“Hen, this is a colleague of mine at Bath Living, Anna Appleby. Anna, Henrietta Stone, editor of the City Book Review.” “Hi.” I raise my hand in a little wave. She looks me up and down, then says, “Anna Appleby, well, isn’t that a name for journalism.” “Yes, or porn,” I say with a laugh, but as soon as it’s out of my mouth I see I’ve misjudged the tone of the conversation. Why did I say that? Of all the words not to be saying in the first thirty seconds of meeting someone, “porn” would be up there.
