IAQs

 

[cabled blanket with blanket stitch in The Gentle Art of Knitting] 

My Infrequently Asked Questions. Asked by various people. Sometimes I also question myself:

Q: Will you be doing any book signings in the US?

A: If someone invites me, makes the arrangements and pays, of course I will. Otherwise, sadly, no.

Q: Was the marry-me love-note on the train in the previous post for real?

A: I think I also said in that post that I can't make up short stories. So yes, it is very true. I can still picture exactly where I was sitting, facing the direction of travel, in the compartment, and can still feel the creeping sense of unease and embarrassment.

Q: Which book did you last throw in the bin?

A: The Second Half of Your Life. I do not need a book at any time of life to tell me everything will be fine as long as I exercise, gym bunny style, six times a week (four 'strength'/two 'aerobic', whatever that means) and drink vinegar to suppress my appetite. (I naively thought vinegar-drinking was the sort of thing characters in Victorian novels did.)

Q: So which book is safe from the bin?

A: Four Hedges by Clare Leighton who was too busy gardening and producing exquisite wood engravings to workout and drink vinegar.

Q: Which book are you most looking forward to reading?

A: How To Be a Woman Caitlin Moran because she would never, ever tell me to be a gym-bunny and drink vinegar. Plus she is very funny.

Q: Any interesting discoveries recently?

A: Finding out here that I am not the only person in the world who cannot bear the phrase 'going forward'.

Q: Anything else?

A: I stumbled across this Pinterest page last week and did a double-take. It's interesting to see a 'pinboard' of my own photos chosen by other people.

Q: What are you listening to on the radio?

A: Now that they have opened up the archive, hours and hours of Desert Island Discs. So far I've just listened to Kirsty Young interviews because she asks brilliant questions and laughs richly with her guests.

 

Finally,

Q: Are these the best cream buns in London? (Here, where they also do excellent breakfasts at the weekend as well as huge, iced, cream-filled, choux buns.)

A: Possibly. But as I am not Billy Bunter, I haven't yet tried all the cream buns in London. Although the Billy Bunter part of me would like to.