Another great week in the North East!

First, we returned to one of our favourite schools in the lovely town of Alnwick…The Dukes Middle School. We always receive a great welcome here and once

Great Scenery at Alnmouth

Pete in library at The Dukes MS

again we enjoyed our visit to inform our fans of our two new books, Mokee Joe Mutant Resurrection and Ten O’ Clock Caller. The audience of Years 5 to 8 were extremely attentive and enthusiastic…as proved during the subsequent book-signing the next day…a whole shedful of books being delivered into their clutching hands! The weather was beautiful and on the way back down to Whitley Bay we enjoyed stopping off at Alnmouth and Warkworth Castle…a really scenic part of the Northumbrian coast.

JAMIE PRESENTING HIS POSTER

Two days at Meadowdale School near Bedlington followed. Again…a wonderfully warm school and our hostess, Susan Lamberth, really looked after us…thank you, Sue!  The pupils were entertained and enthused with our Bonebreaker presentation and seemed suitably impressed. We have to say that the Headteacher, Mrs Finn, runs a beautifully tight ship and both audiences of Lower KS3 and Higher KS3 were a real credit to her.  During the book signing in the lovely library (another mammoth affair), we were presented with a wonderful hand-made poster from Jamie, one of our keenest Meadowdale fans. Thank you, Jamie. Hope you like the pic!

Finally, over to the other side of the A1 to Ponteland to stay with Kath’s brother and to visit our old friends at Richard Coates Middle School. Julie Roys met up

Ponteland First School Year 4's at Richard Coates MS

with us and proved yet again a marvellous hostess. The presentation in front of so many fans was a huge hit. Ponteland First School brought over a whole load of keen Year 4′s to join in with Yrs 5 and 6 from Richard Coates. The ‘Cinemascope’ technology put over images of the new books in a dramatic way to say the least and we are grateful to Anne for helping us set up just in time before our audience piled into the assembly hall…nerve -jangling stuff!!

Oh well…North East trip over. But with other schools coming on board next term…Seaton Delaval, Gosforth, Lindisfarne….the list goes on – I can see that Kath and I are going to finish up with a Geordie accent!!!

PJM

AT HOME IN TYNEMOUTH

After a hugely successful US tour, it proved quite a culture shock to find ourselves standing in a cool North Easterly in Whitley Bay! But we soon warmed up after visiting two of our favourite UK middle schools, Monkseaton and Valley Gardens.

While we were visiting the schools over the week, Kath and I stayed in some wonderful

CAPTAIN PETE IN THE 'CAPTAIN'S ROOM'

apartments on the South cliff. We spent the first night in the ‘Captains Room’. We were told the ‘Captain’ had lived there…but didn’t haunt it! Disappointing?  Not really…I’m a complete coward…as our US friends found out when we stayed the night at the infamous Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana. (See previous blog). Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see the Year 7′s and 8′s at Monkseaton, but the same year groups at Valley Gardens proved the best older audience we have experienced for some considerable time – a real credit to the school and the lovely staff. We always enjoy our visits to this school. Our good friend, Jon Roys, originally from our home town of Rotherham, always proves the perfect host and we nearly always finish up talking about our experiences in South Yorkshire…thanks again, Jon…you’re a real star!!

BOOK SIGNING AT MONKSEATON MS

Booksignings at both schools proved a real challenge…so many eager clients lined up to get

BIG FANS (CLASS 5Mi) AT VALLEY GARDENS MS

their hands on the books and me signing until my wrist ached and my head felt about to burst. But no one’s complaining – it’s so humbling to have entire families supporting my work and enjoying my more-than-wild imagination. Tomorrow (Fri) I have one more signing at Valley Gardens and then Kath and I are going to make a quick escape Southwards before the Olympic flame arrives and the roads are closed around us!!  Not very patriotic you may think, but we need to get home and recharge to head back NE on Monday to visit more great schools at Alnwick (The Dukes), Bedlington (Meadowdale MS) and over the A1 to Pontiland to visist the lovely Julie’s school (that’s Jon’s wife) at Richard Coates Middle School.