
My Glasgow Auntie came to visit for a couple days and I took her to Oxford to meet up for lunch with two of my very favourite writers, Geraldine McCaughrean and Philip Reeve.


I just read Geraldine's book The Ideal Wife, set in the 1790's about a jolly young Berkshire landowner who's completely gung-ho for Rousseau and his principles; he adopts two ten-year-old girls - one light, one dark -from an orphanage and sets about raising them as blithe, free, tree-climbing souls, with the intention of marrying whichever one turns out best. *SCANDAL!!* (Yes, the neighbours think so, too.) I can imagine Jane Austen sitting down with this book and being totally shocked but absolutely loving it. And Charlotte Brontë would be jealous and say sarky things but secretly wish she'd written it. Amazing book.

We also met up with Caption comics festival coordinator Jenni Scott, Richard Buck and baby Aphra. My aunt and Aphra got on very well. I'll attach a bunch more pictures of the lovely pub and the aforementioned fab people.



Oh, I just have to say, Glasgow Auntie is a bit of a cryptic crossword genius. She's working on the Telegraph one here, and finished it in about twenty minutes.

Okay, one more of Geraldine and Philip; you will never find two writers with more panache.
