Surprise

Well, my birthday came and it started well. I stumbled downstairs to find that my daughter had bought me just want I wanted – a breadmaker. The weather was indifferent – humid and grey. I span off into another world – the word mine in fact – spending the rest of the morning and early afternoon embedded in chapter eight of my latest book, Dragon Rampant. I heard the rest of the house and my suburb wake up. At a certain point, after numerous cups of tea, I decided to go shopping in the huge Tesco's in the Old Kent Road. My daughter had been encouraging me to go out, and dropping hints. When I got home, my arms stretched by shopping bags, I discovered the reason. All of my friends, well 99 per cent of them, were standing in my small garden looking into the house through the kitchen's sliding glass door. It was a surprise party. The afternoon was a blurr of red wine and rock music and delightful recognition of the people who were there. It was perfect.