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We met a household who directly requested us for drinks after which to hitch them for Thanksgiving dinner of their palatial vacation dwelling. Turkey, candy potatoes, all of the trimmings, pecan pie, ice cream. In thanking them I mentioned one thing concerning the pleasure of such generosity, household closeness and the youngsters’s politeness. Our hostess laughed. It’s as a result of we’re from the South, she mentioned. It wouldn’t be the identical in Chicago.
After practically two months away, we sailed dwelling on the Queen Mary 2. Cunard prides itself on proudly owning the final remaining true ocean liners: stately passenger ships voyaging from port to port fairly than cruise ships taking 1000’s of gamblers on round-trips. However, as one night time I ended up embarrassing myself within the Karaoke Bar, I’m unsure I get the distinction.
I used to be one of many writers invited to Cunard’s Literature Competition at Sea, which it organises along with the Cheltenham Literature Competition. So, there we had been hobnobbing with 30-odd writers, some awesomely well-known, akin to Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith.
I at all times take pleasure in literary festivals, though humiliation typically comes with the bundle. Many is the time my queue at ebook signings has been embarrassingly small, whereas some extra well-liked author’s queue goes around the block. JoJo Moyes and Rachel Joyce have bought 38 million and 5 million novels respectively, so I used to be fortunate to not share a signing desk with both of them.
Re-reading this account of eight weeks on the transfer, I realise simply how spoilt we’ve been. Roku, the streaming service that hosts The Nice American Baking Present, put us up within the Ritz -Carlton on Central Park whereas I did radio and press interviews. In Los Angeles the promoter of my stage present footed the Culver Resort invoice. Then John and I believed we’d earned every week’s vacation in Florida. And eventually, for seven nights on the Queen Mary 2 our invoice was met by Cheltenham Literature Competition.
Due to this fact, pricey reader, lest you suppose I’ve utterly misplaced contact with actuality, I ought to say we flew steering, we stayed in some fairly grim motels, ate an terrible lot of appalling junk, and I wore holes in my favorite eco felt footwear. And after I go on tour in February, it will likely be a tour bus, low cost inns and Prêt sarnies. However it should, for certain, be enjoyable.
Prue Leith’s present Nothing In Moderation is on tour from Feb 1: go to mickperrin.com for particulars
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