Former Redhill resident pens first novel (From Redhill And Reigate Life)

Former Redhill resident pens first novel

2:10pm Tuesday 17th November 2009

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A former Redhill resident and keen roller skater, who now lives in the Canary Islands, has just released her first novel.

Pauline Barclay, who lived with her husband Clive in Cotland Acres, Meadvale, has just had her first book published.

Called Magnolia House, the tale of family betrayal, hopes and dreams, follows the story of a woman who gave half her house to her only son, little realising that within a year, she would be forced to sell the home she had lived in for nearly five decades.

Home for Pauline is now Lanzarote – a world away from Meadvale, her times in the Redhill and Reigate Artistic Roller Skating Club, and her former job working in the offices of the oil company Fina.

She said: “After the company was taken over by oil giant, Total, like many of the employees I took redundancy and ventured out on my own.

“Working as additional help in communications, I worked for several companies in the area, including Transco who had their offices in Dorking, Epsom Council, and the charity, Seeability, in Epsom.”

After two years, Pauline left the Redhill area and moved to Holland where her husband's work had been transferred.

Now in Lanzarote, she and Clive live with their rescue dog, Poppy.

Pauline's passion for writing grew after she finished studying for an Open University degree in 1992.

She said: "After graduating and still working in my full-time job, I realised just how many extra hours I had in a day, so I started writing.

“In those days it was short stories. Years later I started to write full length novels.”

Now Pauline is busy writing her second novel, which she hopes to have published in the first half of next year.

For more details about Magnolia House and to read one of Pauline's short stories, visit her web site: www.paulinebarclay.co.uk

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