Why Ghostly Galleon?

Why Ghostly Galleon? All will be revealed. More to the point, why on earth have I decided to start this blog NOW, when I have a million and one other things I should be doing? Probably because I have a million and one other things I should be doing.

Maybe because I have a new book coming out in November and I am at that stage when I am convinced it's going to dive into the void, never to be seen again. And I'd kind of be sad about that.

It's called the Highwayman's Footsteps. It's set in 1761 in the north-east of England and features a highwayman. No it doesn't - it features a girl and a boy, who are both highwaymen. It's been described as 'Robert Louis Stevenson on caffeine'. I like that! Pure adventure, exciting, frightening, thought-provoking. There's death and horror, cruelty and injustice. But friendship and loyalty, bravery and beauty too. And it was great fun to write, more fun than anything I've done.

ANYWAY, there's an added twist: you see, my favourite poem of all time is Alfred Noyes' The Highwayman. You know, the one where Bess, the landlord's 'red-lipped, black-eyed daughter', and her lover, the handsome highwayman, die at the hands of the dastardly redcoats. Or, to be precise, Bess shoots herself to warn him 'with her death' and when he hears what she has done, he rides back in fury and allows himself to be shot 'down like a dog in the highway'. ANYWAY, the point is that I decided that Bess and the highwayman had had a child, a girl, also called Bess, brought up by her father in the devious ways of a highwayman.

But that's not the twist. Last week, I went to stay in Alfred Noyes' old house and while I was there I actually LISTENED to an old recording of him reading his wonderful poem. An utterly amazing experience. I've written about it for Carousel magazine and several other places are interested in publishing it after Carousel comes out.

So, do you know now why Ghostly Galleon?

In which case, you might be surprised to know that Noyes' original first draft didn't use 'ghostly galleon' but 'Flying Dutchman'. How do I know? Because his grandson gave me a copy of an early draft, in the poet's own handwriting ...

How did all this come about, this visit to the house and listening to the tape? Because of the poet's daughter - Lady Nolan. She read my book and gave permission for me to use the poem. 'Why don't you go and stay in our old house?' she said. 'And listen to an old recording of my father reading The Highwayman?'

How could I refuse?