Hastings Battleaxe gets into gear…

Yes but, Philosopher has kept on telling me to get out of gear and rest. Battleaxe has been somewhat manic about this book business and I think I have almost burned myself out.  So have taken a few days off from frenzied writing/promoting. That meant I read two whole novels in two days – about which, more later. Next weekend, on Saturday 9 August I have snagged a place at the Crime Writers’ Day at Hastings Museum, to complement the on-going Agatha Christie exhibition. I’ll be there from 10.30 until 4pm, signed books available!

There will also be other well-known crime writers who have many books published – a bit daunting but it will be good to talk to them. The picture of me on the event website – see the link above, is more than a little unfortunate – I didn’t expect to get a table so just slapped in the first photo that came to hand – I appear to have a plant, and the roof of one of the huts at Goat Ledge, growing out of my head. The other writers have carefully posed publicity photographs. Little dogs seem to be a popular addition to their pictures – I don’t have one, and posing with Digby the cat would lead to a composition dominated by outraged feline grumpiness. I have  been doing some preparation for the event, and am getting a cake like the one on the cover of my book, with knitting needles supplied courtesy of friend Jan – Battleaxe doesn’t do knitting. I have also got authors’ copies of my book to sign and sell.  But I don’t expect that many people to attend – it clashes with the Hastings Old Town Carnival Parade, and sadly, not that many people go to the Museum – it is so out of the way. But if you are around in town, do call in! You might even get a piece of cake… but will it be poisoned?

Talking of the Museum for a moment, the event is in the Durbar Hall – see a photo I took back in 2012 of the carved wood, above. It is  wonderful in case you have never seen it, a two-tier galleried reconstruction of an Indian Palace, originally built for the 1886 Colonial & Indian Exhibition in London. It was donated to Hastings in 1919 by the Brassey family, and its upper gallery contains other items from the Brassey collection.

Have just been for a huge sleep-inducing lunch at the Queen’s Head in Icklesham with Philosopher’s niece Harriet and her father Mike. That pub do such enormous portions… but it is always, consistently, good. Battleaxe, as usual, recommends. I had excellent plaice.

So, back to my reading. Have been scoffing up Michael Dibdin’s Zen novels on Kindle, but also settled down with two real books (and Four in a Bed on telly in the background…) Rattled through those pictured above – both were members’ selections for our WI Book Club. The Louise Doughty I didn’t enjoy at all – a relentlessly depressing story of a mother’s gradual mental unravelling following the death of her daughter in a hit-and-run accident, but the second, a novel about Lee Miller, pleasantly surprised me. Don’t get Battleaxe wrong, I am no great fan of Lee Miller – she seems to have acquired almost a cult following, with films about her life etc., but this was a well-written novel giving an interesting insight into on-the-edge boho life in 1930s Paris and Lee’s relationship with Man Ray. Of course, the home she shared with Roland Penrose, Farley’s Farm, is not far from here – Battleaxe has been once, many years ago – but can now feel a Book Club outing coming up.

I do feel a bit better for my rest, and have got a busy week next week – lunches with friends, a visit to Folkestone with old friends Sue and Graham from Brum followed by them staying here, my novel group… and then it is Battleaxe’s birthday. Not a big and interesting one though.

Here’s Battleaxe’s unfortunate pic on the Crime Day website!