UPDATE

Well it has been a while since we last posted on our blog due to a non existent internet connection. Now we can get online – hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since we last wrote we have been to the Theakston Crime Writing Festival and also spent a week with Rachel, Claudio and the boys.

I have been looking forward to the Crime Writing Festival since we decided to attend over a year ago. Most of you know that I love my books and am a little obsessed. The line up at the festival promised to be brilliant. There were authors that I had heard of and liked and plenty of authors that were new to me. I had brought with me a selection of books from my favourite authors to get signed. I had also brought some new ones when I was with Neal and Robbie in Hove and also some second hand books at the best second had book shop that I have ever been in, Barter Books in Alnwick.

We were staying at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate and all the events take place in the hotel so we were on site. I will start at the beginning. We drove into the car park with flags waving and an outline of a dead body in the car park marked with tape. There were people sat outside in the sunshine drinking and relaxing. I rushed John to park and to hurry into the hotel. On the left as we walked through the revolving brass handled doors was Festival reception we collected our tickets and goody bags. The bags contained free(ish) books and a bottle of Theakston Old Peculiar each. We checked in and went upstairs to the first floor and walked down tired and water damaged corridors to our room, 138. Fortunately the room was lovely and we had view of a roof!!

After unloading the car we had a beer and I went straight to the book shop. I cannot describe the shop it was a dream shop full of every crime book I could ever want and then some. I had to leave and go back in later as it was quite overwhelming.

John persuaded me that we did need to leave the hotel to eat so a quick shower and change and we walked down the hill to a pub which served real ale (of course) . We had a quick bite to eat and returned to the hotel, I didn´t want to miss anything that was going on. I brought my first batch of books and then went to the opening event which was the prize giving. Mark Billingham opened the event and then ´Simon Theakston spoke. Each of the short-listed six authors were interviewed by Mark Lawson. John Connolly got the biggest cheer! The award went to Denise Mina (I had never heard of her!) for her book The End of The Wasp Season. She was great and so surprised. Colin Dexter also received a life time achievement award and although he is no longer a spring chicken he was witty and it was an honour to see him collect his award. We collected our free(ish) drinks, Crime of Passion, made especially for the weekend, it looked like beer and ribena! We then went author spotting. I was exhausted. We went to bed and set the alarm for 6.30am.