Think of riding in South Africa

 

The amazing sound of crickets slowed down

 

The sounds of crickets might have been slowed down and then played on a keyboard to sculpt them into music but I love the sound of crickets. I think the photo might be of a grasshopper. 

Paul Trembling's review of Ride The Wings of Morning

Sophie Neville went out to Africa for health reasons. She found what she was looking for - her health improved - but that's not the story here. The story is what else she found: a land full of extraordinary beauty, incredible characters (some of them human), serious danger and enormous fun. It's structured as a series of letters to her sisters back in the UK or other parts of Europe, which gives it a great sense of 'immediacy.'

Paul goes on to write:

Her adventures - and misadventures! - are recorded as they happened, or shortly afterwards and that comes across very strongly. As a counterpoint, she also includes the letters she in turn received from her sisters and other family members. There’s a great sense of family, of connection over the miles, as her exciting life is compared to the less exotic but sometimes just as exciting lives back in England.

Neville is a very fluid writer. Her words flow smoothly off the page and into the readers mind, bringing with them powerful images of African scenery, of wildlife and human life. Sometimes funny, sometimes terribly sad, sometimes almost surreal! One of my favourite passages is where, out in the middle of a vast salt pan in the moonlight, she comes across a fire - and next to it a drinks table (with ice and lemon slices) and another table laid for dinner, with silver cutlery, linen napkins and a chicken tikka! All brought out into the middle of nowhere for her and her companion.

These events took place in a time of social and political changes, some of them violent, and in countries where natural beauty runs alongside human poverty and terrible sadness (such as with the AIDS epidemic). Neville does not dwell on these things, they aren’t her main focus, but they are as much part of her life in Africa as charging rhinoceros, venomous snakes and friends weddings. It all makes for a great richness of shared experiences.

It is also well illustrated by lots of drawings and pictures - presumably the authors own, as she is, along with her many other talents, an artist - unfortunately in black and white, which may lose something, but which are still very effective and which help the reader to see Africa as she saw it.

Recent screenwriting awards for THE MEETING HOUSE

Sophie Neville has won a number of awards for her feature length screenplay THE MEETING HOUSE based on the true story of an African serviceman's adventures during WWII.

Sophie will originally commissioned to write the script by Dashwood Films. 

Sadly the producer died shortly after being diagnosed with breast cancer 

but the concept was optioned by George Marshall.

The rights have now returned to the writer, Sophie Neville

Years of historical research are now bearing fruit.

The compelling story is calling out to be produced

The classic drama is set in Tanzania, Burma and Japan

Winning so many writing awards is exceptional.

They testify to the strength of the story and the hard work that has gone into setting it down on the page.

 

Author Sophie Neville is a Finalist in the Page Turner Writing Awards

 

Sophie Neville has been working on a novel based on an exceptional true story from WWII that has just reached the finals in the Page Turner Writing Awards

This unpublished historical novel is set in Tanganyika, Burma and Japan, so should make a good holiday read for those who love to travel.

An interview with author Sophie Neville

 

Sophie Neville interviewed on Your Take

Think of Riding in Southern Botswana

Sophie Neville is hoping to take a group riding through Mashutu Game Reserve as soon as travel opens up. Here's something to look forward to:

14 (hot) Tips for cooking on an open fire:

When dining outdoors or cooking on an open fire:

1. Keep your matches and kindling dry -

Don't forget your matches and take care to keep them dry. I pack a lighter just in case. Gather wood for your fire from appropriate places before you begin to cook. (Don't tear off branches or use fence posts). No matter how much you encourage it, wet kindling simply won’t light. 

2. Plan carefully where you will locate your fire -
Think about which way the wind is blowing and take care not cause a bush fire! You may need to cut away turf. If so, keep it on one side to replace later. Make sure you are not lighting a fire on peat, which can burn, or over tree roots. If you make a fire under a tree you can kill one side of it. 

Fires for cooking can be laid in a cross-hatch pattern, rather than in the traditional wigwam. Having said that, I once made successful coals by burning a pile of spindly dry thorn branches and letting the sudden blaze die down.

3. Collect water before lighting the fire -
When filling a kettle from anything other than a tap, place the spout beneath the surface of the water to avoid getting scum on it. 

4. Take a potholder with you -

Make sure you have a designated potholder for holding pan-handles, for keeping your hands from slowly roasting as you cook and for pouring tea. We used a thick leather glove in Africa, which I called 'The hairy hand'. 

5. Don’t forget that everything near a fire gets hot!

It is easy to accidentally melt the soles of rubber shoes by placing them too near the fire (I can tell you from experience) and remember that the lid and handle of a kettle can get dangerously hot. Have a bowl of sand and a bucket of water to hand in case of accidents or emergencies.

6. Root vegetables must be skewered before being cooked, not afterwards -

One of my favorite things to cook over an open fire are potatoes. Wrapped in foil with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper (or rosemary if you’re feeling fancy), spuds cook wonderfully when nestled into the embers of a fire. And yet, who would have thought that such an innocent vegetable could become a dangerous projectile if left un-skewered! Skewer your root vegetables before you wrap them. Poking a stick into an un-skewered potato to pull it from the fire can leave you covered in boiling mash!

