Being tagged - for Kate Hardy

Kate Hardy tagged me to write Six weird things about me. Sorry to be slow in responding, Kate, but I honestly had trouble thinking what was ‘weird’. I know some people who, if asked, what’s weird about Kate W?’ would say ‘everything’ – and yet others who’d say, ‘Well, nothing.’ There’s the writing romances for one thing. I’ve met several people who think that, for a woman with an MA and a professional qualification in librarianship, that’s really weird. To me, it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. Cats – some people would think that four are excessive - others (waves to Anna!) would accept that as purrfectly normal)

I asked the BM and, being the BM, he immediately went into English lecturer mode –‘Define weird . . .’ I know – that’s what I’m trying to do.

Okay, so, Kate my dear, this is what I’ve come up with.


1. I once rode up 44 floors – and down again - in an elevator dressed in my pyjamas, a tiara and a hat shaped like a giant bee – in New York! This was because I was at the RWA conference and attending the eHarlequin Pyjama Party. The tiara was because the writing group the Gonnabeez had honoured me by making me the Queen Bee – and the Bee hat was from the same group. The party was on the lower ground floor of the hotel. My room was on the 43rd floor. On the journey down, I travelled in the lift with a very nice man who simply smiled and said Hi as if he met Queen Bees every day of his life. Perhaps he did.

2. I once worked in a bookshop for 6 months after leaving university and getting a librarianship job. This is where I learned the art of reading books without ever bending or cracking their spines so that I could, borrow them, read them – and put them back on the shelves with no one noticing.

3. I’m sort of psychic. My record for saying, ‘I think I’d better switch on my phone in case The Offspring/The BM/one of my sisters etc is trying to get through – and then getting a call as soon as I switch on is almost 100%

4. I’m ridiculously obsessive about brand new magazines – books too. I hate to see anyone pick up a magazine I’ve bought and flick through it or, worse still settle down to read it. I have to restrain myself from snatching it from their hands and saying that’s mine! It’s not as if I think they’ll read all the words off the page – it comes from being one of 5 sisters and getting one comic between all five of us. Each week one of us had the delight of being the first to read it then pass it on to the next in line – but for four weeks you didn’t get to read it until everyone else had finished! And I had one sister who used to take forever to read anything. (I'm also well aware of the fact that in the light of No 2 above, this makes me totally hypocritical)

5. I have a strange collection of made up curses – ones used by my mother to express fierce emotion without resorting to swearing in front of her children. So, like her, I am likely to say ‘Hells bells and buckets of blood!’ or ‘By the seven holy men of Ringsend!’ – they’re pretty satisfying and a lot more imaginative than most of the single word curses.

6. I’m descended from a man called Chevalier Charles Wogan whose story is something of a delight for any romantic novelist – here is a brief summary:


"The Chevalier" (Knight) Charles Wogan was born in Rathcoffey. Is it possible that his heroic actions on the night of April 29th 1719 have given rise to the romantic fairytale tradition that for every fair princess shut up in a castle tower there comes a knight in shining armour ready to set her free so that she can marry the handsome prince of her dreams?
Wogan was a staunch supporter of the Stuarts. Hr initiated the alliance which led to the marriage of James Edward Francis Stuart (the Old Pretender), son of Charles II, to Clementina Sobieski, daughter of John Sobieski, King of Poland. She was apprehended, however, on her way to marry the Prince in Bologna. She was held captive in Innsbruck in the Tyrol. Wogan arranged false passports with the Austrian Ambassador and along with a small group feigning to be a Count, Countess, the Countess’ brother (Wogan) and her maidservant, managed to gain access to the princess. Following a quick exchange of clothing between the princess and the maidservant, the party escaped in high winds and blinding snow through the Alpine passes into Austria.
The marriage to James took place and from it Charles Edward (the Young Pretender) was born in Rome in 1720. Wogan’s reputation for daring and enterprise spread throughout all Europe.

It’s rumored that in fact Charles Wogan and Clementina fell in love on their journey but that his loyalty to his king meant that he didn’t press his own claim for marriage. It’s also rumored that as a result of this, the Chevalier and his family are entitled to wear their hats in the presence of the king and to a pension of £10 a year. Unfortunately, like most of these things in English law, this was only passed down through the male side – which has now died out - and I come from the female line. Pity. It would have been fun to think I could turn up to Buckingham Palace and tell HM that she owed me back pay for the past few centuries.

I’m supposed to tag someone? Okay – Anne McAllister who would probably include dogs and deodorant bottles and gunslingers in hers. And Liz Fielding because I have no idea at all what she would include but I’d love to know.