Title COLOUR

Trying to get rid of the orange which is almost invisible.

I sent this off but have just found spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Rookie mistakes. I should know better.

Waterways Short Story Competition

A RELAXING WEEKEND ON THE CANAL 

In less than a mile I reached the Harecastle tunnel in a seventy foot barge with lamp like a candle. The barge ricocheted from side to side. BOOM, BOOM. I was terrified as I passed the entrance of the disused coal mine reputed to be haunted by the Kidsgrove Bogart. I sailed out into the sunlight shaking but  relieved to see my crew, son Robert and partner Philp coming along the towpath. 
All aboard! It went well until -- a long lorry, parked with its rear-end overhanging the canal by six feet. I hit it. The number plate on barge was sliced off.
At the end of  a peaceful day we moored and cycled towards the nearest pub in single file, Philip last.  He braked to prevent himself from touching my rear wheel, splosh - into the canal he went. Philip not an athletic man, leapt out as though he had landed on a springboard. We laughed hysterically. Seeing his hat floating on the water he said, ‘Must take photo, that hat cost me ten quid.’ The hat said, ‘Blub, ’ and sank.
On the last day Philip was steering. ‘There’s the lorry your mother hit on the way out.' He reached for his camera. We hit the lorry for a second time taking off the other number plate .
 Returning through the tunnel Philip steering, I shouted, ‘Look the Bogart’.  A white shape floated towards us then turned into the old mine. A trick of the light?  It was enough to make Philip pass the helm to me.  I steered the barge out into the sunlight.

We have a blurry photo of the lorry but sadly not the hat. Philip is no David Bailey and it seems that neither of us is Ellen MacArthur.

Brick wall women

Women in the cracks

1. Hypatia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypatia

2. Pope Joan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Joan

3. Hildergard of Bingham

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingham

4. Christine de pizan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_de_Pizan

5. Aphra Ben https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphra_Behn

6. Jocelyn Bell Burnell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocelyn_Bell_Burnell

7. Mary Wollstonecroft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft

I could write a book

Letter to Mslexia

I sent an email to Mslexia. I sent it to the forum because I couldn't find the letters page. And guess what? They emailed me back to ask if they could print a shorter version in their next issue on the letters page. 

Just the publication of a letter gives me such a boost. I had begun to wonder if I could write or even if I wanted to. So what now? I must find someone to critique my short stories. That might have to be in the winter as I am still organising this house.