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Metaphorical Mumblings



Protests, aborted landings, and a last Greggs breakfast - The Big Shrewsbury Editing Trip - Part 8
Day 8 - Saturday 11th April 2026 This was a day of travel, but I still had a few hours in Shrewsbury before I needed to head to the station and catch my train. I got up and took myself out for a walk at 7am. It was a lovely morning again - I have to say, the weather was amazing for my whole trip, given that I was in the Welsh borders in April. I wandered around town a bit, and was delighted to discover the Shrewsbury Farmers' Market in the Square. The market impressed me. The
Jo Bell
Apr 215 min read


Writing and Loggerheads - The Big Shrewsbury Editing Trip - Part 7
Day 7 - Friday 10th April - Writing and Loggerheads I got up early and headed out with my writing gear in my bag and my leaflet about ‘ Shrewsbury’s Mysterious Loggerheads ’ in my pocket. The Loggerheads themselves vary a lot in their formation. According to the leaflet, the only real stipulations is that the Loggerheads should appear in gold on a blue background. As a result, they appear in a wild variety of forms, ranging from leopards to lions to cats, and with varying fac
Jo Bell
Apr 214 min read


A big writing session - The Big Shrewsbury Editing Trip - Part 6
Day 5 - Thursday 9th April Having had such a successful shopping day yesterday, today was to be a writing day. I wanted to keep my step count low again, so I skipped my morning walk and watched BBC news again, while writing a ton of postcards to send to friends and family members. I feel like there’s nothing quite like receiving nice post, so I’ve sent out 20 postcards!! Hopefully the recipients will enjoy them. I grabbed a quick Greggs breakfast and took my cup of tea to the
Jo Bell
Apr 103 min read


Lots of editing, my kind of retail therapy, and connections with people - The Big Shrewsbury Editing Trip - Part 5
Day 5 - Wednesday 8th April After all the exercise I did yesterday, I woke up realising I had overdone it a little, so I skipped my early walk, hoping to keep my step count down to 10,000 today to give my body a rest. I’ve learned the value of listening to what your body tells you, and I pay attention as far as I can. Being on holiday, there is absolutely no reason to hit burnout! Breakfast I lay in bed with BBC Breakfast on for an hour after my usual 6:45am wake up, then got
Jo Bell
Apr 95 min read


More walking, more editing, and an unseasonal roasting! - The Big Shrewsbury Editing Trip - Part 4
Day 4 - Tuesday 7th April The benefit of early morning walks is something I’ve really begun to discover this year. As part of managing the misery (and I mean misery) of perimenopause is having a consistent wake up time, which for me effectively means that I am able to just go straight to sleep at night, instead of lying in my bed, tossing and turning, with my brain nattering away to itself. I’ve stuck with this (and many other strategies) since the beginning of January, manag
Jo Bell
Apr 84 min read


Easter Monday in Shrewsbury - Lots of walking, some editing, catching up with a friend - The Big Shrewsbury Editing Trip - Part 3
Day 3 - Monday 6th April 2026 A lengthy walk I began the day with a long walk. My choice of podcast - Josh Widdecombe’s Museum of Pop Culture - I bought myself a subscription and am working my way through the subscriber only content. I love the nostalgia and humour in this podcast, so I’m really enjoying it. For this walk, I headed towards The Quarry. I walked around part of the park, along the River Severn, until I found The Dingle, which is a beautiful formal garden, which
Jo Bell
Apr 73 min read


Easter Sunday in Shrewsbury - Beginning the Big Edit! - The Big Shrewsbury Editing Trip - Part 2
Day 2 - Sunday 5th April 2026 I began my day with an early walk, which took me through the centre of Shrewsbury, enjoying the beautiful historical architecture and a bit of exercise to wake me up. I ambled all the way down to the English Bridge, fully intending to revisit the two houses where war poet, and my favourite poet Wilfred Owen lived. His father worked at Shrewsbury Station, which was what brought the Owen family to Shrewsbury, having previously lived in Oswestry and
Jo Bell
Apr 65 min read


Travelling from Cappoquin to Shrewsbury - The Big Shrewsbury Editing Trip - Part 1
Day 1 - Saturday 4th April 2026 Cappoquin to Thurles to Dublin Left Cappoquin at 6:45am for Thurles Station. Mum and Dad very kindly drove me there, saving me the driving and the parking costs. Was lovely to have some company for the journey as well. The weather was all drizzle and mizzle the whole way, so no pretty Knockmealdown mountain views for us this time. Arrived at Thurles with 20 minutes to grab a cup of tea from the kiosk and be on the platform in good time, which
Jo Bell
Apr 56 min read


An Interview with Annie Bell for The Poet
By David Hollywood Back in 2021, I was interviewed by internationally renowned poet and writer David Hollywood for a feature in 'The...
Jo Bell
Mar 29, 202518 min read


Guest presenting The International Americana Music Show
Earlier in the summer, I was both surprised and delighted when, out of the blue, I was invited to guest present an episode of US based...
Jo Bell
Sep 1, 20242 min read


Irish traditions for a modern audience - The Booley House
I recently had the opportunity to attend one of the jewels in the crown of tourism in Co. Waterford - The Booley House . If you are...
Jo Bell
Aug 16, 20243 min read


Music, laughs and great atmosphere - Richie Power at St. Mary's Church of Ireland
Earlier this month, I had a real treat, when I headed to St. Mary's Church of Ireland in Dungarvan to watch my friend - Dungarvan Singer...
Jo Bell
Aug 15, 20243 min read


Rambling House Session at The Getaway
The Comeraghs were alive with the sound of music, when I recently attended this year's Rambling House Session with Joe Power, which took...
Jo Bell
Jul 26, 20242 min read


There's No Show Like a Joe Show - A Tunefest Special
Legendary traditional music festival Tunefest hit Dungarvan last weekend, bringing fantastic music and events to West Waterford and...
Jo Bell
Jun 30, 20242 min read


Releasing our Demons
Recently, I had the great pleasure of seeing my work published in Belgian journal 'The Kleksograph - an International Review of Art and...
Jo Bell
Jun 29, 20243 min read


Bringing Death's Domain to Aimsir Press
Earlier this year, I was absolutely delighted when my poem 'Death's Domain' was published by Aimsir Press in their 'Samhain' edition....
Jo Bell
May 26, 20242 min read


Commemorating The Centenary of Wilfred Owen's Death - 5 years on
It's no secret that my favourite poet is Wilfred Owen. November 4th marks 105 years since his untimely death in 1918. I always think of...
Jo Bell
Nov 4, 20235 min read


Charlotte - A real ghost story for Samhain
Sahmain is upon us, and with the thinning of the veil between this world and the next, my mind was drawn to the story of Charlotte White...
Jo Bell
Oct 28, 20236 min read


A poem for World Mental Health Day
Mental health is a topic that is very close to my heart. As someone that has suffered with anxiety and PTSD for over 15 years, I know the...
Jo Bell
Oct 10, 20232 min read


Culture Night at the Marine Bar
Friday 22nd September was Culture Night across Ireland and to mark the occasion, West Waterford Arts Group teamed up with Joe Power and...
Jo Bell
Sep 27, 20233 min read
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