London

Righty - report as promised.

London. It was son’s birthday trip and I discovered a couple of months back that there was a new film museum in London, near the Eye, called Movieum. I visited MOMI (the Museum of Moving Image) with my best friend some years back, loved every second of it… and sadly it closed years ago. There really has been a gap in London museums since, so I was delighted to discover that Movieum had opened. The official site mentioned an animation section, so I thought it would be right up son’s street. Plus I discovered there was an Ardman exhibition in Bury Street.

We didn’t tell Madam (she cannot keep a secret), so son had absolutely no idea where he was going, except that it was in London and his mother was very pleased with herself for discovering it (!).

Day started off quite mizzly, but by the time we reached Liverpool Street it had dried up.

Had intended to work, but it seems the PDA doesn't like dealing with a 52,000-word file (or maybe it doesn't like 'track changes' sections, though I know it can cope with highlight). So I ended up being Good Mummy and playing cards with Madam, while DH read the paper and son had his nose in a book all the way.

Started at the Movieum in County Hall:

Kids thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the bit where you acted in front of a green screen. Oh, and playing with light sabres that really do light up and make sounds...

Fairly obvious why the gong doesn't have the (um, word block here... the thing used to hit the gong) with it, but it would've been nice to pose with it. However, this is second best. (Son is 5ft 2, by the way, so this gives you a clue to just how big the gong is.)

From there, went to High Street Kensington for lunch; then to a gallery in Bury Street (near Jermyn Street) to see the Ardman exhiibition. (Was v small but interesting.)

Then to the Natural History Museum to see the dinosaurs etc. This has to be one of my favourite buildings in London - it’s just beautiful.

(That's a giant caterpillar in front of it, btw - there was a butterfly exhibition.)

Every time we go, I notice something different about the building. This is a close-up of the roof.

Then it was time to see the dinosaurs - both the skeletons

and the animatronic one.

Discovered some interesting things about arachnids: spiders have 3 sorts of hair - one to hear, one to taste (ie open ends) and one touch-sensitive; and male crab spiders tie up their chosen mate in a 'bridal veil' web so the female doesn't grab him and have him for dinner.

Saw a dodo.

Then up to the earth galleries to look at stuff about volcanoes (actually, this counted as research for my current Modern Heat - and there was a desert rose) and earthquakes and the solar system.

Then it was back to the train station; glad we allowed extra time to eat as the Tube closed for an emergency.

Bit footsore today - we did 32,616 steps. (Yup, you did read that correctly. So this means I can be a slug and not move from my desk for the next two days, yes?)

Today: dragged myself out of bed (was a mistake to start reading Anya Seton’s ‘Katherine’ – good read and I was distracted). Plan is to spend the day working, and hopefully will get the peace and quiet to let me finish the revisions. (Not happening at the moment, but am going to have major hissy fit in a moment. If they’d let me work in peace at the weekend and on Monday, I could've taken today off. But this is the consequence. )

a weekend of partying…

Current work: PM job
Listening to: Del Amitri, The Collection
Reading: Sarah Morgan, The Magic of Christmas (read it Friday night – excellent book and the secondaries as always are just wonderful)

Am completely shattered after some excellent but busy days. So what have I been up to?

Thursday, saw GP and it’s not bronchitis – it’s a throat infection. I’m on antibiotics (so I couldn’t toast my baby in champagne or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – bah). Then we took Madam out for her birthday tea and she absolutely loved it when they brought the cake over and played ‘Happy Birthday To You’ and ‘Congratulations’ (as in Cliff Richard).

Friday was London – lovely day for it and the train got me to Richmond a little bit early, so I sat out on The Green under a chestnut tree and just chilled out for a while. (All right. I started working on an outline...)

Then it was lunch with my agent and two of the senior eds (one of whom is mine, the senior Meds ed, and the other of whom is head of the other line I write for and is absolutely lovely) and we worked out what I’m doing next year. Although I write for two lines, from now on there will be one Kate Hardy style rather than me trying to split myself into two – so readers will know exactly what they’re getting. (And when I asked what they thought made a Kate Hardy novel, the three of them chorused the same thing – which is good to know. I think it’s easy to describe someone else’s style but much harder to analyse your own, as you’re too close to it.)

