Blimey, it’s hot! I was in Darlington this afternoon, and it was like striding around the sun-baked deserts of Tatooine. Which is odd, as last week it was more like the ice planet of Hoth. Although I notice tomorrow is forecast to be eerily reminscent of the rain-swept water world P’Ssingdown. The secret rebel base that Princess Leia never mentions very much.
And why was I in Darlington? The world singularly fails to ask. But I’ll tell you anyway… I’ve been asked by the nice people at Darlington Library to be their official author (as opposed to all the maverick, unofficial authors out there – bloody cowboys) for the National Year Of Reading. Yay! So thanks to Jeannie and James for making me coffee and being very pleasant to me – looks like I’ll be doing a few readings and workshops and things over there in the next few months.
The meeting also contained the bizarre following conversation:
James: Did you cover the Discworld Convention in 2006?
Me: Yes. Why, are you a fan?
James: Oh yes. I was head of the Priest’s Guild. I conducted the Church Of Om service on the Sunday morning.
It’s a small world, and – in this case – it’s also flat and on the back of a bloody big turtle.
I also popped into Darlington Arts Centre while I was there and got a couple of tickets to see Dean Haglund. Yep, Langley of the Lone Gunmen, the lank-haired conspiracy theorist in all nine series of The X Files. He’s doing his improv comedy X Files show on Saturday night, and I can’t wait to meet him and get my DVDs signed.
Altogether now, you can take the boy out of the convention…
Wiffle Lever To Full! 
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