Lisa Horner Writer & Artist

In her previous career Sylvia Kent had worked on typing the parliamentary debates for both Hansard offices (Lords and Commons) in Westminster for 26 years. In 1992 Sylvia helped start the Brentwood University of the Third Age (U3A).  She was asked to start a gardening group which she organised for several years from her Brentwood home.  This was followed by running a home-made wine group then a memoir-writing course.  Sylvia explains, "When I joined the U3A I met a former journalist who had worked for The Times who ran a group to get members writing professionally.  She suggested we should "write what we know" which sounds like a cliché.  I was then making wine so I sent an article to The Lady magazine which described the basics of how to make a simple gallon of apple wine.  This was published and led to other freelance work for other journals." Sylvia is currently a vice-president and archivist for the Society of Women Writers and Journalists (SWWJ) and w...

Sylvia in a bookshop with her books 19/12/19 Sylvia broadcasting on Phoenix FM in 2017 IF you want something done ask a busy person!  This certainly applies to Sylvia Kent, a freelance writer and author with 12 published books, including her latest one ‘Brentwood in 50 Buildings’.  She has also contributed to seven anthologies and has had more than 4,000 features published, many as part of her columns for Essex Life, and other magazines and newspapers, specialising in history, gardening, winemaking and folklore. As well as being vice-president for the Brentwood Writers' Circle she is a founding member of the Billericay Reading Group and has a monthly Book Club spot on Michelle Ward's 'Eat My Brunch' at Phoenix FM. Sylvia is patron for the Essex Book Festival and a Trustee of the John Baron Fun Walk which raises money for local charities. Sylvia is on of five sisters and was brought up in Dagenham.  When she left school it was assumed that she would go...

I thought I would share a few photos of Basildon town from the past particularly around the East Walk and East Square region where a lot of changes are happening right now.  The last photographs are my own shots of the demolition of the old post office in East Square.  These can be clicked on to be enlarged. The Mother and Child Statue with East Square seen behind.   Date unspecified.  From Basildon  Through Time. Basildon Town Square 1960s.  Keay House can be seen on the  right  and the part of it that overhung the square was demolished  in  1996.   From Basildon Through Time . East Square before the head post office was built and opened in 1963.  From  Lost Basildon. A photograph that seemingly didn't appear in either book.   East Square. You can see Stylo (Barratt) and Austin the Tailor in East Walk, Basildon, in the 1970s.  From Lost Basildon. New...

It was very nice of the Echo newspaper to plug my book last year, not once but twice!  When it first came out in August and a really lovely review later in October.  I had four radio interviews too so I definitely can't complain.  I have also been invited onto The Arts Programme on Phoenix FM which I'm looking forward to.  Will keep you updated when that will be, meanwhile you could have a listen to some of their previous shows here . https://lisajanehorner.wixsite.com/lisahornerauthor