Mikey Campling's Blog: Mikey Campling's Blog

I wanted to start recording these episodes as a way of saying thank you to readers and supporters.

This is the first one, and I recorded the video first and then used the audio for the podcast – not an ideal way to do it. Next time I’ll be more podcast-centric,

You can listen below, download the audio, or subscribe. I’ll also share the video. Thank you for listening or watching.

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At the Community Hub in our village (a small shop set up one morning a week to sell a few essentials and provide coffee and cake to the locals) a neighbour told us that a nearby village were putting on Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

A few of us immediately decided to go together. The performance was in Dunsford in the Teign Valley, and the handy name of their amateur dramatic society is, of course, DADS.

It was a fun evening, and the cast did an excellent job. By definition they’re a...

I was fortunate enough to have been given a helicopter ride experience for my last birthday, but since my birthday is in October we waited a while to book it.

I’m happy to say we picked a perfect day to enjoy it. We took off from Dunkeswell near Honiton, and the skies were so clear we could see right across Devon to the coast.

Afterwards, we stopped at Exmouth for a walk along the coast before returning home.

 

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

To see the rest of the photos and to comment, pleas...

This is a very early draft and the book doesn’t have a title.

Most writers don’t share first drafts at all, but I’m happy to share it with members of the site, and that means you’ll need to register or sign in.

In case you missed it, the snippet I shared earlier is here: Snippet 1

Prologue

The Reverend Gregory Southgate stood alone in the Parish Church of St Raphael, the sole place of worship in Embervale. This parish is only one of the four that he serves as vicar, but he often lingers here whe...

One of the joys of living in Devon is discovering the leafy lanes and byways, some of which barely seem to be used.

Despite having lived here for well over 25 years, we’re still finding places where we stop and say, “I can’t believe we’ve never been here before.”

Today’s photos are from the Wray Valley Trail, This trail was made on the route of the Victorian railway that ran from Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead. We ran along it from Bovey Tracey, and instead of turning back at the village of L...

Or is this life imitating art imitating life? 

In the Devonshire Mystery I’m working on, I wrote a scene just the other day in which Alan and a friend (no spoilers) visit a cafe on Dartmoor, the real life Ullacombe Farm. They find the place crowded, partly because a classic car club had chosen the place for their rally. Alan studies the cars on display, taking a fancy to an MG.

This was inspired by a real-life visit to the cafe many years ago, in which the same thing happened to me and my famil...

Mrs C and I went up onto Dartmoor for a stroll and a picnic. It was a fine day, and we stopped at Haytor Rocks. I’ve shared photos from here before, but the view varies with the seasons, and I always enjoy this spot. The light was perfect and we could see for miles, all the way to the sea on the horizon.

You may recognise the rocks from the cover of Accomplice to Murder. I believe it was also used for the cover of A Study in Stone, though it was pictured from further away and elements were adde...

This is a very early draft and the book doesn’t have a title.

Here we have a character from Valley of Lies making another appearance.

Most writers don’t share first drafts at all, but I’m happy to share it with members of the site, and that means you’ll need to register or sign in.

Excerpt from Chapter 1

Her trusty trug in the crook of her arm, Marjorie Treave let herself into the chicken run and securely fastened the door behind her. Her bantams were a feisty bunch, and there were one or two wh...

Mrs C and I went to a family gathering up in Hull recently, and of course, I took a few snaps to share.

Hull is one of those places that is much maligned, but it has a lot to offer.

There’s an old saying, “From Hell, Hull, and Halifax, may the Good Lord deliver us.” A quick search reveals that this dates from the 17th century and may have originated as a thieves’ litany: a type of prayer or incantation used by thieves as they parted ways. It’s easy to see why thieves wanted to avoid hell, but y...

We took a trip to Exeter to stroll along the quay the other day, and I was impressed how this area has been brought to life with cafes and shops and bars. It almost feels like being on the Med.

The Exeter Quay features in a couple of my books, so that may be of interest. In Accomplice to Murder, Dan runs along the quay and also talks to a certain policeman, and in Lawful Duty, characters visit a nightclub and a cafe. The cafe is shown below, although I did fictionalise it. There is a nightclub,...