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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I've had a lovely, literary day today. I returned to Jane Austen's House for another Drop in and Write session. I got lots done, including the final additions to my manuscript. It's now ready to send out to agents when I start querying on the 19th. Yikes!! #janeausten #writerslife

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Autumn is such a pretty time of year, especially when the sun is shining. There were plenty of signs of autumn during my walk this morning, from orange leaves on the pavement, to the damp, bonfire smell in the air. Some beautiful flashes of red caught my eye, so out came my camera! #autumncolours

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Today on the Hidden Heroines of History #podcast things get suitably spooky! Gayvin Powers talks to #JaneAustensniece, Caroline Jane Knight about ghostly goings on at Chawton House & Steventon Church. Available on Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio & YouTube. Link to YouTube in the comments. #ghoststories

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Even though it is still 20°C, it's time to start thinking about Christmas! To that end, I ordered my Christmas turkey yesterday and I've just soaked the fruit for the Christmas cake in brandy! Has anyone else started their Christmas preparations? #christmasfood #christmascake

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The second episode about Blanche de Castile is now available on the Hidden Heroines of History podcast. Join host, Gayvin Powers, and author Sherry Jones to find out more about this fascinating hidden heroine! #historylovers #podcast

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Gayvin Powers spoke to author Sherry Jones about Blanche de Castile for the Hidden Heroines of History podcast & Blanche was quite a character! Listen to episode 1 on Spotify, iTunes, IHeartRadio & YouTube now, then tune in tomorrow for episode 2! Link to YouTube in the comments. #historylovers

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I was asked to co-host the Tea and Tales #Podcast. I was nervous, as I've never co-hosted before. I got everything set up well in advance. 20 minutes before recording, I went into my study. The sun was streaming in through the window, so I couldn't be seen on screen! See 📸 for my solution!

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Watch this week's Hidden Heroines of History podcast on Spotify, iHeartRadio, iTunes & YouTube. I'm so excited about this one! Gayvin Powers interviews author Katherine Reay about her upcoming historical spy novel, The Undercover Bookshop. Link to YouTube in the comments. #podcast #WomenInHistory

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Ever wondered who devised the game #Monopoly? Are you a fan of NancyTaber's 1st novel, #ASeaofSpecters? Would you like more gen on a possible portrait of #JaneAusten? Hidden Heroines of History covers them all! Link to the YouTube channel in the comments or listen on Spotify, iHeartRadio & iTunes.

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The final of three episodes about #JaneAusten dropped on the Hidden Heroines of History #podcast today. We discuss the possibility that a portrait of Jane Austen, given to historian Paula Byrne, is authentic. Find it on Spotify, iHeartRadio, iTunes & YouTube. Link to YouTube in the comments!

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

It's #JaneAustenJuly on the Hidden Heroines of History podcast! In today's episode, host Gayvin Powers and I discuss, amongst other things, Paula Byrne's novel 'Six Weeks by the Sea'. Subscribe to the Hidden Heroines YouTube channel so you never miss an episode! Link to YouTube in the comments.

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I was very popular at my #yoga class yesterday because I brought this piece of hardware with me! #heatwaveuk

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I had a new writing experience today. I attended a 'Drop in and Write' session at Jane Austen's House. Over the course of 2 hours, I was served 4 cups of delicious cafetiere coffee & I planned the first 14 scenes of my 5th novel. It was a very enjoyable and productive experience. #writingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

My Dad and I visited our favourite pub in the countryside this morning. Last week we had a heatwave, so the view looked very different, but it's beautiful there in any weather. You can see in the clouds that the rain and thunder we are now experiencing was on its way! #coffeebreak #countrypub

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

🎉The Hidden Heroines of History Podcast season finale is now available on Spotify & YouTube! Join Gayvin Powers & I as we discuss Anne Bradstreet, Puritan America's 1st published poet. We compare her life to Anne Hutchinson's who received very different treatment in the New World.🎉 #historypodcast

