Post party syndrome

It's not fair.....I moderated my drinking, downed loads of water and yet my body still feels as though it's been hit by a steamroller! Just back from London - memory intact you'll all notice as I'm remembering to post! - and the Romantic Novelists' Association's Winter Party, which was held in some splendour at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on Thursday evening. We gather in the library there, where none of us makes a mad dash for the books because what do we want to know about centrifugal this or that?? Is centri-whatsit a word?
Anyway, I got persuaded into a pencil skirt and lacy tights by darling daughter who came with me. Oh, and heels which looked good but which I had to kick off and drop in height by a good three inches or so part way through the night. I think dd was just keen to see me out of my M&S stretchy, hide all sins, jeans - but now she has I've decided I like the look.
Lots of teensy but delicious nibbles were brought round on silver (possibly EPNS but who cares!) salvers by girls and boys from all parts of the globe, but what with a handbag and a glass of wine in one hand, some complimentary champagne (who provided that and why I'm still wondering) in the other I didn't get to eat much. Besides, the second you pop something delicious in your mouth someone always asks a question, don't they?
And talking of questions.....I was quite surprised when a big name writer I know came up to me because she'd heard I'd done a booksigning for the RNA anthology locally(that's down here in deepest Devon for those who don't know) and wondered if I could fix one up for her.......so that was a bit of networking on a grand scale for me. Going to get on with that later today.
While I'm talking all things RNA I have to say the annual fee is well worth paying money for because it give us access to The New Cavendish Club where dd and I stopped overnight. We've stopped there before and what I like about The Cav (as it's affectionately known by those in the know) is that while the public rooms - and especially the staircase going up for the foyer - look rather grand it isn't pretentious. No ironed newspapers or any of that tosh. After a couple of taxi loads of us got back from the Winter Party, we went into the bar and re-arranged all the chairs so we could sit and natter and drink more wine - well, some of us did but Saint Linda here had tea.
Got to say that what with my cloth ears and the level of writery chat in the room on Thursday night I'm sure there must have been some people who were puzzled at my responses to something they said....so for any of them reading this.....sorry.
Is it worth the expense of the rail fare, the overnight stop, the party ticket to go to an event that lasts a max of three hours you may well ask? Most definitely! So much wonderful networking....at times I felt like the late Queen Mother who never approached anyone but just stood there waiting to be approached....and that's how it was for me a fair bit on Thursday night. My main reason for going, though, was to meet up with my publisher and publicist for Choc-Lit. They've now given me a date of May 2012 for my debut novel - TO TURN FULL CIRCLE.....feel I have to put that in upper case.....:)
I was hoping to put a photo from Thursday night - possibly with our own lovely Jenny in it because she was wearing a wonderfully colourful dress (but then, she looks good in anything!) - with this blog but I left my camera back in Devon and dd left hers in The Cav on the night. Another time.....:)
So, enough already......edits to get back to - two days off swanning about up and down Oxford Street and in and out of Primani means I have to work the weekend......earn some more for another trip.
Happy weekend, girls and boys.
Linda xxxxxxx