Leadership Lessons from my father – my goal to write a book
Earlier this year I set myself a task – to write a book about my Dad – and here’s why… This book has been consciously and sub-consciously in my head for four years, since the death of my father on...
View ArticleThe rise and rise of women’s networks
It was the ease in conversation and connection that did it, that led me to go home with a buzz. It was striking – the warmth, the empathy, the eagerness to share and support. This was my second event...
View ArticleDoing Business the Dutch Way
Many people are asking me how I’m settling in here, and what I’m up to – so I thought I’d put it all together, as its been 3 months since I married my Dutch husband, and relocated with my 12 year...
View ArticleA Year of Gratitude
A year ago yesterday my son and I arrived in the Netherlands. This was a week after marrying my Dutch husband and enjoying a lovely honeymoon in Sicily. We drove over on the Dover-Calais ferry, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Banking, Brexit and Oliebollen
You’ll have to believe me when I say I never imagined I would be writing about banking and Brexit, but as these things seem to have dominated the last few months for me, well here we are. The...
View ArticleThe BBC and other things I miss about British culture
Not long into my arrival in the Netherlands, I felt a gaping hole where certain elements of British culture used to be. The radio has long been part of my existence, BBC Radio, to be precise. Which...
View ArticleMy book project – 1 year in
I started last year with a goal to write a book. Not just any book, but a biographical memoir of my late Father. I have not written a book before, and certainly not anything as complex as an account...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Flags and ‘feestdagen’– how the Dutch celebrate life
Every country has its calendar of celebrations, as well as its own customs to mark birthdays and other life events. The Dutch are no different. Having been here for over a full-year I have witnessed...
View ArticleSorry, I’m English
My most repeated phrase of the last 18 months since living in the Netherlands, often felt like an apology rather than a statement to indicate my Dutch language skills were not quite up to the mark....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tuscany or bust: tales from a summer road-trip
My family has a tradition of a summer family holiday altogether. And when I say my family, I mean my four brothers, two sisters, their families, my mum, and my children. Last year there were around 40...
View ArticleWhy I started a Facebook group for English speaking theatre in The Netherlands
I grew up wanting to be an actress. I loved films and theatre. My parents had the vinyl LP’s for West Side Story, and My Fair Lady and I would play them both over and over. I knew every word to every...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Getting comfortable at the High Tech Campus
Not long after I had arrived in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, I heard about a place called the High Tech Campus. It sounded cool, a single location with over 260 companies, including start-ups,...
View Article‘It’s a Challenge: The life and adventures of Alan Carter’ My book goal for 2023
Hi everyone Those of you that have known me a little while may know that I am currently working on a book about my late father, Alan Carter. My dad was a larger-than-life figure, who was a role model...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Our Swedish summer adventure
This was our third summer road-trip together, and it felt different. This time we wanted an escape. We planned our venture north, heading to Sweden, unchartered territory for both of us. Valentin’s...
View ArticleMy Father, Alan Carter
Lots of people are writing lists of their achievements/highlights of the past year. For me, there is only one, and that is finishing writing my book, a memoir about my late father, Alan Carter. It’s...
View ArticleWhat I learnt writing a family memoir
Four years ago I announced to the world I was going to write a memoir about my late father. Why? Was the question I was asked (by those who didn’t know my father). Well, let me begin. My father was a...
View ArticleMeet the author: Rachel Arts, author of ‘My Father, Alan Carter’
A Q&A I took part in hosted by my good friend Ellinor Bognar, who works in publishing. It was a joy to talk about what I’d learnt writing a biography on my late father. For more details on my book...
View ArticleBecoming a citizen of the Netherlands, Pt. 1: Benefits & options
Four years ago, my son and I moved to the Netherlands from the UK after I married a Dutch gentleman. This was the year before Brexit, with Great Britain leaving the European Union, and all the freedom...
View ArticleBecoming a citizen of the Netherlands Pt.2: Passing the Inburgering exam
Once my son and I had acclimatised in the Netherlands (and survived the various pandemic lockdowns), we researched the process for securing our Dutch passports and becoming properly “Dutch.” That...
View ArticleVideo: How I self-published my book – for print and via Amazon!
How I self-published my book – for print and via Amazon KDP In this video I cover: Why self-publish? How do you want your book to go out to the world. Differences between traditional publishing and...
View Article