UK Tour Days Two, Three, and Four
I'm going to make this fairly brief because, number one, I'm knackered (slowly, I'm turning British), and two, I have no pictures because I have been a terrible photographer lately. I've been promised photographs from my various escorts (all insanely lovely people, by the way) and I will post them when I receive them.
And so, in short order:
Sunday: Had lunch with my step-son and some friends then tubed it back to the hotel and went for dinner with Helen Boyle, fiction publisher for Templar, and Damian Kelleher, journalist and YA novelist. We had Mexican. In London. Which you wouldn't expect to be good. But we went to a restaurant called Wahaca and it was wonderful. Tapas, tacos, taquitos. Tasty! Helen and Damian are both lovely people and I had an amazing time talking with them. They felt like old friends by the end of the evening and I was so glad we got to spend some time together. Damian will be interviewing me at the book launch on the 25th so it was really good to get to know him in advance.
Monday: Met Phillipa Perry, publicist extraordinaire, who trotted me off to the Tiffin Boys School in Kingston for the Kingston Festival. There we met Vanessa Howe, an incredibly enthusiastic and sweet librarian. I did a reading and talk for a great group of boys who laughed at all the right moments and then asked some great questions. Then, it was off to Paddington Station to catch a train to Bristol. Fell asleep on the train and woke with a start thinking I'd missed my stop. Thankfully, I hadn't, but I'd drooled, which was embarrassing. That evening I met Jayne Roscoe, another of Templar's impossibly kind employees, and had a fantastic meal and chat.
Tuesday: Burned off several layers of skin fumbling with the fifteen different strange shower knobs in the bathtub. Hurriedly got dressed, ran downstairs, and then mistakenly tried to get into the driver's side of Jayne's car (they drive on the other side of the road here, you know… I'd of course forgotten). Jayne drove me to Backwell School in Bristol where librarian Anne Gibson had organized a visit. Once again the students were very enthusiastic and attentive. This was followed by a second school visit at Broadoak Community College in North Somerset. Librarian Frances Trout was super-accomodating as I had a radio interview scheduled just at the beginning of my talk. Frances allowed me to do my ten minute interview (on why boys aren't reading anymore) in her office as she settled the students down and got them prepared. The interview went well as did the student talk. Lots of laughs and good discussion. Then, it was back to Bristol for a curry house dinner, a much-appreciated debriefing Skype with my smiling wife, and bed.
Wednesday: A light drizzle sprinkling down, Jayne drove me to QEH Bristol, a fabulously old school that serves the most incredible school lunches I've ever seen in my life. Roast chicken, quiche, pies, salads, jello, cakes… simply amazing. All students should eat this well. Actually, EVERYONE should always eat this well. Librarian Annette Robbins was very warm and welcoming and the reading and talk went off quite well. Jayne and I were invited to lunch (which we gladly accepted) and then it was off in the drizzle to Nailsea School. I must say that librarian Alex Jones had the students and staff at the school wonderfully prepared and it made for an absolutely amazing experience. Even though there was a technical glitch with showing my book trailer it didn't matter one bit. The students were amazing. Full of spirit and laughter and some of the best questions I think I have ever had in a session. Following the session I signed many books and then Jayne ushered me off to Bristol Airport to catch my flight to Edinburgh.
Where I sit at the moment. Having been taxied here by the nicest taxi driver (with the coolest Scottish brogue) I have ever been driven by and having just had a grand meal with tremendously energetic and entertaining Emma O'Donovan.
The hotel I am staying in is top notch and I am incredibly grateful for everyone at Templar for all they have been doing for me. I feel much too well looked after and I just hope I am able to repay the favor with book sales.
Wow. That was a much longer and adverb-filled blog than I had anticipated writing. But there you go.
If your too impatient to wait until these blogs are written and you'd like to find out things "as they happen" then you can follow me on Twitter.
And so, in short order:
Sunday: Had lunch with my step-son and some friends then tubed it back to the hotel and went for dinner with Helen Boyle, fiction publisher for Templar, and Damian Kelleher, journalist and YA novelist. We had Mexican. In London. Which you wouldn't expect to be good. But we went to a restaurant called Wahaca and it was wonderful. Tapas, tacos, taquitos. Tasty! Helen and Damian are both lovely people and I had an amazing time talking with them. They felt like old friends by the end of the evening and I was so glad we got to spend some time together. Damian will be interviewing me at the book launch on the 25th so it was really good to get to know him in advance.
Monday: Met Phillipa Perry, publicist extraordinaire, who trotted me off to the Tiffin Boys School in Kingston for the Kingston Festival. There we met Vanessa Howe, an incredibly enthusiastic and sweet librarian. I did a reading and talk for a great group of boys who laughed at all the right moments and then asked some great questions. Then, it was off to Paddington Station to catch a train to Bristol. Fell asleep on the train and woke with a start thinking I'd missed my stop. Thankfully, I hadn't, but I'd drooled, which was embarrassing. That evening I met Jayne Roscoe, another of Templar's impossibly kind employees, and had a fantastic meal and chat.
Tuesday: Burned off several layers of skin fumbling with the fifteen different strange shower knobs in the bathtub. Hurriedly got dressed, ran downstairs, and then mistakenly tried to get into the driver's side of Jayne's car (they drive on the other side of the road here, you know… I'd of course forgotten). Jayne drove me to Backwell School in Bristol where librarian Anne Gibson had organized a visit. Once again the students were very enthusiastic and attentive. This was followed by a second school visit at Broadoak Community College in North Somerset. Librarian Frances Trout was super-accomodating as I had a radio interview scheduled just at the beginning of my talk. Frances allowed me to do my ten minute interview (on why boys aren't reading anymore) in her office as she settled the students down and got them prepared. The interview went well as did the student talk. Lots of laughs and good discussion. Then, it was back to Bristol for a curry house dinner, a much-appreciated debriefing Skype with my smiling wife, and bed.
Wednesday: A light drizzle sprinkling down, Jayne drove me to QEH Bristol, a fabulously old school that serves the most incredible school lunches I've ever seen in my life. Roast chicken, quiche, pies, salads, jello, cakes… simply amazing. All students should eat this well. Actually, EVERYONE should always eat this well. Librarian Annette Robbins was very warm and welcoming and the reading and talk went off quite well. Jayne and I were invited to lunch (which we gladly accepted) and then it was off in the drizzle to Nailsea School. I must say that librarian Alex Jones had the students and staff at the school wonderfully prepared and it made for an absolutely amazing experience. Even though there was a technical glitch with showing my book trailer it didn't matter one bit. The students were amazing. Full of spirit and laughter and some of the best questions I think I have ever had in a session. Following the session I signed many books and then Jayne ushered me off to Bristol Airport to catch my flight to Edinburgh.
Where I sit at the moment. Having been taxied here by the nicest taxi driver (with the coolest Scottish brogue) I have ever been driven by and having just had a grand meal with tremendously energetic and entertaining Emma O'Donovan.
The hotel I am staying in is top notch and I am incredibly grateful for everyone at Templar for all they have been doing for me. I feel much too well looked after and I just hope I am able to repay the favor with book sales.
Wow. That was a much longer and adverb-filled blog than I had anticipated writing. But there you go.
If your too impatient to wait until these blogs are written and you'd like to find out things "as they happen" then you can follow me on Twitter.
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