A funeral is never a good way to start the week but on Monday I had the pleasure of hearing my son’s beautifully written eulogy to his father. It was, by turns, poignant and hilarious and I’m slightly relieved that he’s too busy doing an important, proper job to compete with me for writing gigs. Take a bow, Alastair Graham. You had the old feller absolutely nailed.

And then…. the Man from Delmonte Publishing House, he say ‘Yes.’

The peanuts have been counted, terms have been agreed, I have a two-book contract.  The recent hiatus means there won’t be a new book in 2016, but that gives everyone all the more time to put their Laurie Graham Benevolent Fund pennies in a jar for early 2017.

I can’t tell you how ridiculously joyful I feel.