Sunday 5 July 2009

The end of the blog as we know it...

Let us have a moment's silence for Lowewood Academy, a fabulous school blog that has closed it's door to the curious public today after three years of tantalising CP aficionados with tales of school, sex, spanking and much more. Lowewood was one of the first blogs I read when I took my wobbly first steps onto the scene in August 2007 and reading it became a bit of a daily ritual. I was fortunate to be incorporated into the real Lowewood days that September and that's when Rebecca Williams was born - I needed a school 'identity' for the classroom. Had it not been for the corrupting and wonderful influences of friends I met through it I would still be far more sweet and innocent than I am today...

The great thing about Lowewood wasn't just the whackings, hot sex and high jinks of the pupils but that they were real. As a reader I still get outraged about the predicaments of various characters, even though my logical mind knows that they aren't *real*...but to us in a bizarre way they are. In real life all of the writers are equally fun, fabulous and scary (in appropriate proportions) and being even a tiny part of that world has been fabulous.

In March 2008 there was a 'Spank Idol' competition for new writers and on a bit of a whim I decided to enter. I'd been writing bits of fiction but had been far too scared to put them into a public forum, and thought it would be a bit of fun to write a piece set in Lowewood. It was then that the irrepressible Cassie Abbotts took shape - as Rebecca had been over Mr Shaftebotham, Reverend Jenkins and Mr Basford's knees in real life; and had giggled and plotted with Jessica, Beth, Sylvie, Pippa and Faye it hardly seemed right that they could know something entered into a competition was from me. Plus it would have been far too embarrassing if they'd thought it was total crap...

I was both terrified and over the moon when I got asked to write (and secretly quite chuffed at the emails from friends saying they'd no idea that Cassie had been me). That trial post got adapted into an actual Lowewood post later on and is still one of my favourites. Then came the challenge of keeping thoughts and story lines flowing from week to week whilst attempting not to enrage poor Jessica and Littlenic with my last minute panics and dubious grammar (they both deserve saint hoods - honestly!). Jessica in particular is a total legend and the blog couldn't and wouldn't have happened or survived for so long with anybody else at the helm - lots of credit to the girls and DrHiggins the technical guru.

Being even a little part of Lowewood (my admiration goes out to those who kept writing so many characters for so long - you all deserve a week on an exotic beach and lots of cocktails!) has been a fantastic experience, most of all because of the amazing people and friends I have met. I am still a bit in awe at the others writing talent and ability to surprise, enrage and get their characters to us so well, maybe with practice I will be able to do so as well. The tipsy plotting of whose character was going to do what with whom was brilliant and slightly crazy at the same time - Cassie's mother probably being a case in point!

Today is a sad day (made better by going out shopping with the lovely Eliane and the boy interest at the London Alternative Market...though not sure buying hitty things is a normal form of retail therapy. Part of me can't believe that Cassie has made her last appearance at Lowewood and that feels very sad sad - but she'll live on in her own way I'm sure. Part of me is looking forward to returning to some of the fledgling writing projects that preceded Lowewood - bring on the more random scenarios - a girl disguised as a ships boy and pioneers and covered wagons amongst other things - I always knew the history degree would come in handy at some point!

7 comments:

EmmaJane said...

'Tis indeed a sad day. But you and all the other writers should be so proud of what you've achieved. I like so many other readers am in awe of what you managed to pull off for so long.

Take a bow Rebecc!

Jessica said...

Well done sweetie. And the editing - don't mention it!

Paul said...

Rebecca, thank you for your part in Lowewood, I loved Cassie.
I loved the whole of Lowewood and shall miss them.
Warm hugs,
Paul.

Nick said...

Rebecca
Cassie was/is fabulous and I loved your writing. I very much look forward to anything else you write - historical erotica is absolutely my favourite thing!

Nick

Anonymous said...

oh yes - like Scunge said , there is now a huge hole in my day when I used to switch on for the new page.it was , really, one of the best school spanking things ever written.thank u so much xxxxxxxx

Anonymous said...

As much as I miss Lowewood (a lot!), I'm enjoying "meeting" all of the writers and hearing snippets of what happened backstage :) Thanks for sharing Cassie with us! :)

- Claudine

Indy said...

I'll definitely miss Cassie and her cohort at Lowewood, but I do look forward to seeing the results of your other projects at some point in the future.

(Yes, I'm slowly catching up with my blog reading, this the ten comments in one go).