Carol Yeomanson Books

Exactly, how do you mend a broken doll?

This was one of my stand alone novels that earned me a five star review. It’s available now on Amazon and Kindle.

Amy is happily married to Ricky until he is tragically killed in an accident and his body is found face down in a swimming pool. However, as she delves deeper in the death of the man she loves, she discovers that there is more to him than ever met the eye. A twisting and turning thriller that sees Amy thrown into the middle of an international espionage ring who will stop at nothing to obtain the secret that she holds and causes her to question who she can and cannot trust and who to avoid. A broken individual, Amy discovers that she is the doll who needs to be mended, and it’s down to many people to try to repair this broken doll – but who are they and can Amy ever really be mended?.

If you would like to read How Do You Mend a Broken Doll, you can find it on both Amazon and Kindle and as always I would love you to leave me a review and more than anything I hope you enjoy it.

One of the things I love doing is crafting and I’ve got a shop on Folksy called Violets and Lace crafts. I sell on kinds of things on their with one exception. Anything hand painted mainly because a paint brush and I have been mortal enemies since the day I started school. I went one way and the paint brush went the other. I sell in the UK and accept Bank Cards and PAY PAL and everything will be in the post within three days although it may take a day or two if the post clashes with a Bank Holiday.

So what do I make? I make a lot of hand made jewellery. I make baby blankets. I make too many different things to list to be honest. There are also some craft accessions such as pipe cleaners – in other words you never know what you might find.

So please, pop into Violets and Lace Crafts and take a look. You never know what you might find.

The link is

http://www.folksy.com/shops/violetsandlacecrafts

So please if you are looking for a gift for someone, please pop in to Violets and Lace Crafts. You never know what you might find.

As you know, I love to craft and have an on line shop on Folksy. Well like most people know, all our little craft shops are suffering and are closing down because people just aren’t buying, but you can find some fantastic, and unusual things if you look around and every one is made with love and not mass produced, so this is my shout out to just a few of them.

Violets and Lace Crafts, on Folksy (that’s me). I always say pop in and you never know what you will find.

Iced Rainbow.co.uk

Red Candy. Now this is great for quirky gifts. Not to everyone’s taste including mine, but then not everyone is the same.

On Etsy you can find a wooden sign. I’m not a craft Hoarder. I’m the Curator of an Extensive of an Extensive Private Craft Supply Collection By My Little Gift Shop. (I must get my Husband to by me that one).

On Folksy take a look at Wild Rose Designs for hand made evening bags.

Happy Chocolate Days on Folksy make the most amazing Cappuccino Chocolates we’ve ever tasted. I can vouch for that because I bought some for my son for Christmas.

So this is just a few for now and I will put others up. All I’m saying for now is that just because we are on Etsy and Folksy please don’t think we are all earning a million pounds. We aren’t. We’re struggling like everyone else. So if your’e looking for a gift for someone. Drop in and say Hello and some of us will even make bespoke gifts for you.

And those Cappuccino Chocolates. Just remember if you do buy them, they definitely won’t be hanging around for very long.

So for something different, let’s take a look at 15th Century Literature.

In 1403 the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers is founded and continues to this day to be a Livery Company.

1403-1408 the Yongle Encyclopedia is written in China.

In 1424 the First French Royal Library is transferred by the English Regent of France, John of Lancaster, First Duke of Bedford, to England.

1425. The First Guildhall Library is established in the City of London under the will of Richard Whittington.

1448 Pope Nicholas V founds the Vatican Library in Rome.

1451 A Manuscript of Dantes Divine Comedy is sold in London.

1453 Pageant of Coriolan staged in the piazza of Milan Cathedral

1453 French Poet Francois Villon implicated in a murder

1463 Francois Villon reprieved from hanging but was never heard of again.

1473 First book printed in Hungary

1488 Duke Humfreys Library at the University of Oxford receives it first books.

1490 Chinese Scholar Hua Sui invents bronze metal moveable type printing in China.

1499 Contents of the Library of the Library of the Madrasah of Granada are publicly burned.

As you can imagine, these are only a tiny amount of the things that have happened but I have certainly learned something especially about Number 1.

So this morning I had my second negative test after my second bout of Covid. This time around it really hit me badly, or that’s what I felt. I was drained and found it very difficult. Now, why is it that when you tell people this, they seem to take on this ‘ability’ not to believe a word you say? Well if I didn’t feel I was struggling this time around, I would’nt say it! Or maybe there are people out there who would, but I’m pleased to say, I’m not one of them. For the second year, it wrecked Mother’s Day for me. Fine, I’m moaning and making it about me, but my son had gone to so much trouble to make it nice for me. He had ordered a special breakfast pack of meats to be delivered from a specialist butcher so he could cook me a ‘Cockney’ breakfast because I’m a ‘proper’ cockey girl, born within the sound of bow bells, and he’d ordered a special joint of lamb to cook me a special meal. All ruined because someone out there passed Covid on to me because ‘someone’ didn’t think it was necessary to ‘follow’ the rules when they had it.

