Dear Simon Cowell,

Whilst not doubting your knowledge of the music industry, TV and light entertainment I am however concerned re your rather hazy grasp on geography. I would like to point out that Cher is from Malvern - not Birmingham. You, and One Direction did a gig in Wolverhampton - not Birmingham. Oh, and Merry Hill is not in - guess where? - Birmingham.
I realise it is difficult to keep track of ones location whilst jetting across the Atlantic and you probably share the view of many people from the South of the UK that anything past Oxford is occupied by Wolves, Bears and Mancunians. However it is rude and disrespectful to the people who turned out in the freezing temperatures, who made you welcome and supported you and your act to keep getting the name of the place you visited WRONG.
In fact, whilst I'm here I would like to point out to Best buys - who are American so could be forgiven for not checking a map, and to Heart radio, to the BBC news team and indeed to anyone else who might wish to know - The Merry Hill shopping Centre is not in Birmingham.
It is in Dudley - in the Black Country. Birmingham is the city about twelve miles away.

More protesting

Tonight is the meeting with the faithbased sponsor for the proposed new academy. That should prove interesting! I, along with many other parents, have been doing my homework and so far I am not at all impressed. We'll see what the answers are to our questions.
Writing wise I completed chapter eight of A Scattering of Leaves, so now I'm back into Crystal Clear. Phillipa Ashley and I are planning a joint launch for Animal Instincts and It Should Have Been Me so if you are around the Merry Hill Centre on March 7th between 12 and 2 come and say Hi!
The picture is one Mr Nell took with his new camera at Far Forest over the weekend. Woods always feel spooky and mysterious to me and just a little scary.

Ouch!

Yesterday was a really nice day. I got to spend time with Allison, Pip and Liz (Liz has a book being published by Hale in April called The Paradise Will. If you like regencies look out for it as it sounds great) As usual the time went too quickly but at least I now have a signed copy of Wish you were here to read! Yay
Today I took Boo to Merry Hill or Merry Hell as it's known at this time of year. She had a Build a Bear card for her birthday and wanted to choose her bear and make it. We went early as traffic is chaos and the belles have dance classes today plus Miss Boo had a friends birthday party to attend.
We parked and went to walk into the centre, it had been raining on the way in but I hadn't noticed the floor wasn't just wet - it was icy.
Ouch. I have a bruise on my good hip and I jarred all my wrist. To add to my hmiliation a very nice kind man saw me fall and came over to help me up. Then after Boo had chosen her bear (Pink, fluffy, called Popcorn) the assistant had problems with the till. Finally we made it into M&S to buy a Dr Who present for Boo's friends birthday and their scanner wasn't working.
I think someone was trying to tell me to stay home today.