There has been a long period of silence. My last post was written when I was still in hospital. I have been home now for six months and trying to rebuild my life after six months of incarceration at the hands of the NHS. Nothing good came out of my time in hospital – just a new set of problems to deal with plus a shit load of trauma. Much could be said about the diabolical state of the UK health service and the dangerous concepts that underpin modern medicine. I have been preoccupied with licking my wounds both real and metaphorical. It is a time for change and I have considered taking the Purple Hermit blog offline for good. However, for now I will keep this space going in the hope my readers have not forgotten me.

As far as creativity goes, I am embarking on my first novel. And no, it’s nothing to do with hospitals! The story is set in the 1980s and focuses on a group of peace activists living in a small northern town. There are many echoes of the 80s in the present day – war, poverty, racism, strikes, protest and the feeling that society is breaking down. History repeats. The 80s was an interesting time both culturally and politically. I’m enjoying delving into those memories and telling a great story. My novel is called When the White Crow Speaks.

If any of you have stories to tell from the eighties particularly about the campaign for nuclear disarmament in the UK I would love to hear them. It’s surprising how little there is on the internet about one of the biggest protest movements of all time. One might almost think it has been deliberately erased from our history …..or am I being paranoid? War and the threat of nuclear annihilation is still a reality but the idea doesn’t seem to alarm people any more. Complacency is taking over.