Hollywood

The moose returns from Scotland. On the way up I stopped in at Barter Books in Alnwick. It was busy as. In fact, it was the busiest bookshop I have witnessed in many years. A converted railway station, bibliophiles thank Beeching, it is crammed with second hand and antiquarian books. The novel idea being that on production of a receipt you can bring back a book and get half the cover price back as a credit on future purchases. I bought 'Poor Mouth' by Flann O'Brian. Very funny indeed. Later on today I'm meeting Jim Greenhalf from the Telegraph and Argus and Yorkshire magazine. We'll be discussing The Northern Book Award. Much coffee and cake will be drunk and eaten to thrash out the selection criteria for the annual award. It's official. Bluemoose Books now has a film agent, I've signed the contract. I won't be doing a Colin Welland and telling those bods in Hollywood that the,' Brits are coming,' but it's a start. I might get the smoking jacket out and hang it on the cupboard door. Can't stop dreaming though.