Well when my first test came back positive I did follow the rules. I stayed away from people. Nearly went insane doing that, Found things very unpleasant. Do I want praise? No! But the next day I was due to go Racing at Kempton Park Races and sit in the Members Room which is full of my and my son’s friends. So what should I have done? Gone anyway knowing I was positive, and just not said anything and then if I’d have passed it on, well? So what? But you see, these are my friends. The old lady with Dementia, the man we nick named Elbows because he always runs in first to get a special table, but when he does that he saves me and me son one. I stuck to the rules that we first had when Covid hit us. I’m not saying Look at me – aren’t I wonderful. I’m just saying I did what I felt was right.

The funniest thing was on Twitter. I made a comment which I thought was a bit light hearted. First test Negative. Another Negative tomorrow and Freedom is mine! Now as you know I’m an Author and I didn’t think too much about these words. In fact I didn’t think anything until I looked at the replies back I got!

“You alright have your Freedom. It is yours by Divine right living in this country!”

“You have your Freedom. Covid does not make you Free!”

And they went on and on.

For the first time, it really did make me shake my head and think – I give up sometimes. I really give up!!

Anyway, please take care because one thing is for sure. Covid is still out there. I certainly didn’t see it coming.

As you know Blue Umbrella Walks is owned and run by Jack Yeomanson. Jack is a Green Badge Tour Guide who qualified some years ago. He is not only a City of London Guide. He is also a Westminster Guide, and a Clerkenwell Guide. He does Public Walks and Private Walks.

What do I mean by Private Walks? Exactly that. You can contact him and ask him to write you a walk. Give him the subject of the walk you would like. For example you may have a special reason for wanting a walk around a special part of London, or it may be an Author that you love and you would like to know more about him. You may want to give the walk as a birthday present for someone special. There are dozens of reasons, but if you contact Jack, he will be able to do something for you. Another reason that you might want a Private walk of course is a group walk. Perhaps you would like a Veterans Walk? A group of Artists, or a Gardeners. These all count as Private Walks to Jack.

The other thing for Jack is a one person walk. He does realise that in this day and age some ladies do not like going on a walk alone with a male Guide. If he finds that he does have one lady on her own booked on one of his walks, he will always e mail before to let know and give her the chance to refuse and get a refund.

Jack is, and has been for a very long time a Public Speaker. He can give a talk about any subject you ask him for! And he has a brilliant and ironic sense of humour to brighten up any talk. I think rolling in the aisles is the is the phrase they used to use years ago.

So please check out

http://www.blueumbrellawalks.com on Facebook, Twitter, and my blog where I’ll keep you constantly updated about whats happening.

If you need a speaker for any event you can find Jack on Speaker net.

The main thing is contact him directly on

http://www.blueumbrellawalks.com any time.

Blue Umbrella Walks is owned by Jack Yeomanson, a qualified Green Badge London Tour Guide. He guides in all areas of London and can offer private walks as well as public walks. If you would like to talk to him about a private walk, please contact him at http://www.blueumbrellawalks.com. Everyone is welcome on his walks – including well behaved dogs!

The walks on his site at present are:

Friday 3rd March 7pm Bradshaws Westminster

Friday 10th March 7pm Their Trade Was Treachery

Sunday 12th March 11am Bradshaws City.

To book http://www.footprintsoflondon.com.

This is the blog that is really unpleasant for me to write, but for once I’m so furious I find it necessary. Yesterday I hosted a lunch to celebrate my 70th birthday for my son and our friend. My son and I are members of the Guild of Freemen and the Worshipful Company of Educators. My son has Livery Status and I don’t. The Butchers Hall is well know for being an Amazing Carvery dinner where they carve beef straight from the joint. We haven been before and it has always been incredible.

