Diamond Celebrations - with Kate Walker

I have just enjoyed a lovely afternoon with my family. My son and his delightful brand-new fiancée came to visit and together with them and my DH,  I’ve had a really happy and fun time.  In spite of the fact that it’s June, the weather had been cold and very very wet, with heavy downpours and even rumbles of thunder in the distance. But that didn’t matter as we  spent a fun – and really rather old-fashioned time together.

The first half of the afternoon was spent  working on a jigsaw – a 1000 piece puzzle that we have set up on the dining table,  and that we all worked together on for a couple of hours.  We made progress –but  there’s no way we could finish it in that time, so we have all the edge pieces put together, creating a framework, and then there’s some of the middle done – but lots more to do later . . .  It’s a bit like writing a novel really! You get the basic framework sorted out – and then you have to fill in all the rest so that the picture is complete.

After a while we  took a break for that very English  institution – afternoon tea. There was an assortment  of salads, sandwiches, scones ( with  strawberry  jam and cream – my favourite indulgence) and  cakes, éclairs, custard tarts . . ..  And of course lots of tea to drink. What else?

Finally we  played games-  not computer games, or  ball games or anything like that but old-fashioned board  games,  with a dice or quiz questions – a lot of laugher and some rather wicked cheating by some members of the family (mentioning no names!) It was so much fun and a rather special way to spend a rather special day.

Because today  i a unique day here in the UK -  it’s Jubilee  Day -  the 60^th anniversary of the Queens’  coronation. A diamond anniversary.  In London there was the huge Thames pageant with  a flotilla of 1,000 boats all processing down the river and hundreds of thousands of people watching, waving flags and cheering.  Other places had street parties  - a trifle cold and damp they would be I expect, but I don’t think people minded.    When I was out and about this morning there were flags flying from cars, bunting on houses and posters in windows as I went past.  We didn’t get to any organised celebrations, but we had our own special time right here and I loved every minute of it. There seemed to be something so right about marking today,  with this  unique anniversary, with the sort of old-fashioned  enjoyment that we might have done all those years ago when Elizabeth  Windsor was crowned Elizabeth II.   

It was all about family and sharing and being together – and I was having so much fun that I’m a bit late coming here to post  my blog today. Sorry!  But it also made me think of the ‘family’ of romance writers and readers  and how much my reads mean to me.  I’ve not had 60 years  - just 25+ - but I have had 60 books published so for me this year is really my Diamond Anniversary too. And my latest romance novel - The Devil and Miss Jones is my Diamond novel.  So I thought I’d take this opportunity to say a great big Thank You to everyone who has shared in my career, by reading and buying my books, and so ensuring that I can continue to write  - hopefully into the future.  (Though maybe not  for 60 years!) You’re all very special to me.

So I hope that each and every one of you has had a great day, Whether you’ve been Royal watching on the Thames – or on the TV  - or just  sharing the  things you enjoy with your own family, I hope you had a wonderful time.   Because, after all, it’s not the ceremonies or the expensive pleasures that matter but being together with the ones you love.

And really, isn’t that the message of romance novels – that love is what matters.

Thank you all. Congratulations to the Diamond Jubilee Queen – and here’s to  an even brighter future

The Devil and  Miss Jones was published in Presents Extra on April 4th  and is still available on Amazon or eHarlequin. You can keep up with all my news on my web site, and the latest happenings are over on my personal blog.