Cloak and swagger

Tara slipped and stumbled along the gravel drive as the sky grew darker and the rain fell more heavily. Despite being drenched by the icy shower, she could feel perspiration trickle down the back of h

WOULD you look at the man!” Maggie said. She wasn’t much to look at herself, being as black as sin from the coal dust. She’d just finished a shift at the colliery screens, picking lumps of coal out of

WASN’T it you who used to work behind the bar at the Frog and Lettuce?” Susan Tallboys looked up. She’d been fastening the buttons of her overcoat, suppressing her dislike of its worn fabric and its m

Welcome to the Charles Jessop Theatre.” Lysette nervously eyed the group of drama students gathered in the foyer. She didn’t feel ready to lead her first guided tour. She’d only been at the theatre a

WHAT was the man thinking of when he did his shopping? Jessie thought. Two huge, brown paper parcels spilled food on to the kitchen table. Enough to feed a family for a fortnight at least. Slices of t

I WOKE up after a vivid dream of Eleanor. I’d had quite a few recently. Eleanor was my half-sister. She was older than me – the daughter of Dad’s first wife, Dorrie. My mum only found out he had a fir