7. Always place your mug on the ground before pouring anything hot into it -

Tea, coffee or hot chocolate are vital additions to any outdoor meal, but remember to place your mug on a flat bit of ground before pouring anything into it. Kettles can be unpredictable, and super-heated liquid can easily splash over hands and wrists.

8. Beware the soot in your soup!

Put a lid on anything you’re cooking over an open fire. This speeds up cooking and prevents an unexpected blast of wind from blowing into it.

9. Limit your washing up
You can prevent your kettle and pots from becoming blackened and difficult to clean by wiping the outsides with washing up liquid before setting them on the fire. Use bread as a plate you can eat afterwards. Leaves have a number of uses and can be folded to contain things.

10. Don’t cook anything that drips fat straight over the fire -

Be careful not to cook bacon or steak directly over your coals. Fat dripping onto the fire can spray up and give you a nasty burn. The South Americans make an art of roasting meat upright so the hot fat runs down, helping to cook and flavor the meat that is then turned. 

11. Wait until the fire burns down before cooking on hot coals -

Cooking over flames will give you raw, burnt food - blackened on the outside, cold on the inside. Wait until the fire dies, bring the burning pieces of wood to one side, or even right away from the fire itself, and you’ll be able to cook your food evenly. Smoke from the flames is useful to keep away bugs but can be irritating when you are cooking.

12. Tin foil and leaves -

Many wonderful dishes can be cooked up in tin foil, from baked banana-chocolate pudding or brownies to lemon-garlic roast fish. Alternatively, you can wrap food in leaves - such as wild garlic or banana leaves if you know they will be to hand.

13. Beware the embers and hot grills!

After a delicious meal cooked over an open fire, it can be easy to regard humble embers with condescension- do so at your peril! Make sure there are no stray embers lying around after your meal, as stepping on one in the early-morning search for coffee is an experience very much worth avoiding.  Never lay a hot barbecue grill on the ground where is it easy tot red on. Plan to prop it up somewhere safe.

14. Always burn any card or paper rubbish carefully and put your barbecue fire out properly after use. Take all your litter home with you for recycling.

To read more about my adventures - and disasters incurred while cooking outdoors in southern Africa, find a copy of Ride the Wings of Morning

Riding Horses Across Africa

The dream of riding with giraffe, amongst herds of zebra

and wild animals considered dangerous, such as white rhino

became a reality when I took part in 

The 5th Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride.

The aim was to cross seven different game reserves in six days

with a group of thirteen riders.

We covered a variety of terrain

from stony ridges to valleys chocked with reeds. 

We climbed rocky paths high in the hills

before descending though thick vegetation in the heat of the day.

I looked back, finding it difficult to believe we had managed to walk the horses down the Buffelshoek escarpment.

We were able to spot a variety of antelope

including oryx and Livingstone eland

and covered 208 kilometres at some speed.

The finish at Jembisa game reserve on the Palala River.

The sponsored ride was held in aid of The Waterberg Trust who support a number of community projects in the area and provide high-tech anti-poaching equipment for Save The Waterberg Rhino.

  

If you would like to make a donation, please click here for my Justgiving page

Review on Goodreads

Horizon Horseback Safaris

as portrayed in 'Ride The Wings of Morning'

A recent review on Goodreads: ' Perfect holiday reading- especially if you're going to Southern Africa on a safari! It made me laugh until my sides hurt, and at the same time enriched my thought-life with its wisdom and depth. It's beautifully written, funny, honest and inspiring- a really great read. '

To get yourself a copy, click here.

Riding for Rhinos 2019

 

~TWT Trustee Sophie Neville~

The 5th Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride 2019 has proved a great success.

Thirteen riders crossed seven different South African game reserves in six days at some speed.

They raised £40,000 for Save The Waterberg Rhino and community projects that uplift young people in this corner of rural South Africa.

After riding with white rhino and other rare species on Ant's Nest Game Reserve,

the team crossed the Waterberg encountering diverse landscapes from grassy plains

to rocky escarpments with views across the Waterberg, a UNESCO Biosphere.

They spent come 32 hours in the saddle, covering 200 kilometres.

Days could be long but they had a great back-up team and stayed in comfortable lodges enroute.

Skies looked threatening at the start of the ride but storms dissipated and good weather conditions were enjoyed.

There was always enough natural water for the horses.

Sandy tracks and marrum roads made it possible to canter for miles.

Just as the going was getting hot, we arrived at Jembisa Private Game Reserve who sponsored the ride.

Everyone arrived safely, thanks to Ant Baber who led the ride and supplied the horses.

~ Ant Baber ~

Very many thanks go to him and everyone at Ant's Nest for making TWT Challenge Ride possible for the forth year running.

For details of The Waterberg Trust Challenge Ride in Botswana 2020 please click here