Martin, in addition to having a computer that blinkin' well works, goes from strength to strength. He won the CWA short story dagger last year and has two series and a stand-alone book, Dancing For The Hangman, about Crippen in print and contributes to no end of anthologies and so on. Not only that, but he’s got a full-time day job as a solicitor. I genuinely don’t know how he does it. I think he might have nicked Hermione Grainger’s time-turner.
I was in excellent company and the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. It’s fascinating that writers who write such different books should gel together so well. My sister-in-law, Jenny, was desperately impressed that I’d been on a panel with Cath Staincliffe. Jenny’s a huge fan of Cath’s books and was really pleased when I was able to say what a nice person she was. My Dad, on the other hand, loves Kate Ellis, and it impressed him no end I was mixing in with “real” (ie – he’s heard of them) writers.
The Portico Library is somewhere I’ve always fancied going in. I used to pass it on my way to work every morning in Manchester Library. (That's the big one with the impressive dome). It’s tucked round the corner from Manchester City Art Gallery and is picked out by a blue plaque, saying it was founded in 1806 and it's not really changed much. To go inside is like travelling back in time. It’s a private library and combines the functions of a club, library and coffee-house. The books are numerous, ancient and leather-bound and the Reading Room is crying out to have a Baronet with a dagger of oriental design in his ribs lying punctured on the rug.
It’s a small building – or, at least, it seems so. It actually has Tardis-like qualities, as it expands dramatically once you get into the building proper. The Portico frequently puts on exhibitions and, if you’re in Manchester, it’s well worth taking a look. You feel as if it should be frequented by gentlemen in knee-breeches and, if you close your eyes, I’ll swear you can hear the rustle of silk from long-gone dresses whispering by. One Portico institution who’s a absolute gem is Muriel. (She doesn't wear silk dresses - at least not at work, I don't think). Muriel is 80 and does the cooking – brilliantly. The buffet was splendid. On the way out there’s a picture of a raised hand and underneath it says, “Stop! Have you paid Muriel?”
Love it.
Last week’s blog had a pleasantly surrealistic touch, as I presented a crossword without a grid. I simply couldn’t get the “grid” to upload and still can’t. I tell you, the problems I have... However, here are the answers.
Clues
1 Across and 2 Down Mrs Hudson’s famous lodger
Sherlock Holmes, of course. Wasn't Mrs Hudson a long-suffering woman?
3 Down: Where the coded detective lives
Oxford - that's "Morse" of course.
6 Across and 4 Down “- - - - -“ (2 words) American West Coast crime as seen on TV
LA Law
5 Across and 17 Down She does her detecting in Cheshire, perhaps?
Miss Marple – Agatha Christie was a frequent visitor to Marple
5 Down According to TS Eliot, he’s “The hidden paw” but he and The Great Detective slugged it out at a waterfall
Okay, so I got the first bit wrong, (whoops!) but I was working these out really fast in the intervals of making butties and covering strawberries in chocolate for the buffet that evening. “McCavity” is, of course, TS Eliot’s “Mystery cat/He’s called the Hidden Paw” and Moriaty is Sherlock’s nemesis.
7 Across and 18 Across Jack Haldean’s first adventure (1,4, 5, 4, 5 words)
A Fete Worse Than Death (Yo! Brilliant book!)
8 Down and 16 Down “I counted them!” Richard Hannay steps up to his first adventure
The Thirty-Nine Steps - and what a truly brilliant writer John Buchan is.
9 Across A misleading fish
A red herring!
10 Down How many tailors?
Nine (natch)
11 Across Get on the Orient Express and you’ll end up in this continent
Asia – although nowadays it stops in Venice.
12 Across A favourite murder weapon
Gun. You really did need the grid for this one. Sorry.
13 Across Watch it, husbands! Her indoors might slip this in your tea!
Arsenic – but try to use something more obscure. Arsenic’s for beginners.
14 Across Whimsical Christian who rocks?
Peter (Wimsey) That’s his Christian name and “Peter”, as you know if you’ve been listening in church, also means “Rock”.
15 Across Not the garden of the police
Yard
19 Down A Holmly writer’s profession
Doctor - either Watson or Conan Doyle
20 Across “Mr Holmes! They were the footprints of an enormous….”
Hound, say we all. Gosh, that's a great bit in the book.
21 Across Write with this in a shortened prison?
Pen (itentiary)
22 Down The cruise of the steamer Karnack brings death on this Egyptian river
Nile - AC's Death on the Nile.
23 Across “--- - and sound? A good place for valuables
Safe
24 Down Every Great Detective has a deadly one of these
Foe
25 Across If you hear a bomb starting to do this, run for it!
Tick
26 Across According to Dorothy L Sayers, the “tailors” were these
Bells - and blimey, it was difficult to explain to my mate, Mary, how a tailor could be a bell!
27 Across Live and let live? Not according to James Bond
Die
28 Across Become this, and you’ll be of interest to malefactors
Rich
Here's everyone hard at work, doing it. I can’t put the crossword grid on the blog for some reason, which is frustrating, but these are the clues – they’re not too hard! The “grid” is a standard scrabble board.