The Horror Book Club Author Event

On Wednesday, I headed back to Ireland for a long weekend, it being my mother's birthday on Thursday. Things didn't quite go to plan, of course. Work flooded in last thing on Wednesday evening.. I knew it wouldn't take long to finish, so finished it. Now, my flight was earlier than usual, with winter schedules. Which meant I missed the bus I was going to get. I got the next one. Which meant I missed the train I was going to get. I got the next one - by the skin of my teeth, having grabbed a sandwich en route. And then.. a points failure right outside Stansted delayed us. We were off that train like greyhounds from a trap. It was very tight for me to make the security gate on time - but I did, panting so hard with relief that a staff member came over to ask whether I was all right.

Well, I thought I was.. but it takes so long to get through Stansted, even if you don't stop, even if you're not dawdling - that it took me 20 minutes to get through security, through the Duty Free, and to the gate. Which meant that I arrived there 10 minutes before my flight's scheduled departure time. Now, I looked it up afterwards - seems there's an unwritten rule that airlines close the departure gate 10 minutes before departure time. Sure enough, as I approached, the guy was approaching the doors to close them.. the guy at the desk asked me where I was headed, glanced behind him, said "Sorry, it's closed". And that was that. As someone later said, jeez, if the delay were on their side, they'd expect us to wait for hours without a murmur.. hypocrites.

First item on the agenda - book the first flight in the morning (there were no more that night). Second - contact the guy who was to collect me from the airport and ask whether he was available next morning - he was. Third - find my way out of the secure area! Gee, it's not that easy to find - you follow the signs for V9, down a corridor to the side of the Camden Bar & Kitchen. And look for someone helpful, in a blue vest. Fourth - find the nearest hotel - I wasn't risking the train again. And so I wended my way to the Radisson.

Where it took forever to check in - it'd have helped if she hadn't taken a phone call about another matter in the middle of the process. I helped myself to a mint from the counter while I waited, but honestly, they should have offered me a seat, it took so long. And I do love how they photocopy your passport, then ask you to fill the passport details out on a form..

I finally got my "superior" room - doubtless the rating is due to its gorgeous view of a runway. Headed for dinner in the restaurant - where, again, it took forever to be seated, but service was great afterwards. And the food was decent, albeit the Sauvignon Blanc is exorbitant. Afterwards, I got another glass from the bar (pictured above) - same prices but a better selection - and it being right by the lifts, I took it up to my room with me. Figured I'd be more comfortable - there was nothing in the minibar, and I'd have had to pay extra for room service. And lo, I discovered there was YouTube on the tv! so that was a lovely evening, in the end.. even caught a decent short horror film, The Dark Room..

The following morning, I had an excellent breakfast, and an express checkout. So, all in all, a good stay - funny though, when I filled out a survey for them afterwards, they completely ignored any criticisms I had.. meanwhile, I was 20 minutes going through security - Stansted is definitely busier in the mornings. This, mind you, was mainly due to a faulty baggage conveyor belt. Which meant - you guessed it - I was rushing again. The boards, as I pushed my way through the crowds, were saying "Boarding", and I had visions of a reoccurrence of the previous evening.

But yay, when I got to the gate (the same as the day before), they were still boarding.. I couldn't see a Priority queue, and there were people in the non-priority queue with trolley bags - which is a Priority thing - so I started to wonder whether I should just join the main queue. Asked the lady at the gate whether there was actually a separate Priority queue - and she nearly bit my head off. Before snapping at me to "wait there" and boarding me. I did have great satisfaction in filling out the Ryanair survey afterwards..

Made it back to Ireland at last. And would you believe, I couldn't find a single film that I wanted to see, and hadn't seen, and that was on at a time I can manage! I did appreciate a few days "off-duty", mind.

Flew back to London last night - Ryanair has wrecked the schedule though, and in their wisdom decided that the Sunday night flights should go back to London at 10.35pm. Which departure time isn't even supposed to get you in on time for the Stansted Express - National Express it was. I got home about 2.30am - I am NOT doing that again. Aer Lingus for the flights to London for me now, until Ryanair reverts its schedule.

Tonight, I was with The Horror Book Club (first time in an age) for an author talk at the Prince of Wales, their usual haunt. Which, handily enough, meant I could spend longer at work - I had plenty to catch up on. The great thing is, I could eat at the venue.. doesn't often happen that way, for me. Anyway, I headed out in plenty of time - just as well, because it was pretty packed, and decent seats went quickly. Some familiar faces, some new - and the invited authors were Kate Griffin and Kim Newman. Who mingled happily, before and after.

The evening started with a Q+A with them - and boy, some interesting questions were raised! principally about the nature of horror, why there's a connection between horror and comedy (an interesting point was made about catharsis being an element of both), and what the difference is between "horror" and something that is considered "horrific". Funnily enough, I had started the evening thinking about my favourite horror book - now, I'd said for years it was Incarnate, by Ramsey Campbell. Which remains an excellent book. But it suddenly occurred to me that I've since read better - and what I now consider the best is by someone who wouldn't consider himself a horror author at all! John Connolly is known primarily for his Charlie Parker detective novels - but they always had a supernatural bent, and had gradually become darker and darker - until culminating in A Book of Bones. And that is a dark vision indeed, scarier than many a work officially classified as "horror". (Also set partly in London, which is nice.) Funny I should think of that, today.. such a shame he backed away from "horror", after that..

After the Q+A, I got some food - handily, one of the organisers had finagled the upstairs bar to be opened for us. They were out of garlic bread, but I was well fed. And we had a (horror-book-themed) table quiz - in which my team came second, yay! And it was a lovely, convivial evening - and I even got to advertise Darkfield again to some folks. I should be paid commission, at this rate.. Good to see people again. And I got on the bus before it got too crowded - a good night, in all.

Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for A Raisin in the Sun, at the Lyric Hammersmith.

On Wednesday, back with The Hideout (and their sister group, Movie Roadhouse) for the Darkness Falls social (I think that's a lovely name). At the BFI, as usual - I'm eating at The Archduke beforehand - and then they tacked on a trip to see Hallowe'en at the end of the night! I've seen it a million times - but hey, it's a classic, I can see it once more!

Hallowe'en itself is always an important night for me to plan - I had dreadful trouble this year finding something, though. But then, London Social Detours finally posted something for the day - a lunchtime talk about the World's Weirdest Deaths (happening at the Guildhall Library), followed by a mini horror walk, followed by a trip to the Crosse Keys. I've booked it, and booked the time off work.. wanted to wait until I had a good reason.

That evening, the London Irish Centre have a showing of the first ever Irish language horror film, An Taibhse (The Ghost)! So, I've booked for that too.. Eating beforehand in The Blues Kitchen Camden. So I'll have to watch my time with the Crosse Keys..

Now, with Hallowe'en on a Thursday.. and me taking it off.. well, I said it'd be a shame not to take Friday off too! So I am. Which leaves me free to join Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies on a walk about The Wonderful Women of Westminster!

That evening - just like the last time I was on a walk with them - I'm joining The Hideout; on Friday, it's Heretic, with the (very polite) scary guy played by Hugh Grant, of all people! He apparently finds a new way to deal with Mormons calling at his door..

And on Saturday, I signed up with Cultureseekers, who are doing a Haunted London Treasure Hunt, in Holborn.. bonus points if you wear something scary.. but then The Hideout decided to go to Juror #2, in the Vue Leicester Square - and so did I. Could have gone to both, I suppose.. but nah, not bothered about Cultureseekers really!