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

🎉The Season Finale of the Hidden Heroines of History podcast drops this Tuesday, 26th May, on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple podcast and YouTube.🎉 Host, Gayvin Powers, and I discuss the incredible Puritan Pioneer, Anne Bradstreet. In 1650 she became America's first published poet. #historypodcast

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Anne Bradstreet - Puritan, Pioneer, Poet. Join me and host, Gayvin Powers, as we spill the Tea on America's first published poet on the Hidden Heroines of History podcast this Tuesday 26th May. Available on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple podcast and YouTube. #historypodcast

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

I'm getting Word to read my manuscript to me. It's brilliant! I'm catching so many little things from missed punctuation marks to word echoes to double spaces. Instances of telling are jumping out at me and I'm having huge fun rewriting them. It's great! 🤩 #EditingHack #writerslife #writingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Women and the Road That Made America, the latest episode of Hidden Heroines of History podcast is now available on Spotify & YouTube. Jim Dodson talks to Gayvin Powers about his book 'The Road that Made America'. For educational purposes only. Link to YouTube in the comments. 🙂 #historypodcast

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Women and the Wagon Road, the next episode of the Hidden Heroines of History podcast, will go live this Tuesday (12th May). Available on Spotify, iHeartRadio YouTube and Apple. Here's a sneak peek! N.B. This podcast is for educational purposes only. #historypodcast

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

I took my Dad out for coffee and cake this morning at a tea room we'd never been to before. Delicious coffee & cake. I'd tucked in before I remembered to take a photo! When I got home, I did the online poll clerk training ahead of the local elections & finished marking exam papers. #BusyButGoodDay

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

A teaser for a Hidden Heroines of History episode about Margaret Mattson. Journey to the 17th century with host Gayvin Powers & actress and writer Gina Dodson, to honor Margaret, a Swedish-Finnish healer whose life was nearly destroyed by a wrongful charge of witchcraft in the American colonies.

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

I have just finished grilling my traditional Simnel cake. I had to hold my nerve, but it's the best one I've ever produced, I think. 😀 A very happy Easter to all who celebrate. 🐣 #Easter2026 #simnelcake

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

I took my car for its annual service today & edited my novel while I waited. I sat on a stool at a high bench. I noticed some people made an effort to ignore me, but others were trying to read what was on my screen, albeit from a distance. I was not impressed! The pictures below detail my response!

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Standing tall and proud, its bloom, a pale, blushing pink, was so worth the wait. #dailyhaikuprompt

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Beryl, the amaryllis - yes, I named her - has burst into bloom! Isn't she beautiful? #amaryllisflower

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

I was given an amaryllis for Christmas and completely forgot about it. Two weeks ago, I opened the box to find it had started to grow at an odd angle despite not being planted. I potted it up and, 2 weeks on, it's about to bloom. How's that for resilience? I'm so impressed! #amaryllis #NoGreenThumb

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

I've had a good afternoon at my writing desk! I've written a blurb for my next novel and a two-page outline as well. I need to do a lot more work before writing my 5th novel, but the bones of the story are in place! #WritingCommunity #outlining #newproject

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

On Friday, at 15.40, I finished the 1st draft of my 4th novel. Since the 12th of January, I had written 21,409 words! I'm still recovering, but I'm very proud of myself. #writingcommunity #firstdraft #writerslife

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Today started with housework - it can't be ignored forever, sadly - & ended with my first ever yoga class. I thoroughly enjoyed the class. In between those 2 activities I did some sprints with my online writing group and wrote 2,107 words. I'm very pleased. #yoga #yogapractice #writingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

A friend contacted me yesterday to say her mum was too ill to go to the theatre & would I like to go. The production was 'A Boy Called Christmas', a story I absolutely love. So I spent this afternoon at the theatre, which was a wonderful way to say goodbye to 2025 & look ahead to 2026.