And then I came home to some gorgeous flowers from my sister via interflora – a ‘get well soon’ thing which was very much appreciated. (I did get a telling-off for keeping quiet about the dental traumas and the cough... especially as it's been going for nearly two weeks now. Sigh.)

Saturday, my best friend came up, so there was much talking and much listening to music.

Sunday was the family party and daughter looked FABULOUS. (Here’s proof. Not just maternal pride, is it? And her godmother did her nails so she’s showing them off, too.)

We ate too much, laughed too much, watched fireworks… perfect family day, really.

Today is back to work, though I’m half-considering having a duvet day. Certainly another early night as I’m still well under par with this cough. Have cancelled my music lessons this week and I might have to reschedule a business meeting – will see how I’m feeling tomorrow.

London

Current work: (whispers – I am working, honest)
Listening to: Joe Lynn Turner
Reading: not at the mo, focused on writing

So – London. Caught the train on time, breakfast of bacon baguette and a latte on the train, caught the Circle line at Liverpool Street to South Kensington… and at Aldgate, all of two stops away, the train was evacuated. Apparently here was a lone black case with an airline label on our train and the security people were not happy. Sigh. It was probably some poor person who’d left their case accidentally, but in the current world situation they couldn’t take a risk. (Take rant against terrorists as read. This is half term, so a high proportion of passengers this week are children. These people need a conscience and a dose of reality.)

So we walked down to the river, over Tower Bridge

[son and Madam by Tower Bridge]

and headed for HMS Belfast. Spent three hours wandering round the ship (involved lots of ladders so I reckon that counts as a week’s exercise *g*). Here's Madam on the deck below the waterline (the waterline starts at the top of the blue bit).

And son sitting on the Admiral's chair (not quite pretending to be Nelson, but getting that way...)

Lovely view of the Tower of London from the ship:



And then we went back to the tube station via the Roman Wall (c'mon, with the book I'm writing just now, of course I wanted the inspiration).
We headed to the Science Museum, on the birthday girl's request. It was boiling hot and so packed you couldn’t get near any of the hands-on exhibits, so DH had the bright idea of going to Harrods’ toy department. £15k for a kid’s electric car, anyone? Or £95k for a golf buggy? Or how about £100 for a babygro? (A Dior one... really practical and value for money for something that'll last a month before baby grows out of it and will probably end up being washed every day. Am glad I bought all mine from M&S.)

Also browsed in an estate agent’s window and it was shocking. A WEEKLY rental of £6k? Or you could buy a 1-bed flat for just over a million pounds… How the other half live. (I would much rather earn less and have my lifestyle.)

So we ended up in Hamley’s. Birthday girl got a bear and this drawing board thingy (was rip-off but by this point DH and I were knackered and this averted a potential tantrum in Oxford Street in the rush hour. She promises no more tantrums after she turns 7 next week. Yeah, right).

Anyway. Was an interesting day. Next time we go to London as a family it’s for my birthday, and we are going where I want to go (i.e. the Tutankhamun exhibition in Greenwich – OK, they want to go too, but this is my bright idea and we’re going with my best friend too). Ice cream and cake will also be involved (apologies to my diet buddies – some days I just have to be Bad Kate and my birthday usually lasts for at least three weekends and half term).

Today I’m working on two books. Fiction, and also pics for nonfiction book #2. Haven’t visited Thetford in years so we might drop in to the museum while we’re there. Then we’ll see my dad on the way home, and I need to persuade DH to drop me home before he does the weekly shop for me… Also desperately need to go to post office or I am in severe trouble.

off to London

Not much to say right now apart from the fact I have a title for the new Med – The Spanish Consultant’s Love-Child – and it’s out in August next year.

Plan for today (and apologies for namedropping): work on train; meet Michelle Styles and Donna Alward for coffee; lunch with lots of M&B authors at the RAF Club in Piccadilly; go for coffee with Sarah Morgan, Nicola Cornick and Carol Marinelli (possibly also Caroline Anderson as we had a good chat business discussion yesterday morning); champagne reception in the library at the Oriental Club in Stratford Place (where I get to see my editors); meet two oldest friends from Uni for dinner… Yeah, it’s going to be good.

And I will be wearing a skirt, high heels and make-up. It’s only once a year I get to play glam author. Most of the time I’m… um… I think the word is ‘comfortable’.

Will report back on Sunday. And repeat after me: archaeologists are sexy…