Had a very large crowd at Easons O'Connell Street in the afternoon -- far more than the staff in the store anticipated!! They wanted me to give a reading and answer questions. They hadn't told me about that in advance, but that was OK -- I guessed it might happen, since the same thing happened the last time I was there!!! Unfortunately their speakers weren't working, so I had to do it without a microphone and pretty much shout the whole time in order to be heard!!!!!! Oh well, it was still fun! Spent over an hour signing everybody's books (I only did one or two messages per person in most cases, otherwise it would have been MUCH longer, and I had a train to catch!!!). Then signed lots of stock, of all my books. After that I caught a bus to Heuston station, then a train to Galway, and now I'm ensconsed in the very nice Great Southern Hotel, where I'll shortly be hitting the sack!!! Night night, Shansters!!!!!!!

Flight to Dublin was fine -- only 35 minutes in the air -- those are the types of flights I like!!! Stayed at Jurys Ballsbridge. Got a taxi over to Dundrum shopping centre this morning. It was an 11.00am event, which I thought was strange -- I didn't think anyone would be able to make it for that hour, and imagined myself just signing stock. But lots of people (mostly mums, whose kids were at school) turned up, and the store had also arranged for a school to come in, so I ended up giving a talk too!!!! I was there for two hours in total -- so much for a nice easy morning!!! :) But that's the way I like to be -- busy signing! I had some spare time after that, so I went around several bookshops in central Dublin, including Waterstones, Hodges & Figgis, Easons, and Dubray. Signed lots of stock in each shop. Now I'm off for my 4.00pm signing at Easons O'Connell Street -- I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a big crowd!!!!

Got up at a ridiculously early hour (by my standards!!) on Monday - 06.45!!!! Flew up to Edinburgh from London City airport. Met Nic, my publicist in Edinburgh. Went to the Scottish Book Trust to give an interview to some Teens Times kids, then discussed some of my travel plans with the Book Trust -- thy're arranging events for me in several Scottish locations in May -- more news on that next year!!

Did stock signings in Ottakars Cameron Toll, Ottakars George Street, and Waterstones George  Street. Then did a public signing in Waterstones Princes Street at 4.00pm. Was signing for 2 hours, and also signed lots of stock. My Edinburgh fans are as loyal as ever!! Also had some fans who came up from London just for the signing!!!!!! Finished the night off with a delicious meal at the Witchery -- yum!!!

Train over to Glasgow on Tuesday morn. Did a school event at St Aloysius College, then had lunch with Anne Johnstone (a journalist), then signed in Ottakars Buchanan Galleries. Had a good crowd, signed LOADS of stock, ate dinner in Pizza Hut, and now I'm at the airport, en route to Dublin and the final leg of my tour!!!!!!!!!

A quickie before I head off for bed!!!

Went to see "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" -- very enjoyable, possibly the best movie in the series yet. But I still don't think any of the movies have worked anywhere near as well as the books. While the books are long, they don't really feel long when I read them. Yet as much as I liked the new movie, I think it could have done better by being half an hour shorter. Maybe the magic of Harry is just too magical to capture on-screen ...

Went to see "The League of Gentlemen are Behind You" later. Nice to see the familiar faces from the show in new routines. I didn't enjoy the panto-based show as much as the TV series, but it's a lot of fun and the three actors are amazing, moving seamlessly from one role to another, going through more costume changes than should be humanly possible!!!!!!

Went to see Spurs play Sunderland yesterday. Got up there early, met up with my friends, had a few drinks, then went to the match. Sunderland are bottom of the table, and look almost certain to be relegated at the end of the season, but we all felt a bit nervous regardless -- Spurs have a habit of dropping points against weak teams. We started well, but fell behind to a lovely free kick. We drew level shortly before half time, then went ahead early in the second half. That should have been the end of matters, but somehow they equalized!! When Robbie Keane missed a penalty (the first time I've ever seen him miss one), I felt certain we weren't going to win -- but luckily we sneaked a third goal and took all 3 points to go fourth in the table!!!! Cue more drinks and much celebrating over the course of the night, and lots of talk about football!!

Spent this morning answering fan mail. I'm off to see the latest "Harry Potter" film soon, and then "The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You!" in Hammersmith! Tomorrow I set off for Scotland for the next leg of my tour. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get online over the next few days, so it may be a while before my next update.

Took it easy in the morning. Helped Bas try to get tickets for an upcoming Take That concert -- not that I'm going to it, I hasten to add!!! I'd rather have my teeth pulled than go to a Take That gig!! Though I must admit I have a soft spot for Robbie Williams and am going to one of his concerts next year!!!!! Anyway, she got the TT tickets in the end, after hours of trying.

