STORMY WEATHER -Gales ahead

STORMY WEATHER - Gales ahead

With autumn gales upon us I thought I'd share the opening lines of BLOOD ON THE STRAND, the third novel in the Detective Inspector Sonny Russell series.

‘Bloody hell! We’ll never be able to land in this!’ The onshore wind, force six gusting seven, made it far too dangerous to approach close enough to the shingle beach to unload the wooden crate. The deck of the fishing boat dipped in the troughs and broke through the crests of the angry sea, spray and foam flying, soaking the men. It was all they could do to remain standing.

          ‘We’ll just ’ave to push it over the side and let it drift in. With this wind and tide it’ll quickly reach the shallows.’

          ‘What about the other one?’

          ‘Less said about that, the better.’

‘’Ow are we going to explain it? The fact that it’s empty - that the contents ’ave found their way elsewhere.’

‘I’ve been thinkin’ about that…’ His words were snatched away by the wind.

‘What?’

The man raised his voice to a shout. ‘I said, I’ve been thinkin’ about it. We pull the top off completely; chuck it over the side and say it must’ve sunk.’

‘But what if it won’t sink.’

‘Don’t matter. It’ll be empty an’ as far as anyone knows, the contents are lyin’ somewhere on the seabed.’

‘If you’re sure…’

‘Unless you’ve got a better idea… Come on, let’s get them overboard, Sailor and Frankie will be looking out for them. Then we’ve got to get this boat back to Nottery Quay, before anyone notices it’s missing.’

HAGSTONES - magical talismans.

HAGSTONES

magical talismans

Hagstones are simply stones that have a natural hole through them, caused mainly by the weathering effects of water on a weak part of the stone. DI Sonny Russell, in the Blood on the ... series of detective novels, often picks them up and slips them in his pocket when he's walking along the shingle beach, with Aggie the terrier, near his home. 

But that is where the simplicity ends. Over the centuries they have been called Adder Stones, Eye Stones, Fairy Stones, Hex Stones, Holy Stones, snake Eggs and Witch Stones. (Hag is another name for witch).

They are believed to have protective powers, particularly because magic cannot work on moving water and the holes are made by that element. People often thread them on a string or wire and hang them on the gatepost of their house to keep evil influences out.

When I had my first medal winning garden at Chelsea I swagged 150 hagstones across the chestnut fence. And do you know, It kept all the witches of Chelsea out of the garden!

However, I have learned that it's not so much good luck if you pick them up when you see them on a stony beach, but bad luck if you don't. So beware. Either be prepared to go home with bulging pockets or avert your eyes and don't look down.

My thanks to my fellow Author Emma Batten, for reminding me of hagstones on her blog: https://www.emmabattenauthor.com/blog