Gateshead

I was in Gateshead today.

In the morning doing a drop-in event at Borders Bookstore. It's a great shop: in the Team Valley Retail Park.

I spoke to the children's specialist for ages. Each Borders has a children's specialist who runs events and knows the children's book world inside out. I learned a lot. Marie Dawson is the specialist in Gateshead. She looked after me very well - and got me a cup of tea too.

Then I met the lad who works in the stockroom at Borders. He's just finished a degree in criminology: the science of crime. He made me want to do the course myself. Studying crime, why it happens and how to stop it. Why not?

After the bookshop I went to the library. We had three events over three hours. Loads of kids came. Mostly Newcastle fans. But a four year old girl in a Liverpool shirt won the penalty shoot out.

Gateshead Library are brilliant. They do excellent events. They looked after me really well too. Two cups of tea and a muffin. They have lots of event over the summer to let people know about books and their authors.

As I left the chief librarian of Gateshead arrived and went in goal. A good sport: but he shouldn't give up the day job.

Then the train home. And another cup of tea. I like the North East. Nice people.