It’s been a great year – London Screenwriters Festival was bigger and better than its first year; Deviation, the thriller I associate-produced, sold to Revolver Entertainment for distribution in the new year and BUT WHAT NEXT? my first YA novel, sold to Rowohlt Publishers in Berlin and continues to be considered by a number of prominent UK publishers. And of course there was the arrival of our beloved Wee Girl # 2, who has found her voice and makes her feelings known every chance she gets – just like her elder siblings, the Wee Girl and The Male Spawn, both of whom are also going strength to strength.

But it’s also been a very sad year. Old Mrs C finally lost her six year battle with cancer. We didn’t always see eye to eye and we “had words” more than once, but I have to say I admired Old Mrs C a great deal and loved her forthright manner and her cheeky grin when she’d suddenly say something completely out of the left field, like when she bought some play food for the WG:

“I took out all the sausages,” She says in a low voice.

“Why?” I enquire, imagining she was going to say something like they were quite small and represented a choking hazard.

“Because frankly Lucy they looked like SOMETHING ELSE!” She exclaims with a grin.

Unfortunately Old Mrs C never got to see WG2 be born, which was the worst part. She knew of all our plans and hopes for our new baby however, asking what we would call her a few weeks before she died:

“Emmeline.” I say proudly, thinking she will approve.

“Emmeline?!” Old Mrs C gasps, “That’s an odd one.”

“It’s after Emmeline Pankhurst?” I say, sure *this* will get me the nod: no one could have been more of a feminist than Old Mrs C, even if she didn’t identify as such.

“Oh, ONE OF THOSE.” Old Mrs C says, “… No. Emma. That’s better.”

“No Margaret,” I say slowly, “the baby’s name is Emmeline.”

But Old Mrs C lays back in her big armchair with her oxygen. “Yes, we will call her Emma.” She smiles.

I’m afraid we didn’t call her Emma, Margaret – but I think you’d like her just the same… Besides, you’d be disappointed if I actually agreed with you ; )

OLD MRS C – REST IN PEACE