The suitcase is out again. I’m off to England later this week to inspect some of my grandchildren, catch up with some friends and, most important of all, to meet some of my readers. The Hampshire Festival of Book Clubs takes place next week at Lord Wandsworth College.

What a lovely place to go to school. I might ask if I can stay and retake my GCSE Maths. I still have the name tapes that have lurked in my Mum’s old sewing box for more than sixty years. I wonder if they’d make me do Phys Ed though? Hmm.

There’s a little interview with me today on the History Girls blog. I was formerly of that parish, a lightweight contributor compared to most of their learned members, so it’s very generous of them to have me back to talk about the vagaries of sequel-writing and the bonuses of ageing.

The downside of ageing is that you go to more funerals. My old home town, Leicester, will be another pit-stop on my UK tour, to attend the funeral of my second cousin, Colleen, a much-loved matriarch, a formidable line-dancer and pretty much the last of her generation in the family.  Dress code: blue.

So a bit of Granny Time, a bit of work, and a moment of sad farewell. A good balance, I think you’d agree.