Went up to Milton Keynes with Nic, my publicist from Collins. I had an amazing signing session in MK the last time I went there, on the Destiny tour in October 2004. It was a lunchtime signing, so I was expecting only a handful of people, but there was a huge line when I arrived -- lots of kids had bunked off school to come to have their books signed, many with the help of their parents!!!! I thought, "These are true hardcore fans!!!" and I promised the staff at Ottakars that I'd return one day to do an after-school event. Well, Shan's a man of his word, so when Collins were putting this tour together, I asked to return to Milton Keynes (if I was wanted by the shop, of course!) and they duly set it up.

I went to a school first, where I did a fun event and signed books for some of the kids afterwards. This was only the second school event of the tour. I knew, months ago, that I'd be tired after my American tour, so I deliberately didn't commit to many school events -- even the Shan man has his limits!!! I'll be hitting schools a bit more the next time I tour, but this time I wanted to focus on signings, which are less exhausting.

After the school, I returned to Ottakars. I was a bit worried that I'd only get a small crowd, that it would be a disappointment after last year's signing. Not a bit of it!!!! There was a large line already waiting for me when I arrived, and it just kept growing as the evening wore on. In total I was signing for ALMOST THREE HOURS!!!!! I loved it!!! I don't know how other authors feel about long signing sessions, but I think it's brilliant when a load of fans turn up. I left on a high, delighted to have finished the English leg of my tour with the biggest turnout yet. Next up -- Scotland, and then my home turf.

Had a meeting with a member of the Collins web/publicity team yesterday. They want to do a bit more with my web site, to try to broaden its appeal, by adding a few extra features. Talks are still in the early phases yet, but there might be some changes in the not-too-distant future, offering more to those who sign up for the site and visit it regularly ...

Went to the Natural History Museuem after the meeting. A spur of the moment visit -- I was travelling past, realised I hadn't been there in years, and decided to pop in. VERY impressive! The dinosaurs are fab, of course, but I also loved the Birds section -- so many amazing specimens.

Went to see "Billy Elliot" with Bas next. Great stuff! I was dubious going in -- Elton John is FAR from being anywhere near my favourite pop artist! And while I liked the film, I did feel it was somewhat overrated. But they've done a fine job of adapting it, mixing social commentary with a sweet chasing-your-dreams story with servicable (if largely unmemorable) songs. I don't think it's up there with the best musicals that I've seen (like "Les Miserables" and "Blood Brothers") but it's definitely one of the bext musicals of more recent years. If you can nab a ticket for it -- go!!!!

Had dinner in a nearby Pizza Express, then went to see The Proclaimers at the Shepherds Bush Empire. Managed to get a spot at the front. It was over to the left, but it gave us a perfect view of the stage, as well as a barrier to lean on! The support acts -- Deadman, and Damien Dempsey -- were OK, but everyone was there to see the two Scottish twins and their support band, and the full house gave them a rapturous roar when they took to the stage. They wasted no time getting to the great stuff, singing "Letter from America" as their second song. They continued in high style, alternating tracks from their new album with old favourites like "Sunshine on Leith", "King of the Road", and, of course, their biggest ever hit, "I'm Gonna Be (Five hundred miles)". They played 22 songs in total, in just over an hour and a half. Wonderful entertainment. Bas and I were humming the songs all the way home on the tube.

Spent the morning working on the December issue of the Shanville Monthly. Broke for lunch at 11.30, and got a steak-and-guinness pie from the Square Pie shop in Spitalfields. Got most of the Monthly finished before setting off for Dulwich at 1.00pm. Visited the Bookshop Dulwich Village, on Calton Avenue, first, where I was just signing stock. Signed lots of books there, so if you're in the neighbourhood and fancy a signed copy, pop in quick!!!

Went to do my signing at Dulwich Books on Croxted Road at 4.00pm. Had a good turnout and was signing for nearly an hour. Afterwards I was interviewed by Cosmo, a kid from a local school. He asked lots of really good questions, and was better organised than many journalists I've met!!!

Back to Whitechapel after the signing. Bas was looking up tickets for the Rolling Stones Concert in Wembley Stadium next year. She found a site selling FRONT ROW tickets, at a truly exagerrated price!! We hummed and hawed, but eventually I said, "The hell with it -- let's go for them!!" I just have to try not to think too much about how much they cost, and keep my fingers crossed that it's a truly amazing concert!!!!!

Had a curry on Brick Lane, in a newish establishment called Chutney's. Very nice restaurant, with tasty, well-cooked food, though my main prawn dish was a bit on the tasteless side. But Bas loved all of hers, so I think I just chose poorly!

A day off from touring tomorrow -- we're going to see "Billy Elliot", and, later, The Proclaimers!!! All together now ... "I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more ......."

