When Virginia Woolf famously said a room of one’s own was necessary for a woman to write, she could not have envisaged a room that looked like the one below.
But for me, having my own space on the web in which to doodle my thoughts and write my life feels every bit as important as the hut at the bottom of the garden, for which so many women yearn.
Ever since I started blogging for the Birmingham Post, around 18 months ago, I have longed for my own little patch on the internet – a space that I have designed, that I manage and in which I can say what the Hell I like.
Waiting for my cyber-space
But I have had to wait, for all the reasons dear Virignia so well understands. My little boy, Arch, is now three-and-a-half and stays all day at nursery but for the first two years of his life, we had no childcare at all. My husband and I would swap work for the baby, literally picking one up and putting the other down. I didn’t have time to turn a computer on, never mind do anything creative once I had.
I have been through an experience that has rocked and shocked me – giving birth. I have been blissed-out beyond my imagining – lying with a sleeping new born on my chest. I have wanted to grab these experiences with both hands and squeeze every last drop I can from them. For me, that means writing about them. But I simply haven’t had the space or time.
A room of my own at last
Today all that has changed. With the help of my friends Chris Duggan and Emma Jones, I have created a website. The name has been chosen, the pages furnished, the images polished, the typos swept. My blog is a playroom, a study, a chapel, and a dance floor all at the same time. Welcome to my cyber-room – a room of my own.
Great blog! Will it be a cyber-room with a view?
Hi Jo; I’m very impressed! I will need to start a blog site of my own for after I leave the Post four weeks tomorrow. It would be great to think I could get something up and running before then, but I don’t see me having the time. I’m taking small steps into being involved with this
http://www.tamworthblog.co.uk/ but my own site where I could muse on music, football, travel, real ale, naturism, politics, sport and the world generally would be terrific. Here’s hoping,
Regards,
Martin Warrillow
Looking brilliant Jo and of course you write so beautifully. x
Yay! Nice one. I hope it brings you pleasure; and interesting things to think about.
Lovely post, Jo. Lovely room! I look forward to hearing more from it.
Thank you Sonya, Martin, Linda, Andy and Clare for your kind, encouraging comments. It’s been a pleasure having you all in my room. I’m sorry it’s taking me a while to respond. This is the first time I’ve had a blog of my own and I hadn’t realised I had to approve of you before you could be published. But I do approve, I do.
PS – make sure you do it, Martin. I think it’s essential.
Congratulations Jo!
I hope your own little space on the interwebs brings you many hours of pleasure and good conversation. 🙂
Thanks Jo. In so many ways you helped me get started. Nice to have your face on here.
I’ve been reading you, Jo, ever since a female friend of mine commented so warmly on one of your books….can I agree with what has been said: the Post will be the poorer for your loss, but we will be the richer. And for a leaving speech, I don’t think you can beat: ‘I’ll miss the people’.
That is very kind of you, Paul and very encouraging. It is very cheering to think I will be able to give more in my new work rather than less. Thank you for your comment.