Monday 15 September 2014

About 'Poppa' - James Kay Bateman


Just googled my grandfather, James Kay Bateman. He was a veterinary surgeon who was famous in his time for his orthopaedic work on racing greyhounds. He died in 1964. You wouldn't think anyone would know or care anything about him outside the family nearly 50 years after his death, would you, but I found a Revelation. A 93 year old retired vet from Donegal named Paddy Sweeney, now living in the north of England, has written twice about him in his Blog in 2013 (greyhoundfriend.blogspot.co.uk) and I can tell you I was riveted! I found out a few things about Poppa I hadn't formerly known.  My cousin Michael even put a comment on one of the BlogEssays about our grandfather - I haven't spoken to M for a number of years so it was strange to see him posting.
Poppa's middle name was Kay and both my cousin Bridget and I also bear that middle name - in Scotland Kay can be a boy's and a girl's name so we'll have no cracks about gender bending, thank you - and her daughter Martha has it also. We're the Middle-Kays!

Thank you, Mr Sweeney for your lovely post, I wish I could meet you!

My serial is still running in Woman's Weekly (part 3 this week) which is quite exciting for one such as I. Until asked to give it a try, I'd never even considered writing serials before and I fear this success may have been beginner's luck. Repeating the process is, quite literally, going to be another story! So far my editor Gaynor has sent back Part 3 THREE TIMES and I fear this latest serial is just not going to work.

Back to the drawing board ...