Normal service is resumed

I'm back! Did you miss me?

I've had a wonderful, stimulating and fun time at the Fishguard Novel Writing Weekend and enjoyed every single minute of it. And there were a lot of minutes! My group were real slave drivers and they kept me talking till all hours, demanded extra time and even forced me to drink a little wine during our evening session - terrible people!

It was one of the nicest and most satisfying Writing Weekends I have ever been on. The hotel was comfortable, the staff so helpful and friendly, all the students and the other teachers ( Lesley Horton, Jane Jackson and Irene Yates ) were great to be with. Our hosts and organisers Gerry and Anne Hobbs were so warm and welcoming as usual, they alweway take such care to make sure that everyone was happy and comfortable - there are not many course/writing retreat organisers who would be still up and dressed and ready to help when a fire alarm goes off at almost 1 am. (There wasn't a fire - only someone who had decided to spray their room with air freshener - in the middle of the night!)

The food was wonderful and I discovered a fabulous caramel mousse type of pudding named Lumpy Bumpy. (Though I'm not sure if that is supposed to describe the way you end up feeling after you've eaten it. ) The BM magnetised a few more Babes, the conversation never lulled, the laughter was frequent and loud. It was a pity the numberts were small - but then that did mean that the classes got very personal attention and that Gerry and Anne were not prepared to disappoint those who had signed up by cancelling. I'm sure that everyonme there was so grateful that they didn't.

The weekend just flew by and before I had time to blink it was time to pack up and get on the road again, heading home this time. My only regrets are that I didn't get to see Fishguard itself (the BM explored and loved it) and that the beautiful bay and the sea was only something I saw from the path in front of the hotel every day - and I never got any closer because of those slave drivers in my group! And when you start with one member of the group saying at the very first session that she thought she had signed up for the wrong group, but ended up declaring that she'd had the best writing experience ever - that has to be considerered a triumph.

So my thanks toAnne and Gerry for running one of there own sdpecial brand of warm, welcoming and stimulating Writers' Events, to the staff of the Fishguard Bay Hotel who made our stay so comfortable and enjoyable, and my group - Chris, Carol, Joanna, Ann and Rachael - you were a great group to work with and I had so much fun.

I hope I get another chance to do it again.

And just a reminder to anyone interested in joining one of Anne and Gerry's writing events - check out the details of Caerleon and Fishguard on their Writers' Holidays web site. It's an experience not to be missed.