This meal for the three of us cost me £200 which I could afford and was happy to pay. We were seated, and were one of the last three tables to be called for food. The meal started with pea and mint soup, which was cold when we finally got it. Then we were called to get out main course. The first thing we noticed – there was no joint of meat! What there was was the ‘scrag’ ends of the last joint. So we said excuse us where is the joint please? Is it coming? We’re sorry they said. This is all the meat that’s left. Pardon? Little bits of scrag end. Six people waiting. We can only have a couple of bits each because that’s all you have left? So we call the Manager? He couldn’t have cared less. We move to the vegetables. They’re are any. Only a few carrots, parsnips and peas. Potatoes. You can only have two each. They’re all gone. Yorkshire puddings? Only one each. Sorry, they’re all gone. Plus the vegetables we ‘were allowed’ were stone cold. So we move onto the pudding course. A coffee pudding or cheese and biscuits. I choose cheese. Oh they say – you can only have three pieces. No grapes or nots. Where are the biscuits please I ask? No biscuits they snap. So I have three small pieces of cheese, no crackers, and I eat with my fingers. Next we go back to our table. They have removed our coffee cups. Why? We ask? We are closing now. So I’ve had enough my now and promptly tell the Manager to get us some tea and coffee or I am going to become very difficult. Oh well, he says just one of those things. The Master of the Guild had a large party in with him and we gave them priority of the food and it just ran out which is why the six of you didn’t get any.

So I’m not going to get a refund. The meal I had hosted for my guests was a total disaster and I can like it or lump it. However, we did get something to eat in the end. We went to a pub around the corner. We had a bowl of chips, a bowl of scampi fingers, and a Yorkshire pudding with gravy for £20.

Some time ago, my son and I were informed that the Members Room at Sandown Park Race Court was being closed due to the need to refurnish and re-modernise is and we were being ‘rehomed’ for as long as this project took. Then there seemed to be some confusion as to whether or not we would be going back to our ‘old’ room or staying in the ‘new’ room but did it matter in the long room. Not really until we saw the ‘new’ room which was a bit of a shock to my son and I bearing in mind that Membership is a bit steep but you could look at it the other way, and say we have duel membership with Kempton Park, and then there’s another thing that one gave up free tea and coffee for the whole meeting and one gave us a better lunch, but I could go on and it becomes a who’s better than who discussion and and loyalties becomes divided.

Anyway, the rain was like a monsoon when we got there. My son parks his car and we ‘try’ to find our new room, bearing in my no-one was really sure where it was only that it was near ‘the man who sells the hats’ What was a shock was that it wasn’t actually a ‘room’. It was like a ‘summerhouse’ or oversized greenhouse. So in we go and find a table. It was like a freezer so you think. Great – no heating. Look for the t.v.s to watch the racing because a lot of people like me tend to stay inside and watch on the t.v.s. Where are they? Right, that like twelve or fifteen inch thing on the wall in the corner that you can’t even see let alone seen watch the racing.

Then from behind us comes a ladies voice to the what I assume is a Manager. This room is completely useless for Disabled People. Well she had that right. Other people who we knew from Kempton were talking to us and saying how they disliked it.

Then this – whatever she was, who didn’t actually tell us what she was had the cheek to say, well you can go and sit in the old room. All the facilities are still there and open to you.

Hang on – riot in the air. So you have told us all to move rooms due to renovations to a cold Greenhouse that King Henry VIII wouldn’t have stuck Anne Bolyn in, just to look us in the face and tell us that we can go back to the old room because renovations haven’t yet started. To quote a past Prime Minister – which one is it.

We did find out that renovations will start. Just not when, but when they do the Members won’t have any toilets ! Yee Hah! We will have to use these Porta Cabin things! Or walk a mile with a smile as they say to find a proper toilet. Maybe they’ll give us a map!!!!! Alright I know I sound like a misery here, but as Members we do pay quite a high price for membership and I don’t expect to have to use a porta cabin every time I want to have a wee so to speak. Now we hear all these things about Gender Neutral Toilets….. Well how they will deal with this problem will be interesting.

Now you see the problem with going from this new room to our old room isn’t as easy as it sounds. Why? I can hear you saying? Because our new room God love it is on the ground floor, (near the man who sells the hats). So if you want the new room, you have to go up the escalator, along a very long corridor, into our room, but – boy was it comfortable when you got there. Armchairs, sofas, a perfect view of the track from the seats. This room. Hard chairs, the a view of – ummm – a concrete slope – and dozes of people coming from somewhere or other. Jack did go out and had to tell me what the results were.

The day did have one good thing about it. Lunch. We bought our lunch there. Very basic. Steak and Onion Pie. Mash potato and peas with gravy but it was gorgeous. Piping hot and when the waiter came to collect our plates I made a point of asking him to tell the chef how lovely it was.

So the afternoon got worse and this was when I really got annoyed and to be honest Jack backed me. Around came the I assume Manager and said I hope you have enjoyed such a wonderful day and I said No to be honest you do need to review things and change things like the size of the t.v.s. For one thing I haven’t been able to watch one single race.

Well she said you could have gone back to the old room. As I pointed out, in a e mail we were told to use the new room. The old room was no longer available. Don’t you dare threaten me she suddenly yelled.

