A Suffolk retirement?

In a Times feature the other day, Suffolk was described as the best county to retire to. I agreed, commenting that Suffolk is even better when you have returned after many years living elsewhere. The combination of familiarity, tranquility, stunning landscapes and lots of good things to do, make it a perfect place to live out your life.

As a writer, with my latest book, which is all about Suffolk, out early next year, I found the locally published book A Suffolk Garland enchanting. It’s a collection of writing by a wide range of Suffolk writers, including many whose work I admire. Last night at the Castle Community Room in Framlingham, local arts charity Flipside staged an event at which a number of those writers spoke about what Suffolk meant to them, and read extracts from their work.

It was a powerful event, that left me determined to shake off distraction and spend more time on my next book, which is slowly taking shape in my mind. As I’ve found over the years, once the seed of a new book has taken root in your head, it grows and grows, pushing other things out of its way, until it finally emerges onto the page.

So yes, I am now living in Suffolk and yes, I am no longer taking on paid work, but as a writer, I’m not sure I will ever really retire.