JAGO STONE - THE AMERICAN CONNECTION - PART SEVENTEEN

Following the pattern that has now become normal, I am sharing the contents of my monthly Jago Stone newsletter - published through Mailchimp - with the wider audience who follow my blogposts on both sides of the Atlantic. Here is the text of the September newsletter, published around a week ago. Apologies to those of you who have already seen and read the following - but there is a very important update concerning publication.  

Available to pre-order - from the publishers (Unicorn), Amazon and Waterstone's

SEPTEMBER 2019 - UPDATES ON 'THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF JAGO STONE' - THE BIOGRAPHY
Around a fortnight ago, on Tuesday 3 September, I received this email from my publishers, Unicorn PG:

Dear Rob,
Thank you for your patience. Please find a draft - once you have had a look through please let me know of any changes you wish to make and then I can send it to the indexer.
I suggest we might move the launch to December to allow for our delays. I am so sorry.
Apologies,

 I replied immediately, agreeing that a December publication date would be the best time for the launch. Looking on the bright side, Christmas awaits at the end of December and people will be looking for good presents. What better than a copy of 'The Remarkable Life of Jago Stone'! 


Having spent the best part of these last two weeks in a painstaking proof-read of my 236 pages, I can assure you that it is still a remarkably good read. And you will have a 'clean' copy, with all the computer glitches removed - I've been identifying all those very many places where my words in standard text have been transformed into the italic text used for passages from other sources - and vice versa. A nightmare! And there was all the page referencing to complete now that the images have been placed in

their appropriate places throughout the chapters. In total, 130 identified actions that the editorial team now have to perform to get things right. Then I reread once more - identify any other issues that hopefully will be minimal, if they are present at all - and pass on to Unicorn for action. Once that perfect final text has been achieved, the indexer takes over.    

The publication date is now December 1, 2019 - further updates will follow. 

If you know anyone you think might be interested in these mailings about 'Jago' please encourage them to follow the link to my website. Here it is: http://www.robdonovan-author.co.uk/JagoStone-Biography.html They can join you as subscribers - 65 to date. Thank you, Louisa and Daniel, for adding your name to the list 

You can also use this page to access all my Jago Stone blogs. The blog-posts are also there for your enjoyment - and comments. Press this link here to start accessing these posts:  https://robdonovan.blogspot.com/2019/01/jago-stone-american-connection-part.html
In the last month, I have received yet more images of Jago paintings and this newsletter gives me the platform to share one at least with you.

Unfortunately, the first - a watercolour that Jago painted in 1971 of Cownham Farm, Moreton in Marsh in Gloucestershire - has proved resistant to me uploading into this Mailchimp newsletter. I expect to have better fortune when I post this newsletter as one of my own blogposts in a week or two to reach an even wider audience. [Indeed - here it is!]

Cownham Farm, Moreton in Marsh - Jago Stone (1971)

Nevertheless, the background story is still worth following. This picture came my way through cyberspace posted by a family member whose American parents were stationed at RAF Upper Heyford. She has very fond memories of holidays at Cownham Farm - and writes 'I really do think I remember seeing Jago around the Bicester area, but not on base at Heyford …. I distinctly remember he had a bit of a romance with an Officer's wife …. while at Bicester. Quite an uproar!' No surprise there. All part of the remarkable life. She quotes her mother's reaction when she asked her this month about Jago:

'Gravy train'.

There's truth there - mixing the metaphors, Jago knew which side his bread was buttered. He was a consummate maker and player of markets. But never forget, he had the skills of the artist. 

Dan Weiskittel left me two images and this comment on my Facebook post, 'Jago Stone - The American Connection - Part Sixteen':
'Drawings by Jago Stone he did for us in the early 80s. Church and pub in Duns Tew where we lived for 15 months.'
Again, unfortunately - the images are too blurred to share but if you can get me fresh separate images, Dan, using my email address, I would be delighted to show them to a wider audience. 

And finally, Jenny Fell - still the postmistress at Hellidon who with her husband, Tony, has been an invaluable source for my biography - sent me this image of a Jago Stone painting in 1984 of Sundial Cottage in Darlingscott, near Shipston:

Sundial Cottage, Darlingscott - Jago Stone (1984) 

Jenny had been sent this image by her brother-in-law whose second wife, Penny, has purchased it in 1984 shortly after moving into Sundial Cottage.  
I'm sure you share with me the frustration and disappointment that the biography of Jago Stone will not be available on October 1 - but it will be with you in December, in time for Christmas!   
Meanwhile, please do keep sending me images and stories about Jago Stone. Many thanks to you all for your interest ands support.