Got back to the Malmaison (very nice hotel, by the way) after 10.00pm. Had a drink with Emma to relax after a long, cold, up-and-down day, then hit the sack. Had a nice lie-in, then went to look at some pictures in the Art Lounge in the Mail Box (one of my favourite art galleries). Had a phone interview with Caroline Horne, who runs the www.readingzone.com web site. She's collected questions from fans, and my answers will appear on the site within the next few days.

Caught the train to Manchester and did a signing at Borders in the Trafford Centre. Got a very good crowd and was signing for over an hour -- very enjoyable. At the same time, I think we'd probably have got a bigger crowd if we'd arranged the signing for later. We're experimenting with 4.00pm signings on this tour, but I don't think they work as well as later times -- lots of fans can't get to the shops from their schools. I think, in future, we'll try for night events, as we did on the Destiny Tour in October 2004. Oh well -- you don't know until you try!!! Anyway, like in Birmingham, I signed stacks of books, so those who couldn't make it on the day should be able to pick up a signed copy (or as many as they want!) during the next couple of weeks.

Answered lots of fan mail on Sunday night. There's still lots to get through, but at least I'm making SOME progress!!! Got a good night's sleep, then went over to Euston to travel up to Birmingham for the third day of my UK tour. Met a new Collins publicist, who was travelling with me -- Emma. Very nice, knowledgable and enthusiastic -- as, indeed, all of the Collins publicists have been over the years!!!!!

The day was fine as we left London, but dark clouds gathered as we closed in on Birmingham, and it was snowing hard when we pulled in. We went to our hotel, had a drink, then were met by a photographer and his assistant, who were there to take a photo for the SFX piece. We stared out the window at the swirling snow. They wanted to do the shoot in the hotel, but the Malmaison staff member on duty refused permission. So they suggested doing it outside the futuristic-looking Selfridges building instead -- the only problem was the snow ...

We decided to give it a try and drove over to Selfridge's. While Emma sheltered inside, I posed on a snow-flecked balcony while the photographer shot me from below. It was difficult, given the ever swirling snow flakes -- and it got even more difficult when a group of kids on the balcony above decided to use me as a target for their snowballs!!!!! After a direct hit, I turned and subjected them to a very crude hand gesture -- childish, I know, but instinct kicked in!!! Luckily they saw the funny side and, after returning the gesture with much laughter, they moved on, probably to mug some little old granny. Bless the young rapscallions!!!!

Eventually we got some (hopefully!) good photos. The cameraman and his assistant returned home, while Emma and I went to Borders in the Bullring for the first signing of the day. Unfortunately the weather caused havoc and only a handful of people turned up -- the first time in a few years that I've had a truly poor crowd at a UK event. But this was the first time in almost six years that I've been a victim of bad weather, so I guess I can't moan too much -- I've got off pretty lightly so far!!!! I signed LOADS of stock there, so anyone in Birmingham who wanted to come but couldn't make it -- don't worry!! If you get down to Borders within the next week or two, you should be able to buy a signed copy of any of my books.

There was a panicked phone call after the signing. I was due to do a large event in Hales Owen. Almost three hundred tickets had been sold for it (many people had to be denied, since demand outweighed the capacity of the hall!!). But because of the weather, loads of fans couldn't come. A couple of bus companies, who'd been supposed to bus in large groups, cancelled because of insurance risks!!! It looked at one stage as if NOBODY would be able to make it!!!! Ros, the organiser, offered me the chance to cancel, since it wasn't certain whether I'd be able to make it out to the event in time, even if anyone got there. But I said I'd give it a go and we'd see what happened.

Ros's daughter, Becky, drove me and Emma from Birmingham to Hales Owen. It took much longer than normal, but we got there before the scheduled start. There was a small group gathered in the library in the school -- the event was supposed to have been held in a hall, but since there were so few people, Ros had decided to move it to a smaller venue. We decided to delay the start of the event by a few minutes, in case any others trickled in. And then ... somehow ... out of the snow ... fans began to arrive!!!! The library quickly over-filled, and Ros had to shift everything back to the hall!!!! We gave it a few more minutes, and then I started. There were still lots of empty seats, but 100 or more people managed to make it through in the end!!!! I was amazed and delighted -- these truly WERE hardcore Shansters!!!!!

I did a long reading, answered lots of questions, then signed stacks of books. It was a pity so many fans couldn't make it through, but the night had threatened to be a complete disaster, so in the end it was a wonderful surprise of an event -- one of my most memorable ever!!!! And, for those who couldn't make it -- I'LL BE BACK!!!! I promised Ros to do my utmost to return in 2006, and those who bought tickets for the event will be able to use them next time round. More info to follow when we sort out the details later ...