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Ken Balneaves

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Ken Balneaves

Category Archives: School

School holiday time, let’s stop hiking

09 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by Ken Balneaves in A writers thoughts, Opinion, School

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Tags

Education, education secretary, holidays, Mr Gove, train strike

I read in the #SundayTimes today that at present Mr Gove has restricted parents from the previously accepted 10% withdrawal rule; to allow parents to avoid expensive school holiday periods. However, “From 2015, schools will have the option to alter term dates to avoid peak-season holidays.” Is this not, putting the cart before the horse?

These days, I am not affected by school holiday hikes in charges as my kids are grown up and until they have children, I can avoid these busy periods. However, that said, it has never been clear to me why prices should be increased at school holiday periods as it is grossly unfair on families, ours included in years gone by.

Surely, the answer is not to cause massive disruption to school terms, with the inevitable, one child off and the other not, due to differing school holiday policies. The answer is for government(s) to legislate against travel companies that increase their prices during school holiday time.

So Mr Gove, as Education Secretary, ever concerned about budgeting, how about understanding the pressures families are under and allow parents to keep their money by driving legislation to prevent price increases by holiday companies during school holiday time. In my view, that would be a far better use of your and Government’s time than restructuring school terms.

Until then Parents, follow the lead of the train drivers and vote with your feet; a one year embargo on companies who hike prices would soon see prices tumbling.

Ken Balneaves wrote, The Greatest Gift, available at http://amzn.to/QF7RLd (US), http://amzn.to/O12kgX (UK)

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Is observation a writer’s subconscious skill?

13 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by Ken Balneaves in A writers thoughts, Life experience, School

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Tags

drinking, driving, friendship, interaction, Observation, writing

Last evening, after work, I drove to my local pub and had a few pints with a friend. Later, my daughter drove me home in her car. My own car spent the night in the pub car park, a bit of a worry but it was fine when I collected it the morning.

To get to it, my wife gave me a lift, part of the way at least, on her way to work. The remainder of my journey was on foot, about half a mile or so. Me, walk, unheard of, but I quite enjoyed it, passing and actually seeing houses that I’ve been past a thousand times before but have never really noticed. I also went by two schools and observed just how many fathers take their kids to school these days; changed times, I was almost the only one when I did the school run when my kids were young.

I exchanged ‘good morning’ with the lollipop man at the zebra crossing near the school. He then shouted hello to a passing bread delivery van driver, who I’m guessing, he sees every day, a passing friendship. I noted interaction between many people, smiling and talking as they met each other; parents cajoling their children along as they did so.

I also wondered why there was no queuing traffic at the junction with the main road as there always is when I’m in the car or is that just my perception when driving, trying to get somewhere in a hurry?

The sauntered walk was no more than ten minutes or so but I saw so much more of life in that time than I normally do when driving. The thing is, until my journey was over, I hadn’t realised I had taken all of this in, but I now have more stored memories to draw upon whilst writing.

So, the moral of the story? More drive drinking I think; or, I could get a dog. Either way, I think that, as a writer, due to my unconscious observational skills, my writing will benefit, and I might lose the beer belly too, haha.

Ken Balneaves wrote, The Greatest Gift, available at http://amzn.to/QF7RLd (US), http://amzn.to/O12kgX (UK)

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Life, not as scary as SciFi, or is it?

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by Ken Balneaves in Forthcoming books, Published Books, School

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Tags

interview, radio, scary, School, science fiction, scifi, television, Time zone

It’s not as scary as you’d think, being on the radio. There’s only you and the interviewer there (just don’t think about the thousands that might be listening).

It went well. At least, everyone who listened said so. For me, it was over in a trice. Perhaps I overdid it on the preparation front though; I had far too much information ready, just in case the DJ asked an awkward one.

The day before, I had speed read my book. That was however, a really great thing to do and has inadvertently opened up many avenues for the sequel I am currently writing. It’s amazing what I had forgotten from my first book. How difficult must it be when writing a trilogy or a series? I guess I will find out, as I intend to write a series after the sequel.

So, first radio interview over, what’s next? I’ve already done a 450 person audience presentation, as guest of honour at my old school; I presented the year’s prizes to 140 students a month ago. In many ways, that was more daunting than being on radio. However, I think the most alarming situation would be television, especially when you’ve slipped into another time zone, something the lead character from my book, The Greatest Gift, knows all about! What a nightmare!

Over prepared or not, it seems to me that my personal motto prevails; if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And I’ve also learnt something new; there’s no such thing as being too prepared.

There’s more information about my book, and where to buy it, at, Http://www.balneaves.co.uk

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An overnight stay in Edinburgh with the Olympic flame

14 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by Ken Balneaves in General, Published Books, School

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Tags

achievement, awards, Edinburgh, Olympic flame, Olympics, The Greatest Gift, Trinity Academy

As I live in London now, last night, like the Olympic flame and at the same time as it was, I was in Edinburgh overnight. The reason being that yesterday evening, I gave an address at the prize-giving day at my old school, Trinity Academy in Edinburgh.

I had been asked to be the guest of honour and to give out the awards as a result of publication of my first novel, The Greatest Gift, a science fiction adventure thriller. I donated two copies to the school library and another hardback as an award to be given to The Greatest Trier in their studies.

The address was to an audience of four hundred pupils, parents and grandparents. The diverse cross section of ages was quite challenging to write for, but I think I hit the mark; at least everyone laughed at the correct places. A few people even came up to me afterwards and congratulated me on a ‘very inspirational speech’, which was great. As a bonus, afterwards, I even sold some books.

