Book Illustrations

The Key

I grew up in a very old, very big, house (high ceilings, dark corners, many many spiders, occasional jackdaws falling down the chimneys), where all the doors clattered and had wobbly brass knobs that were almost impossible for little hands to turn; the loo door was especially tricksy.
One day, I just couldn’t turn the knob, no matter how hard I tried. I cried out for my mum to help me…

She tried to keep me calm and turned the knob from her side. Nothing. Meanwhile, I thought that turning the key back and forth in the lock might help… it didn’t. I somehow managed to wiggle the key out and then, with perfect child logic, decided the only solution would be to drop it out of the window! The loo is two floors up. My exasperated mum heads for the stairs…

Had I actually dropped it, the key would have landed on the garden steps below and Mum would have found it with ease. In reality I performed more of a panicky, uncontrolled fling! I didn’t see precisely where it landed, although I sort of knew it was probably kind of in the jungly no-man’s land that was always the forgotten bit when garden clearing was done. Mum, only just keeping a lid on her fury, is bent double searching in the undergrowth while I point vaguely from on high and give totally made up directions.

My magical Mum did eventually find the key, of course, and released her errant daughter.

Gold

When I was little my Daddy had magical powers (although he couldn’t always make them work!).
He would regularly come home from the office for lunch. Afterwards, and for payment of a ha’penny plucked from behind my ear he would lean back in his chair and feel the presence of treasure. He was never quite sure where it was so I had to help him find it. Oddly I was deemed hot or cold depending where I was (only he could detect this temperature ramp, I felt only excitement). When I reached for a particular shelf or delved into just the right pocket or opened a very specific drawer, I would be positively aflame, and there would be my reward!