Bermudababble Week Twenty-Seven

It’s a beautiful day the Major and I are hitting the road on our moped – yeeeeha! We are heading off to the UK this weekend to grab some clothes, my dancing shoes and the kids before heading off to Australia and New Zealand. We start in Sydney where I have lots of events with Harper Collins, my Australian publishers, visiting book stores and doing various bits of PR and then we head up to The Great Barrier Reef. Next It’s New Zealand for a meeting with my New Zealand publishers and more work bits and bobs before we drive around the islands, ending up at The Bay of Islands for Christmas and then back to the UK mid January! Phew! I have never been and so don’t know what to expect, it will lovely discovering the place with my boys.

I know I know, jet set lifestyle – however lovely it is visiting these places; it still means my pyjamas always seem to be in the country I am not and I get to go to bed every night missing my mum. (I just read that back – sounds like I’m twelve! Can’t help it though, I’m so pants at being organised and not having my mum close by is ‘orrible!)

My plane gets into London Gatwick early in the morning (which always makes me laugh – London? Gatwick? That’s like saying Newport Bristol or Liverpool Manchester! My absolute favourite though is London Luton! Can you imagine a traveller planning a trip to LONDON and booking accommodation in Luton London? No offence to Luton but Covent Garden and Tower Bridge it ‘aint!)  And then I have a full day in proper London with my agent and publisher – where I shall be crumpled, jet lagged and sleepy! They have been warned.

Now as any of you that have read my stories will know, I can on occasion be a tad emotional… We have a lovely family friend in Bermuda and our history spans five decades. Her name is Mrs Blades and she is awesome. A crowd of us went out to dinner last night, me all dressed up (i.e I brushed my hair and put heels on!) and she gave me a gift, a beautiful teacup and saucer that had belonged to her grandmother. I cried so hard, I had lumps of mascara stuck to my cheeks and licorice streaks down my face and a very runny nose. I couldn’t eat or speak through crying and other diners stared at me perplexed and awkward. I shall take great care of it, a beautiful, precious thing that I shall treasure for always. I am very lucky …and apologies to anyone who had to sit next to the sniveling me last night!

I have noticed a new phenomenon to add to my moans about ageing and that is the annoying appearance of pillow crease skin! I used to awake with a plump – rosy complexion – now I wake up with the imprint of my pillow, duvet, buttons and any other bed linen that has come into contact with my face and it lasts for hours!! I walked around yesterday with a large criss cross on my cheek – I looked like I’d been Burger King flame grilled!

I’ve been writing my new novel this week and I am so into it. I have sat in hotel lobbies and coffee shops totally absorbed by the story! At one point I said ‘Oh No!’ really loudly, the waitress came over to me and said, ‘are you okay honey? Bad news?’ I was way too embarrassed to tell her that it was something that had popped out of my head and onto a page! Doh!

So, we are leaving the beautiful shores of Bermuda for a little while and I am so thankful for the wonderful friendships we have made and the stunning environment that we have lived in. Can’t wait to be back on this island’s shores again soon. I shall miss the warm, wind coming across the ocean and up onto the South Shore, streets with names like Fractious Lane and Controversy Lane, a really good brunch at the Reefs looking out over the water, riding the bus and chatting to whoever I sit next to, the chickens who stroll in our hallway and all my lovely friends.

That said, I could not be more excited about seeing MY best friend in the whole wide world and having a good old gossip over a pot of tea!  I saw this and thought it was fab;

‘Best friends are people you know you don’t need to talk to every single day. You don’t even need to talk to each other for weeks, but when you do, it’s like you never stopped talking.’

Sending love to you from me

Mandy x

©Amanda Prowse – all enquiries PFD ajhughes@pfd.co.uk. +44 (0)20 7344 1084