Just to prove I’ve been leaving the house

Even though I haven’t written anything about it, I actually have left the house and gone places recently. Went to the very civilised Kalendar cafe in Highgate. Great food, plus this wonderful arrangement of dogs (sadly I think not a permanent fixture).

And if you’re ever invited to a bookshop’s birthday party, my advice is to arrive early. I was invited to the 10th anniversary party of Waterstone’s Piccadilly the other day, in their very swish 5th floor restaurant. But, the party was 6-8pm and I arrived at 7, which apparently is *not* what the famous authors do. Michael Frayn was just leaving, so I got to dash up to him and say “I really love your work! I really do!” But I had *missed* Zadie Smith and Joanna Trollope. Sob. Also, there was a cake, but they didn’t actually… serve it? Perhaps the senior management had decided it was all for them.