At the risk of making you green with envy, I am now finished work for the year, and return in early January.

I had plenty leave to take, and so am having extended time off before Christmas, which partly is about some well-earned rest after a busy spell that’s included a lot of work and not a little illness.

However, there’s a more important motive – my second book is due by the end of the year, and if I was honest with myself I am a little behind on it.  There has been so much going on lately that has sidetracked me, and I hope that the best part of five weeks will allow me to focus in an unbroken way.  it’s so hard to get into your stride with writing when you can only do it occasionally, so being able to have so many days in a row should – I am sincerely hoping – help me make some real progress.

The second book – charting my second lot of mullet adventures in England, Canada, New Zealand and the USA – should be out late some time in 2011.

Although not if I sit here writing blog posts.