Joshua Lacey, Catherine Johnson and Rudolf the red nosed writer in Daquise's

I had to go to London yesterday for a CWIG (Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group) meeting.  As the meeting didn’t begin until 3.00 pm I arranged to meet up with fellow writers Catherine Johnson, Joshua Lacey and Lily Hyde for lunch. Writing is quite an isolating occupation so it’s always good to meet with people who  can identify with what you do.

As the CWIG meeting is at the Society of Authors’ HQ in Kensington, Josh suggested we met near South Kensington tube station at a Polish restaurant called Daquise on Thurloe Street.  Daquise turned out to be a perfect spot - easy to find, not too busy, not too expensive and full of character. The food wasn’t brilliant;  my pierogi (meat patties similar to ravioli) was a little undercooked, as were Catherine and Josh’s fried potatoes but that didn’t matter. It was just cool being in such an authentic environment in such stimulating company.  Josh, we owe you five quid by the way!

pierogi

the meal I wish I'd chosen (and Lily did choose)

It’s cold and frosty outside and I’m skint so it must be nearly Christmas! I do love Christmas - apart from the usual reason - the giant Toblerones - it means I have genuine displacement activities to do .  While I’m thinking through the next chapter I can write a few cards, wrap a couple of presents, drop into town to buy that last little item… it all feels more justifiable than spending ten minutes on Google… every ten minutes.

December usually means no school visits but I did undertake three late bookings this year. Hello first of all to everyone I met at Rishworth School on the outskirts of Halifax. I think that was my third or fourth visit and it’s a joy every time. The audiences are always bright and the coffee fresh and hot - a perfect combo.

Hello, too, to the staff and pupils at Whitemoor Primary School and Heathfield Primary School in Nottingham whom I visited on the 1st and 3rd December. They are taking part in the excellent Reading Champions initiative. Both schools rose to the challenge of illustrating and adapting a story I’d written called Go, Jordon, Go.  At Whitemoor I had the pleasure of awarding prizes to pupils from each year group judged to have come up with hte best design ideas. Interesting and varied they were too. One class created a brilliant hi-tech photo story, while others produced three-dimensional pop-up effects. Most impressive!

Heathfield were in the process of transforming Go, Jordon, Go (about a young Welsh boy who needs a ‘thing’ when he celebrates scoring a goal at football but all the usual ‘things’ are taken) into a comic strip as I left - I can’t wait to see the results.

Finally, hello to Catherine Johnson. I met up with Catherine in London on the 9th for the day (having lunch with fellow authors is probably the best displacement activity of them all). Catherine was born and bred in London and showed me round the Spitalfields area in the East End. It’s so much better exploring streets with someone who knows their history and Spitalfields (so called because a hospital was there) is full of beautiful buildings and interesting side streets, individual little shops, cafes and pubs. I found it much more enjoyable than heaving Oxford Street.  Catherine showed me Dennis Severs’ House on Folgate Street. This house has been refurbished just as it would have been in the 18th century and inspired one of Catherine’s books, Nest of Vipers. Pity the house was closed when I went!

More soon - on favourite Christmas books - and a round up of my writing year.

Till then - wrap up warm.

Helena