august

And now the poor girl is being read about on the Plinth in Trafalgar Square! Julie McCarthy, mother, arts co-ordinator, canal boat operator, is doing her bit for Waggie and Sadie M’Gee – at an admittedly ungodly hour of the morning. The plinth is the sort of idea that would have driven Waggie mad. A golden opportunity for bringing his magic catapult into play, at the very least.

Still, it’ll bring a bit of northern culture to the deep sarf, won’t it? In his second adventure – Wagstaffe and the Life of Crime – our hero actually goes to London, and being Wagstaffe, goes by tandem, with his friend Hugh N’Dell providing the back-up pedal power. They use the M1, of course – and outrun the police cars that pursue them.

Although, to be fair, Waggie is a little knackered when they reach the Smoke.

Put the finishing touches to the latest novel a couple of days ago. It’s to be called Silver and Blood, and it’s a fast-moving thriller for the sort of readers who love Anthony Horowitz. My son Wilf, for one. He once wrote to the great man, and told him he thought his books were fantastic.

“My dad also writes children’s books,” he added – “but his are crap!”

Painful business being a norfer, I can tell you…

My cut down version of Moby Dick is now out in a smaller, paperback format, in Britain and America. Keep getting lovely letters from the USA about it, and so far, nothing from nearer home.

It’s a lovely thing, though. Illustrated by the great Patrick Benson, published by Walker Books,at less than a tenner.Isbn 978-1-4063-1744-2

Buy some for Lulu!