Fireworks and Community Gatherings

Morning.

Last night I took the girls to the Llandrindod Wells Fireworks display. It's held at the end of Victorian Week (occasioanal person in a long dress carrying a Tesco's carrier bag) for tourists and locals alike.

Now, I'm not too sure why I went - apart from the fact that the girls had got wind of it and decided they fancied it. Then when I was telling people that we might go, I was saying that it seemed to be THE event of the year in Llandrindod, in that when I went before, all I could hear was, "Well, hello!" as people who hadn't spoken to each other since last Fireworks stopped for a chat. I had decided in my mind that although a fireworks display might not be the most ethical and essential thing in cash-strapped Britain, it was good for the community to all get together sometimes.

So we went, parking miles away, running around the lake in the dark, skidding on duck-shit as we went, trying to make it round to the big friendly crowd all saying, "well, hello!" Ashamed to say, I did buy them some plastic stuff that flashed, mainly to stop the girls getting stepped on.

The fireworks eventually started and a few people said, "Ooh," and "Aah," but then I remembered that when you've seen one firework, you've actually seen most of them. Although it was an impressive display, far better were the ones where the bloke and his biscuit tin got chased down a bank by a wayward rocket.

But there was something about it that was different than before. There were of course loads of people standing and filming the thing on their mobiles (Fourteen year old boys: you are not going to choose Firework Display to watch when you have the world on your phone - watch it in real time, then move on!) But I realised that no-one was talking, let alone saying, "Well, hello..."

Then I remembered that the Council have turned off most of the street lights, and so people couldn't see anyone... Unless someone stood on your toe /child, no-one was really saying much. I also remembered there were no lights when I dragged the girls on a short cut through the woods / brambles to get back to the car.

Maybe this year the toads / ducks / shopping trolleys in the lake got scared witless for no reason...

The People's Book Prize 2011

For months I have been pestering and pleading with people to PLEASE vote for me! My book, Cold Enough to Freeze Cows was longlisted for The People's Book Prize and through grovelling and cajolling, I made it through to the final round. I had posters printed, cards made, press releases released and t-shirts printed. I even got thrown out of The Hay Festival for unauthorised canvassing...

Last Wednesday, Huw and I made it to London with bags full of finery. We had a hotel with a view of St Paul's Cathedral (which does look a little different in the flesh) and we found The Millenium Bridge. We even managed to look appreciative for some time in Tate Modern.

Then it was on to the People's Book Prize award ceremony. We had been told to prepare a speech in case we won, but it felt that to do so would jinx the outcome, so I cobbled a few notes together and decided that if it came to it, I could wing it.

I was very nervous, but there is nothing like bumping a wheelchair up a flight of stone steps in the rain to bring one back to earth.

The night was fabulous! Great company, good food, free wine (yippee!) and by half way through, I had decided that there was no chance that I would win and so I might as well get stuck in. By the time the winners were to be announced, I'd almost forgotten what I was there for.

As finalist I had to stand and be clapped: that was nice. As a "final three", I was allowed to remain standing and then it began to get a bit scary. We three remaining had to stand on the podium and look happy for each other. Frederick Forsythe came along too and did a nice little speech about "Don't worry, I didn't used to sell many either at one point!"

Then it was time for one of those envelopes to be opened. If I had leaned over his shoulder, I could have read the result and known what face to put on - but I felt it might be a little unprofessional.
The upshot was, I didn't win, but I was a top three finalist. Huw says that technically I can say I came third. Personally, I prefer to say that I was probably second.

It is said that you don't get anything for coming second, but I felt like I did. I met great people, got alot of advice and some good empathy, I got to wear a nice new dress and sleep for a whole night without being woken up by a child. Fantastic.