Magpies in love“One for sorrow, two for joy…” or so the old country saying goes. These two were canoodling on my neighbours’s roof at lunchtime. Spring must be in the air – I can hear the birdies getting twitterpated all around me. I suppose the two for joy bit could be because when they are in pairs and a’courtin, it is a sign of spring and that must be joyful news in itself.
The cold weather seems to have broken, but they’ve brought a very grey, miserable rain with their joy.
I had a wonderful day today, at Northwood Prep School in Rickmansworth. I felt almost at home, as I used too live in Bushey when I was 10/11. The signs to the Aquadrome made me feel quite nostalgic. We spent many happy summer days there as a child. Not so nostalgic is the proximity to Mt Vernon Hospital, where I had a cyst taken out of my eyebrow when I was about 13. It was done by the plastic surgeons at the burns unit. I remember being quite scared by some of the burns patients, until I talked to them and realised they were real people underneath the scars.
I arrived at my hotel last night to be told I was booked in for tonight! There had been a mix up, but they fixed me up at the Latimer Hotel in the impossibly quaint village of Latimer. It was all very lovely, except that the room next door decided to have a party at one in the morning!
The school in built in an old farm. The buildings are timber framed, and all the new buildings are built to the same style, which makes the whole very homely and on a human scale.
Sue Smith, the Librarian looked after me wonderfully and the canteen did a great lamb hotpot.
It was interesting having all boys in the audience. My books are very boyish. It was great not to have to add bits in for the girls! Thanks for a great day..
I stopped off at John Lewis in High Wycombe to get some material to make my Viking Vik tunic for World Book Day in Devon – now to get on and make it!
