Sir Terry and The Speed Daters

There have been bonfires and much sweeping, and the garden at Chawton looks like a blank canvas - but of course it isn’t. There are snowdrops and aconites and all manner of sweet things about to break through. It is that lovely time of year when bad gardeners like me think “Maybe this time…” and the whole year is still a blank canvas, yet to be spoiled by dandelions and bindweed.
Actually my year has had its share of dandelions and bindweed already. My son Eddie is recovering from appendicitis and that has all been quite a business. He is incredibly brave - too stoic really - and told me yesterday that actually it hadn’t hurt that much. Thank goodness for morphine and kind nurses. The ward he was in had the most fabulous view across Southampton. We could see for miles beyond the docks, the blue block of Ikea and the sparkling water to the New York skyline of Fawley, and beyond that to the New Forest and the Isle of Wight. When Eddie was still too ill to sit up, at least he could lie on his bed and watch the clouds. We kept expecting to see peregrine falcons - it can only be matter of time before they are swooping from the heights of Millbrook and Shirley Towers - or perhaps pterodactyls. Jurassic Park III is one of Eddie's favourite movies and we were able to watch it on his bedside tv. Dvds have yet to make it onto the children's wards at Southampton General, but we didn't mind.
On Friday I was at Taunton’s College in Southampton to talk to students about the Museum's competition for young writers. We’re looking for the opening of a novel - just 200 - 300 words. Creative Writing Group members were a bit thin on the ground - unfortunately the meeting clashed with the Valentine’s Day Speed Dating Event…
But I still met some lovely students. Competition entries have started to arrive at the Museum. The closing date is 1st March.
On Sunday morning I was on Radio Solent. I thought they’d want me to talk about Jane Austen and ideas of true love, heroes, Valentine's cards etc. etc., and I was ready to discourse on Fanny Price’s mother as a cautionary tale, and how Jane Austen heroines didn’t swoon but had their heads screwed on. Oh, why was I nervous? All we talked about were the writing workshops. The next one is this Saturday - The House - but as it has sold out we have an extra one on 27th February. Families in Fiction is sold out too, so we are running an extra one of those on May 15th. My Radio Solent interview was on at the same time as Sir Terry’s new show AND as The Archers Omnibus with the episode in which Phil dies - the radio equivalent of being up against two giant speed dating events. (I wiped away a tear or two yesterday evening when Jill opened the Valentine's card Phil had written for her.)
Did Jane Austen ever send or receive Valentine's cards or messages? Well, none have survived, but she might have. She certainly enjoyed riddles and verses - think of Emma and Harriet Smith and Frank Churchill…