Threaten you? I laughed. I just said we were told in an e mail from Sandown Race Course that we couldn’t use the old room because it was being re-furbished. Now don’t be silly. I never threatened you”

Apparantly however, and please listen and learn. If you use the words Don’t be Silly to someone which I apparantly used. Those three words are now considered – a threat – and she says I threatened her and her staff. Which I saw the funny side off because I never spoke to any of her staff except the lovely young man who served our lunch because tea and coffee is self service.

So Jack and I are now thinking about whether or not we stay with Sandown. We’ll definitely stay with Kempton Park because we have so many friends there and it’s so welcoming but Sandown. We’re really not sure.

I’ll give all my blogger friends one piece of advice though. Be very careful when you use the words Don’t be silly. You might well end up in Court accused of threatening behaviour ! lol

One day, when I was six years old, my parents had taken me to see a film in the West End of London. We had gone out after for a meal. I always remember it. We had Fried Plaice, Fried Potatoes as it was in those days and Pease. You didn’t says chips! The next day I had some frightened sensations. My vision started to take on some very strange things. I called them moving blotches. When they stopped I got what I could only describe as pins and needles in my nose. They travelled up my nose down into my throat which went dead. Then the whole of one of my arms went dead. Then it started to throb, a bit like the blood pulsating through it until it came back to normal. Can you imagine what that was like for a six year old? I was near hysterical with fear. Mum told me “Don’t think about it and it will go away” That was her answer to everything. Dad, my wonderful lovely Dad did try to help but this was the days when you had to ring the Doctor and ask for him to make a house call and he would turn up hours later when he had finished surgery. Eventually he did came and gave me a Tranquiliser to knock me out.

“No idea” was his diagnosis “Probably just throwing a tantrum because you wouldn’t let her have any afters. (Known as pudding these days).

“She did” hissed my Dad. “She had an ice cream”

“Well that’s it then” snarled the Doctor “She’s too fat. Put her on a diet”

That was my first introduction to Migraine.

They got worse and worse and I would hit my head against the wall and beg someone to make the pain in my head go away but no it never did. Dad decided he would take me to the Doctor and ‘Tell’ him he wanted a proper investigation into what was wrong with me. Well that didn’t go as planned. I was stripped off, examined to within an inch of my life and the Doctor’s conclusion was – I was just born evil !

My Dad froze on the spot. I thought he was going to wallop the Doctor. Anyway we just had to live with it. Life for me was a hell on earth. I was i trouble with school because I missed so much due to these mystery headaches which the Headmistress said I was inventing. So Dad got around that one by sayiny “Well the next time she is down with one you or any Member of the staff you are welcome to come and watch”

Anyway the years passed and I just suffered. I became afraid to live a normal life of going out very much because it became ‘just in case’. I went to work with the Ministry of Defence, my first job. I still had them but not so bad and my Officers there were fantastic about them. If I got them I was taken to the First Aid Room. They let me rest and then sent me home.

One funny thing did happen though at the MOD. I’d make coffee as usual for my Officers and a cup for myself. Drunk mine, next thing I know, someone was bringing me round. It turned out that I’m allergic to coffee. Now I never knew that there was such a thing. Allergy to coffee? It’s not a listed allergy anywhere, but it does bring on a terrible migraine in my case. Bad enough that if I go somewhere, I had to take my own mug with me because I can’t even risk drinking out of a mug that might have had coffee in it – and believe me I’ve offended some people over that one in my time.

Next they told me that a D and C operation would cure me. It was all down to my period cycle. So I was admitted to Charing Cross Hospital and operated on. Did it help. Not in the slightest.

Then I changed my Doctor. My Doctor then became a gorgeous, older Irish Man called Doctor Counihan. One of those Doctors that you immediately fall in love with because he listens to you and believes you.

He put me on a trial drug for Migraine. He told me that there was no guarantee it would work because it was in it’s first stages and I had to inject myself when I got a migraine. I wasn’t a diabetic then so that scared me half to death. It was called Zomig. Anyway I tried it and it worked when I got an attack. It didn’t cure me but it did cut down the length. It got rid of all the side effects. Now it’s in tablet form. I take on pill when I feel an attack coming on and one after one hour and I go to bed, although if I’m on my own I can sit though them.

What I’m saying is that When people say oh Migraine is nothing – it bloody well is and tell them that!

It has ruled my life since I was a small child. I could have had so much more in my life. Done so much more. I’ve been very lucky, yes I will admit that but the shadow of Getting a migrain is always with me, sitting on my shoulder.

If you are reading this and you suffer from migraine or you know someone who does, and they need a bit of extra help and support get onto

The Migraine Trust

I got onto them when I was at my lowest and they helped me a lot.

Finally, if someone tells you that Migraine is only a headache and to stop moaning, just give then a gentle reminder that Migraine doesn’t respect anyone and it could always happen to them.