Is it cold, or is it just me?

The night had been chilly, but the frost seemed to be gone by mid-morning. As I walked round The Park (it’s what we call our triangle of streets of around one hundred houses), I noticed frost on ‘my’ bit of the pavement. Again. This time I walked along all the pavements, and it was only the part outside Bookwitch Towers that still had frost on.

Previously I’d been aware that after periods of real snow, once it starts to melt, it will be totally gone in most places. Except outside our house. Returning home one evening a while ago, when it had begun snowing very lightly, I couldn’t help seeing that it was particularly settled just outside Bookwitch Towers.

A few weeks ago I walked round (I do this a lot) after some modest snow, finding it had disappeared everywhere, except, yes you guessed. In fairness, there were three more cold spots that day; outside Senior Scout’s house, by the Grammar School and near Corrie House. What do we have in common?

I asked on facebook. If anyone knows, it will be them. There were mutterings about Narnia. The White Witch.

It’s possible, I suppose. I just had no idea. Honestly.

Turkish Delight, anyone?

Bookwitch bites #46

Divided City is one of Theresa Breslin’s books I missed when it was first published, and it’s probably the one I keep thinking that I really must read. Now it’s about to become a stage musical in its home city of Glasgow, with school children from all secondary schools taking part. The novel features a Celtic fan and a Rangers fan, and the whole idea behind this new venture is to reach across that divide.

Some way further south a group of our best authors have been enjoying some sunshine and discovering a different kind of divide. Here are the words of the great Philip Ardagh himself, who has finally been beaten on height (and wealth, it seems) in Dubai. I really need to find out more about this Dubai Festival of Literature, and how to get invited. Do I have to write a book or something?

‘With over 20 million books sold, there’s no doubting that Eoin Colfer is the literary giant in this photo and, at over two metres tall, there’s no doubting that I’m big in the children’s book world in an entirely different way… but we were both dwarfed by the presence of this charming meeter-and-greeter at Intercontinetal Hotel, where we’re gathered for the Dubai Festival of Literature. I’d tell you his name, if I were tall enough to read his name badge…’

Meeter-and-greeter? I think not. More like two and a half metres.

New stamps are out and I might actually buy some. Not that I write many letters, but it’s not every day we get literary stamps. I recall some Jane Austen ones from way back…

Anyway, this time it’s all witches and wizards. And a lion, by the looks of it. Have to admit, I’d not visualised Nanny Ogg quite like that.

So, it’s sort of The Lion, the Witch and the Dumbledore.