A COTHERSTONE woman is celebrating achieving a lifelong ambition to be a writer with the publication of her first collection of poems, Back to Life.
Ally Hammock, 41, wanted to be a journalist when she was young, but after failing to get the grades she needed opted for a “practical” career working in the charity sector.
Now, the mother-of-two has achieved her dream of being a published writer with Back to Life, which she wrote while recovering from a debilitating inner ear illness during the break-up of her marriage.
She said: “I always wanted to write and I wanted to get into journalism, but I didn’t get the grades. I started writing it last year because I thought life is too short.”
Ms Hammock was struck down with vestibular neuritis, an inner ear disorder that severely affected her balance and ability to carry out day to day activities.
“I couldn’t do anything for a while as it affects your balance,” she said.
“It was a struggle to walk some days.
“I started being able to walk to the meadow behind the house and I would go and just sit and observe nature.
“I would sit in the meadow and started writing about the wildlife and it grew from there.”
Alongside the 23 poems, which deal with themes of loss, grief, a love of Teesdale and hope, the book contains photographs reflecting each poem’s theme.
The cathartic experience of writing poetry enabled Ms Hammock to deal with the loss of her younger brother, who died aged six, when she was only ten-years-old.
She added: “My marriage broke down at the same time as I was ill and there was that grief as well.
“It [the book] reflects the love I developed for Teesdale and lots of hope there as well.
“A lot of the recovery was about writing. That got me through, gave me a reason to get up.”
All of the profits from the sale of Back to Life, which is available from McNabs, in Barnard Castle, priced at £8, are going to charity.
Ms Hammock said: “One hundred per cent of the profits from the book are going to the Children’s Cancer North charity, who helped my brother when he was ill.”
Ms Hammock has already started on her second collection of poems but says the next anthology will be a “lot different” .
