Hello All,

How are you doing? I hope you had a great weekend, what did you get up to? I had a blast, seeing the family in Bakewell for the Food Festival on Saturday, a lovely long walk around Derby (which also meant getting lost around Mickleover and Littleover – more on that later) and discovering some rather fabulous eateries along the way.

First and foremost, it was World Book Night on Thursday and my chosen books to dish out were M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin and The Quiche of Death, along with three signed copies of my own book, Screaming Snowflakes.

I will never get over the reaction of people when I tell them their intended book is free – on condition that they actually read it and pass it along. I’m a keen champion of this delectable pastime (I’m also Patron of Reading) and nothing pleases me more than to see reluctant readers give a book a whirl and fall hook, line and sinker into it.

I dished out books inside Costa in Derby (because a good book and a good cup of coffee goes hand in hand – pun intended). I had an awesome time, connecting with newbie readers and some who just had fallen out of love with reading. To all out there who received my books – I sincerely hope you enjoy it and please, do pass it on so you can share the joy it brings.

Getting my hit of literary loveliness throughout the week from World Book Night, the weekend was just as cool as I ventured into Bakewell. This olde worlde town is always chocca at the weekend, what with being a tourist hotspot and being the place that invented the great Bakewell Pudding. I met my family and we had a beautiful little lunch at a sweet place called The Pointing Dog & Duck. One of three locations (the others are in Cheadle Hulme and Sheffield), the Bakewell location is just off the bridge at Rutland Mill.

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Expect a warm welcome from the staff at The Pointing Dog & Duck. After being seated in a comfy and spacious booth, we were put at ease with the loquaciously friendly waitress. We ordered two Margherita pizzas, one smoked salmon and mascarpone pizza and one mixed side salad. The salad was perfectly dressed and the pizzas fresh, crisp and oh so moreish. The basil oil on the Margherita was a real winner, which really complemented the unctuous cheese. The capers and roast garlic on the salmon pizza were delicious with the smokiness of the salmon and sour cream drizzle and I couldn’t resist wolfing the pizza as if it was the last one in the world.

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The desserts were the best and if you have a sweet tooth, I strongly recommend you leave room for it. Or even just skip your main, because they’re that delicious. My mother dearest loved her Salted Caramel Ice-cream, whilst my warm Bakewell Tart with Vanilla Ice-cream was beautiful. The best dessert on the menu which had everyone drawing their forks for a bite was the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Hot Butterscotch Sauce served with Clotted Cream. Dark caramel undertones with the light sponge that had a treacly texture was pure heaven. I only wish the dessert sizing was a little more substantial (polite note to Chef, please make a little larger and I promise to come visit again soon).

With pocket-friendly prices (3 pizzas, 4 soft drinks, 1 side salad & 3 desserts came to £59), this was one very memorable dining experience. Overall, The Pointing Dog & Duck scored a highly respectable 9 out of 10 and I’d definitely recommend popping in if you’re ever in the area.

I was going to tell you about this fabulous deli I discovered in Bakewell too, but as this blog has suddenly developed into a whopper of 600 words, I’ll refrain and leave for a standalone post.

I must dash, I need to write a small chunk of Book 2 before bed and maybe, just maybe squeeze in an episode of Daredevil on Netflix.

Ciao for now peeps,RAxx