NCBF Gala Day with Julia Jarman

I just received a package through the post: a mysterious little jiffy bag that, once opened, proved to be a DVD of photos from the Northern Children's Book Festival Gala Day, where I did events with my good friend Julia Jarman: we've done 4 books together now. 

Gala Day is the big finale, where lots of authors and illustrators perform in one venue. It already seems ages ago, although it was only 3 weeks. It's great fun, although quite an undertaking to organise, which is why the responsibility for it rotates around the region's libraries. This year we were in an extraordinary living museum. Our events, were in a room called 'the ballroom', with a huge crystal chandelier above and walls encrusted with oil paintings. 

As usual, Julia and I had a great laugh - we make such a good team. Luckily everyone else seemed to enjoy it too!

After each event, we had to put on big coats and leave our warm, cosy room to walk the length of a Victorian cobbled street (complete with working shops, street urchins and a blacksmith's yard) to the signing tent at the other end. It was so cold, the street was shrouded in icy mist all day long, which leant it an authentic Jack-the-Ripper air!

I just love how excited these little boys are.

There were hot-air blowers to warm the tent and we were lucky - the blower was under our end of the long table, though someone (no names mentioned...) sneakily pinched our prime spot when we came back after lunch!!

Isn't this little girl cute?

I am so pleased that, so far at least, the NCBF has survived the funding cuts. It's a wonderful festival, bringing authors to libraries all over the North East and the Gala Day is something special - you only have to look at the children's faces. 

Thank you lovely library people, for all your hard work (again), and thank you to Tom Kirby for the great photos!