A week that has been great fun and rather exciting, the exciting bit being my new Sky box etc and yes, I know, it is rather tragic that this should induce such anticipation but have been waiting for this for a long time and now it is finally here.
Fun came on Wednesday when I went up to London to join forces for the day with Felicity, Florence's other grandma, or 'bammer' as she calls us, and we went out to the park with her and generally had a day of joint drooling and gloating over our gorgeous granddaughter who gets more and more lovely and interesting each week.
Then in the evening I attended a Mother's Day do in Soho hosted by Random House/Arrow Books and, though I was rather shattered after a day of Florence Fun, I slapped on the old polyfilla, whipped out the mascara wand and the lippy and off I went. Off Berwick Street in Soho, part of my old stamping ground, so no problem finding it but struck me as I trolled down Oxford Street, how tacky it is looking. It used to be regarded as the Mecca of shops, in my youth you went 'up West' to visit them all but with the advent of the new malls, tromping up and down Oxford Street is no longer much fun, not that it ever was. I used to go there to visit my favourite store which is John Lewis, but now there is one at Westfield near where Helen and James and Florence live so easy to get to, and also one in Cambridge so I no longer need to go into this part of town at all.
Sorry, rambling ....
Arrived at venue, always a little bit nervous making an entrance at a 'do' but once inside was OK as was met and greeted by a delightful bunch of people from the publishing house and a drink thrust into my hand. Two other bloggers there I knew (Jackie of Farm Lane Books and Amanda from One More Page) which made me feel better and then later Katie Fforde arrived. I have met Katie before when we had lunch together a couple of years ago and she is a simply delightful woman and great fun and it was lovely to see her again. I had brought her latest book, Recipe for Love, with me to be signed (natuirally) and it was good to take the weight of my feet and to sit and chat with her for a bit.
Here is a pic of us together (please try and ignore my double chin) and I am seriously considering creating an album with a link for Random and calling it Authors I have Met, but have a horror of appearing bumptious so I may just put the odd pic in here and there instead.
Off to stay with friend for the weekend on Saturday and we will do nothing but sit, chat, doze off in front of the telly, drink tea and generally chill. She also has two new cats who I have yet to meet so looking forward to that.
Au Reservoir