Parade

First day back at work after our first two week holiday for ..... years. It was fine, but there is plenty of catching up to do.

However ...... an issue was that I had booked two events associated with the Manchester Literature Festival, and the first was tonight at 6.30 pm at the Central Library. That seemed a good idea until it was announced that there would be a huge parade in the city centre to celebrate our Olympians. That would make getting into the city centre and parking somewhere not so easy.

But I managed it.

We enjoyed the parade down Deansgate (see extra), but I liked this photo - mainly for the sidelong glances of the three chaps beyond.

As for the "event", it was Anne Cleeves talking about her Shetland books and the TV series that sprang out of them. She had with her the scriptwriter of the TV series (Gaby Chiappe), and the actress who plays "Tosh" (Alison O'Donnell). Excellent, and fascinating hearing about the relationship between book and script.

I have loved the TV series but never read the books. So I took "Raven Black", the first one (originally written as a standalone), on holiday. I am within 20 pages of finishing it (a sign of a good holiday is a total failure to read the books I've taken). I am really enjoying it - and weirdly ravens were a feature of our holiday in various places, starting with one croaking over my home town. Anne Cleeves signed it tonight, and her new one ("Cold Earth") which I bought at the end of the show.