Hi everyone,

So sorry it’s been a while since my last update. As you know I had intended to take you all to Lefkas and Corfu with me. I had started to do so while at the same time doing a distance learning course with the Writers Digest University. Not long into the course I learned that publishers are less than impressed if they find material being offered to them for publication has already been published elsewhere, including in a personal blog! So, to be on the safe side, I haven’t posted anything new for a few weeks.

However, as things have moved on apace I can now share a few things with you.

Thanks to my wife Clare’s diligence in spotting a particular magazine in a taverna by Preveza airport while we were on holiday, I have just seen my Agiofili Beach article in print, and one of my photographs on the front cover. You may imagine how pleased I am! The magazine is called ‘The Ionian’. If you are interested in what previously would have been in the blog you can read the magazine online here: http://www.theionian.com

I understand from the editor that my ‘Corfu’s most beautiful villages’ article is scheduled for the September edition.

In the meantime I have written two articles related to next year’s 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo and am waiting to hear from the editor of a history magazine as to whether they wish to publish either of them.

I have also entered a travel writing competition called ‘Away With Words’, run jointly by The Telegraph and Saga. The winner will be judged by journalists from a shortlist of 20 articles. There are hundreds of entries and the shortlist will be the 20 articles with the most ‘votes’ by friends and family. So (with apologies if you’ve already received this request via another FB post) would you please follow each of these links and vote for my two entries? I hope you enjoy the stories too! Feel free to share the links more widely! Thank you very much.

http://sagaawaywithwords.co.uk/entry/pangboche-khumjung-eastern-region-nepal/

http://sagaawaywithwords.co.uk/entry/glen-coe-united-kingdom/

Having been admonished recently by friends and relatives (Mike and Dan especially!) for not blogging I shall try and do better in future. I just need to find a way of writing for you while not compromising publication opportunities later.

After April’s trek in Nepal and last week’s in Scotland I have a significantly more tough reporting assignment tomorrow. First thing in the morning I shall head into London bound for the Natural History Museum’s ‘Mammoths’ exhibition with a very discerning and highly energetic companion. One who is smarter beyond their years and will only accept clarity of explanation and will instantly see through flannel. They are also very knowledgable on the topic of prehistoric creatures and in particular T-Rex. I refer to my grand-daughter Isobel. Wish me well. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow, not from my perspective but from that of a 4 year old. Who knows what insights will emerge? For sure it’s going to be fun.

Hi everyone. I mentioned a few days ago that I was changing from Weebly to WordPress as the latter accepts updates by email. There are of course limits to how much stuff you can get in an email: practically somewhat less than a full-on Andyblog so I’ll save the full update until I get somewhere with decent connectivity. For now please know that it’s been a brilliant day all of which was spent alongside Loch Lomond. Rain and midges remain absent, as was the spider in Rob Roy’s cave, and the only thing that stopped a cheeky skinny dip in the Loch was fear of frightening my fellow walkers (ok – maybe the temperature of the water too – but I do have a little story from the past to share….). I am now alongside the bar at the Drovers Inn at Inverarnan. I know this is a little thin as a blog entry but that’s Inverarnan comms for you. Any suggestion that this is simply an excuse for me to enjoy the hospitality of aforementioned Inn is wide of the murk. I mean mark. Patience team, patience!

At 8:57 on the dot this evening the massive, 16 coach, Caledonian Sleeper pulled out of Euston Station, Platform 1. Having previously checked into my berth I headed for the lounge car. You won’t be surprised to learn I was first in, not at all due to being desperate for a cold beer but because I know the little kitchen normally runs out of haggis neeps and tatties quickly.

I was feeling quite pleased with myself for having set up my new blog earlier in the day, on WordPress, and for having secured the site name of ‘andysblog.me’ for a very reasonable sum. The main reason for moving to WordPress was to get the ability to update my blog via email. Weebly didn’t support that meaning that I could only update if I had 3G or wi-fi; as likely to be flakey in Scotland as it was in Nepal. My first task had been to complete the ‘about’ section in which I explained the purpose of the site. This was to be not only a site for writing about a series of adventures beginning with the West Highland Way, but where I would write about any progress I made towards becoming a published author. I was under no illusion that this concept had been used before, but imagine my horror when, in the sleeper lounge enjoyed a cool Deuchars IPA I found there was another Andrew James online doing exactly the same! Mercifully I was calling myself ‘Andy’ rather than ‘Andrew’ and the other chap writes crime fiction based in Paris, but it was a bit close for comfort.

Anyway, we are now hurtling through North London and due to the train having been in the sidings in full sunshine all day it is stifling. The cool Deuchars is of course some comfort but the best decision of the day, far better than the blog site shenanigans, was putting on trousers with zip-off lower legs. Trying desperately not to upset fellow travellers, and especially the young lady peering intently at her iPhone next to me, I managed to remove said legs from my trousers and deposit them in my rucksack under the table. Hence the joyous title of this, my first ‘Writing Journal’ piece, being ‘They’re Off!’

Future blogs in this category will be more considered and to do with publishing plans and progress. For now however I’ll make do with telling you of my lower limb ventilation. Why? Because I read in the other ‘Andrew James’ blog that his intent to document progress suffered from a form of writers block to do with not wishing to share emotion publicly. Thus I thought I would demonstrate no such hang up.

If you didn’t want to know about my ventilation issues then blame the other Mr James!

By the way we’ve just passed Watford Junction and my legs, curiously rubbed almost hairless during the full leg covered strenuous walk-out from Everest Base Camp, are much cooler now; thanks for asking.

Bet you can hardly wait for the next post eh!? Fear not as I shall focus on the West Highland Way for the rest of the week.

At least I spared you the photo!