Mrs Fleming's and Mrs Gill's Dales Diary

Does anybody remember Mrs Dale's Diary?? No, neither do I much but I think I remember there being a Doctor Dale and it all being terrible pukkah. Anyway, it makes a good title for the day out that Leah Fleming and I had today.
I love the Yorkshire Dales but not being behind a tractor with a double trailer loaded with shredded wheat hay bales, or sitting in my little car, fuming in Bedale because the roads are up in the holiday season. It usually takes me about an hour to get to Leyburn but today was rather longer. It is worth it, however to meet my mate and talk about writing.

Counter with cakes behind happy customers

Leah Fleming

My writing friends are spread all over the country. We do our best to get together whenever we can.  Leyburn is about equidistant for Leah and me to meet and we have our favourite cafe there. Serendipity. We meet for coffee, they make great coffee and then we have lunch, they make great soup, toasties, sandwiches and then we have tea and - yes, you are right, they make great cake. We had banana cake.
Writing is one of those things which only writers can talk about. Perhaps every business, every industry is the same and people who aren't involved don't understand and even other people within the industry have no idea how a book is produced by a writer. Actually we don't really know either but we tend not to say that. We can however talk about it hour after hour and that's the fun of being in business, the chat. And also you don't feel alone because writers have the same problems and it helps to talk about them and often it's inspiring to talk, it lightens the soul!  if you like.  I feel motivated when I come home.

Leyburn main street.

Leah Fleming and I have been friends for many years. My life would have been much poorer and much less fun without her. I imagine us as old ladies - many years from now, of course - looking back and being amazed at how hard we tried, how much the writing mattered and how lucky we were.
August 1st is Yorkshire Day and here is Leah in the Tourist Information Office where we went just to be nosy. She assures me that Yorkshire Day is something to do with the Wars of the Roses.  I will have to take her word for it, it's too far south for those of us who live in Durham.