Power, expressed as a helix of Sitting Right Here

Chaz: (to Barry, authoritatively) Move, please.

(two seconds later, placatingly) Or, tell you what, just stay where you are, I'll work around you...

[Yup. Really did hear myself say that. The only other thing you need to know about the way things work in this house, it's a very long narrow kitchen and he's a big-boned cat, and he was parked in the very narrowest portion while I needed to go to and fro...]

Like I didn't have enough to do...

I've just been inveigled* into signing up for the Newcastle Winter Book Festival, in terms of doing some readings, a bit of compering (that doesn't look right: compèring? compèreing? perhaps there is no proper form), stuff like that. Full programme to be confirmed.

*It wasn't my fault: I was ambushed at the Lit & Phil. You know I have no resistance there, I just say yes to everything...

Oh, and? The Chalet School!

I was on Radio 4 this morning. Didn't hear it, on account of being virtuous in the Lit & Phil: but m'friend Val McDermid made a documentary about the Chalet School books of Elinor M Brent-Dyer, and insisted on interviewing me in re my love for the series, even though I was in California at the time and getting to a microphone was complicated. If you're allowed to, you can hear it here for the next seven days, I think.