If you’re interested, read on, my speech notes are below.

It’s 40 years since I was here last but this hall is just as I remember it.

• Our qualifying dance was here as we progressed from Primary to Secondary.
• I attended assemblies here …
• and if my memory serves me well, I sat my exams here too.

However, one of my last recollections of school was waiting outside the Rector’s (headmaster’s) door.

It was just before my O levels. The Rector eventually called me in and gave me a lecture about not working hard enough. As usual, most of the words went in one ear and out the other,

But one sentence stuck. He said, “Balneaves, you will never make anything of yourself boy, “

I was thinking, ‘I’ll show you.’ But all I could muster was a feint, “yes sir” for fear of the slap of his three-tongued tawse over my palm.

Otherwise known as the belt, or ‘whistling Willie’ as one teacher used to call it, he kept his over his shoulder under his jacket and all he had to do was this (touch his shoulder) to cause a deathly hush in the classroom.

Corporal punishment, I’m sure you Mums and Dads will remember it.

Sadly … I mean thankfully, that’s a fate you boys and girls will never have to endure.
​
Anyway, the Rector’s reverse psychology worked because I sat for seven ‘O’ levels and passed them all.

I even passed English, my poorest subject and one I had given up on before the Rector’s dressing-down.

After ‘O’ levels, I had to leave for England; my Dad was a civil servant and was promoted, so we moved to London.

There, I attended Technical College for four years, achieving a Higher National Certificate in Construction by the age of twenty.

I returned to Edinburgh, I had never wanted to leave, leaving my parents down south.

My Uncle, who I was staying with, a dour Scot, told me I was mad to return and that I had, “Nae chance o’ a job in this toon (town).”

As he had no belt, I said to my uncle, ‘I’ll show you.’

So, I wrote a little script of introduction highlighting my skills; took Yellow Pages (for you youngsters out there that’s a big yellow book with lots of phone numbers, that we used before Google) and made a shortlist of 30 Architects.

I phoned them all on a Friday afternoon after their lunchtime drink when I hoped they’d be relaxed and ready for the weekend. Of the thirty calls I made, I got three interviews and from those, one job.

One, is all I needed.

My uncle was astounded and told me I was lucky. It’s odd really, the harder I work, the luckier I seem to get.

After a couple of years here, I decided to return to London where I worked for a developer for a few years and then, at 25, I started the business that I still run.

So, I nearly failed English but wrote a book, how does that work?

Actually, no one was more amazed than I was.

It started at a time in my life, about 6 years ago, when I was busy with my Architectural and Surveying practice.

I was also learning to fly a helicopter and that involved seven ground exams as well as a minimum of 45 hours in the air and countless hours in preparation for the flying time.

Truth be known, I was probably a bit stressed and I ended up in an argument with my wife, probably trivial, you know, like not listening to her or something.

I said to her, “I’m so busy with my work and flying and I have half a book floating round in my head.” She simply said “Write it then.”

So, I did write it.

It’s a science fiction adventure novel called The Greatest Gift, it took me five years and it’s about,

• Time
• The extension of life
• IQ enhancement,

all achieved by double hypnosis and the manipulation of DNA.

People have told me, “Everyone has one book in them.” I thought, I can do better than that so I am now writing a sequel … perhaps there could be more.

JK Rowling maybe needs to watch out for the new boy in town.

Is it good?

Some say it is and that they can’t put it down … Ok that was family and friends.

But seriously, a friend of mine, Mark Pearson, who with James Patterson, co-wrote ‘Private London’, has endorsed my book and I’m now starting to get some good reviews.

Writing a book is a mammoth challenge just like an exam but I did my writing a little at time, with persistence. If you adopt the same, “I can do this,” attitude you will succeed at whatever you approach.

Sometimes the difference between success and failure is measured only by the tiniest amount of additional effort.

Rise to the challenge; don’t just let it happen … I nearly made that mistake.

By the way, if you’d like a copy of my book, please see me afterwards.

I’ve always wanted to say that.

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The wastrel returns triumphant

10 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by Ken Balneaves in eBooks, Published Books, School

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

School, science fiction, writing

A while ago I posted the following blog.

“Now that my book, The Greatest Gift, is available in print and eBook versions, I’ve started telling people about it.

Proud of my achievement and English being a weakness at school, I sent a copy to the Rector (headmaster) of my old school, Trinity Academy, Edinburgh, with a covering letter, quoting what the old Rector had said to me when I was fifteen, “Balneaves, you’ll never make anything of yourself Boy.”

At the suggestion of a friend, Len Russell (Author of the [now] released, A Man Who Cast Two Shadows), I also offered to give a hardback copy of the book as a prize to a student for ‘best effort in English’. To my surprise and delight, the current Rector, telephoned me to accept and also asked me to be Guest of Honour at the forthcoming school award ceremony to hand out the awards and make a short speech about my book.

So, it’s back to school for me in June and what a tremendous accolade to be asked. Thank you Sir.

Paperback available at http://www.balneaves.co.uk

EBook for Kindle and ePub for Mac and IPhone are also available through links on the same website.”

Well, it’s this Wednesday and as I live near London, I am greatly looking forward to returning to my roots in Edinburgh. The speech will be a bit daunting though. With 140 pupils, their siblings, parents and possibly grandparents, there could be 400 in all, by far my largest audience. Wish me luck.

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