We’ll ignore the fact that I was feeling really rough on Thursday night (last murmurs of the feeling ill on Tuesday). Ignore the fact that I was panicking after doing a last-minute measure and the new kitchen will not fit (DH agreed to sort that out). Ignore the fact that the kids both cried at bedtime on Thursday and told me they didn’t want me to go to London. 

The taxi whisked me off to Norwich train station at 7.30 on Friday morning. Got to London at 10.30 and the Tube was weird – never seen such visible police presence, never got a seat on the Tube at that time of the morning before, and the atmosphere was so subdued. And this is over two months after the bombing. I salute those who had the courage to travel on the network, the day after it happened.

Got to the RAF club and had a chat with lots of other M&B authors and my lovely ed Sheila, though I did miss some of my friends who weren't able to make it (waves to Kate Walker, Liz Fielding and Sara Craven). Lunch was scrummy: pears with port and stilton; spicy chicken supreme with rice and veg; bread and butter pudding and custard; coffee and petits fours – let it be stated here that Caroline Anderson is a bad influence on me!! Nice upbeat talk from our new MD. Then I had tea with fellow Medicals authors Jennifer Taylor, Caroline Anderson and Josie Metcalfe at the Athenaeum (we’re talking proper silver teapot and starched damask tablecloths here), then walked down to the M&B champagne reception at the Army & Navy Club in St James’ Square. Attentive waiters (so no, I have no idea how much I drank – didn’t disgrace myself but was very happy and jolly – oh, and the garlic mushroom canapés were superb).

OK, this is where I do the pics: Kate Lardy (sadly not a misprint) and some famous authors. So, from the top (in order of them being taken):

with fellow Modern Xtra-sensual author Julie Cohen

with Tender author Natasha Oakley

with Presents author Sharon Kendrick

with Historicals author Michelle Styles

with fellow Meds author Caroline Anderson

Jennifer Taylor escaped. (Next time, next time...) Saw Biddy in the reception area so was able to say whoo-hoo in person (waves to Biddy). After that, I toddled off to Piccadilly Circus to meet Fi at Eros – it’s YEARS since I was in that part of London in the evening! Went to All Bar One in Leicester Square for tapas and a good natter. (Chicken satay, blackened salmon, Italian antipasti and the most gorgeous grilled halloumi. All extremely scrummy and healthy. And please note that I was back on sparkling water by that point because I wanted to avoid a hangover!) We had planned to go to the Haagen Dazs café for pud, but they were closed, so we went to Rendezvous instead for a waffle with ice cream (the hazelnut one was v. nice) and a latte. Lots of nattering. Fabulous.

Then this morning, back home on the train – rather than working, I indulged myself with a book. (Finished Jill's on Thursday night and enjoyed it thoroughly.) Book in question is the new CJ Sansom novel. I really do like this series: I don't know that much about Reformation England but I can tell that this is well researched, the characters are sympathetically drawn, the setting is sketched in beautifully (ie light brushstrokes rather than big clompy bits that I've seen elsewhere), and the plot's gripping. Read it in the queue for the taxi - and as my taxi driver was listening to football I grabbed yet more reading time. Got in and DH and the kids were out, so now I can tinker with the ideas I was playing with on the train (i.e. next three M&Bs after Rose). DH left me the kitchen plan so I can see what’s happened: the bad news is that I lose one unit of drawers, but the good news is that I get some more bookshelves. (He must have noticed. He really must. Or is he just resigned to the fact that I'm succeeding in my plot to turn our entire house into a library?)

All righty. Time to get some work done… but I think I might finish the Sansom book first. Curl up on the sofa with the dog - he deserves a fuss, too.