, funky swim shorts for him two pound a pair.

 

Have a good walk around the fringe of the market, here you will find a host of promotion girls giving samples away free. 

 

 

This is what we came home with.

 

We also had loads of free drinks and food.

 

A great day out.

 

Market only opens Sat and Sunday 09:00 - 18:00

Take the Skytrain straight to the market.