Joining the Thyme Clan

Nina seems to be enjoying herself while I try to join the clan. No, not the Clu clux clan. The Thyme Family Clan.

Unfortunately it did not produce quite the effect that we wanted!

Justin Thyme arrives!

They've arrived! Delivered in the rain so we had to rush them out of their plastic wraps, one dozen at a time, and make sure they were all dry. However, we did make time for a quick snap of my evident pride and pleasure stood beside some of them.

Here's the rest, transferred upstairs and waiting for signatures and labels in two weeks time. That's when the work really starts! Boy, are we going to be busy and that include Panama Oxridge who will have over 300 copies to sign. ( Advance sales from across the UK and beyond stand at 272 !!!)

Katie and Des Fforde visit

Nina and I were delighted to greet surprise visiting authors, Katie Fforde and her husband Des. I was hugely embarrassed that my intention to order her latest had not been followed through and we didn't have a single one of her titles in the shop.

Katie's new hardback, A Perfect Proposal, is doing very well and we really will have it on our shelves in the next day or two - promise.

Des has put together a collection of seafaring stories containing pieces by Forrester, Monsarrat, Captain Marryat etc and profits will go to The Prostate Cancer Charity. If you want to know more about A Seaman's Book of Sea Stories go to http://www.accentpress.co.uk and click 'New Titles' We'll have the book in soon.

Des is an ex seaman and still looks the part.

Nice meeting you both. Perhaps we could organise a family signing with the pair of you and Jasper?

Lincolnshire Curly-coats

It would seem that our pig picture has upset two groups of people. We've had complaints from the farming community here that the Cumberland wooly-pigs which we showed here recently were, in fact, Lincolnshire curly-coats in disguise! I admit it. I was completely fooled.

Unfortunately, upsetting the second group of people was much more serious. A petition has been got up by a small but vociferous group of little old ladies who objected to the sight of the second pig, the one with her rear end pointing in the viewers direction (see earlier page). The had no fewer than three signatures after their own so we have decide to remove her altogether from the new photo.

Celia Lendis Reception

An interesting end to our day at the shop. David and I trotted along to 'Celia Lendis' to view some of the massive and majestic works by John Lendis.

I stayed for little more than an hour and listened to an insightful talk by Eleanor Rawling, research fellow and writer at Oxford, as she talked about the selection of paintings and the work of the Gloucester poet Ivor Gurney.

Thank you Celia, for the invite. We hope you did well.

Sarah's wedding Day

Here, at last, are a couple of Sarah's wedding shots taken by another pro'.

A Pro' at Fairford Show

These superb shots were taken by a visiting pro who kindly sent some of his results from his home in Switzerland after his trip to Fairford.

He'd been there the day before us and caught the weather.

He was also lucky enough to see the Lancaster airborne and a gleam of sunshine on the Vulcan.

The Spitfire shot is spot on though. The prop is perfection. I think he's done it before.

The pro's name is Marcel Mivelaz and you can find him on http://www.mivelaviation.com