So we’re off and running. Twenty bookish folk  kindly gave up their Thursday afternoon (including some for whom it was press day) to help me launch A Humble Companion on a sea of champagne, tea and rather superior cakes. Several of them were garnished with gold leaf (the cakes, I mean, not the bookish folk) which seemed appropriately royal, and all of London was draped in red, white and blue, though I’m told that this was absolutely nothing to do with my book launch. Someone’s Diamond Jubilee, apparently.

I also used the trip to London to do a bit of research for my current project. This took me down to Deptford and Greenwich for the first time in more than thirty years. I’d forgotten how wonderful the river prospect is and how superb Christopher Wren’s buildings are. The Royal Naval Hospital was a noble concept and so much the personal brainchild of Queen Mary one has to wonder what other great things she might have sponsored had she lived beyond her 32 years.

I didn’t have nearly enough time there and I shall go back soon, but the grandchildren will be relieved to hear I did manage to pick up a job lot of pirate hats (one size fits all) from the Gifte Shoppe.

Now only five excitement-tossed sleeps till the Virtual Launch. Just to give you a taster, we’ll be kicking off on Thursday 7th with a lovely nostalgic party piece from best-selling novelist Paul Magrs, plus a recipe for a real 18th century ice cream from Society confectioner Jack Buzzard, and a few royal words from someone whose name begins with HRH. More treats in store on Friday and Saturday

And don’t forget, the names of everyone who signs the Guestbook June 7th to 9th will go into a prize draw and three lucky winners will be chosen on June 10th by my heavily blindfolded husband. He is a paragon of probity and cannot be bought.