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Wishing everyone who celebrates a very Merry #Christmas! 🌲🎅🤶

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

My cousin, Caleb Klaces, published his #secondnovel today. I was privileged to attend the book launch yesterday at @burleyfisher.bsky.social. 'Mr Outside' is a poignant, warm, sometimes funny novel set over one weekend when a young man helps his father pack to move into a care home #readingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Today was a typical autumn day of which Keats would be proud. I looked out of the window this morning & a layer of mist hung in mid-air, just above the garden fence. It looked v mysterious. I took a photo - of course - but it doesn't do the autumnal scene justice. #autumn #autumnvibes #autumnmist

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Lunch with a friend and a walk by the sea in the sunshine added up to a wonderful day off yesterday. And I wrote 250 words because, apparently, I just can't stop writing! Back to my writing desk today. #writingcommunity #dayoff #seascape

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Today is exactly the sort of autumn day I love. Cold, crisp and sunny. Dad and I decided to make the most of the glorious weather. We went out for a coffee before I started writing at a tea room on a working farm. As you can see from the picture, autumn is well underway. #autumn #pumpkins

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

It's been a v productive afternoon at my keyboard. I've written 1,716 words & broken the 30,000 word barrier. The 1st rewrite of my #wip is going well. I'm v pleased. But my brain has ground to a halt now, so I'm going to stop writing for today. How is your day going? #writingcommunity #wordcount

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

I was too early, then too late to capture the #LunarEclipse2025 on my camera. I ended up with some lovely photos of the clouds at sunset and what might be the end of the eclipse. I'll just have to watch it online, I guess. 😀🌑

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

The Measure by Nikki Erlick has been on my tbr pile for ages. Tonight, I'm finally going to stary reading. #excited #amreading #readingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Despite being interrupted by a thunderstorm & torrential rain, I finished the rewrite of Chapter 15 today. Tomorrow I can start work on the chapter which is the most entertaining & fun to work on in the whole novel. I anticipate a lively day at my keyboard. New word count: 25,507! #writingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

Some family came to visit for a couple of days and my aunt brought me some books. It's always thrilling to be given books. I started reading 'Assembly' by Natasha Brown about an hour ago and I can't put it down. Has anyone read it? #books #reading #amreading #readingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Guess who's been shopping for eyeliners! I'm having a much-needed day off. So far I've been for lunch and shopping with my sister and a dear friend of ours. Now we've stopped for a coffee. Bliss! #DayOff #ladieswotlunch #shopping #girlslunch

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

After an epic day of writing I am now just over quarter of the way through the rewrite of my latest #wip. I'm really pleased. The new word count is in the photo! How has your Tuesday gone? #amwriting #writingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

I love the film Black Narcissus, but I never knew it was adapted from a novel. So when I saw this beautiful Virago Modern Classics version, I had to buy it. I'm only a few chapters in, but I'm really enjoying it. Which film have you loved only to discover it was based on a novel? #readingcommunity

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

I was touched to receive these from 2 of my flute students today. I just hope I can keep them alive! I'm going to try, but my track record isn't great. In my final year at uni, my mum gave me a cyclamen at the beginning of the academic year. I had killed it within the 1st 10 weeks. 🤦🏼‍♀️ #houseplants

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

On Sunday I was given a bag of morello cherries. I spent some time stewing them & have frozen them so for a cherry crumble. There was some liquor left over, so I decanted it. My Dad & I had some of it with vanilla ice cream for dessert this evening. It was delicious! #morellocherries #gardenproduce

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

I've had a productive writing day partly due to inspiration (hurrah) and partly due to this fab buy. For anyone not in the know - which was me 3 days ago - this is a rechargeable neck fan. It's wonderful. It's kept me cool all afternoon while I reordered the scenes in the first 45 pages of my #wip!

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C E Draycott writes @claredraycott.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

More sweet peas from the garden. This time I've put them in the hall. I'm really enjoying being able to cut flowers that I've grown for the house. And they smell so lovely. 😀 Does anyone know how long sweet peas plants flower? #sweetpeas #sweetpeaseason

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