There is a new post up at 12 Old Masters.
1. I went to a funeral -- Anne Worboys was one of the writing ladies. The word 'caustic' often appeared connected to her name and comments on your novel, but there was no malice to her, and she knew her stuff, so we usually sat back and enjoyed the show. If a speaker to the writing circle ever asked 'Can you hear me at the back' amid the polite mumbles, there would be (if necessary) a clear 'NO' from Anne. A couple of times, I helped her with her computer and was rewarded by gin (Bombay Sapphire) and tonics in her elegant blue living room -- curtains drawn to protect the furniture -- all but a crack through which a shaft of evening sunlight fell between us. When I had boy trouble she showed me a paragraph from a book that told me what direction to take, and for the first time, I felt as if someone understood this particular problem. Thank you Anne -- I am delighted to have known you.
2. A frustrating day of painfully slow internet, vanishing IT men and endless uploads of large files is made less awful because I know Oli is working beside me, and we are both terribly proud of the new courses.
3. A trilogy in uniform volumes -- Nurse Matilda, Nurse Matilda goes to Town and Nurse Matilda goes to Hospital. They are small hardbacks, with jackets illustrated by Edward Ardizzone -- under this, they are clothbound in red, green and brown with gold tooling. Also, a beautiful thing is the baby in this book, with its falling-down nappies and starfish hands.
