World Tour of Yorkshire

I’ve been on an intermittent book tour since the start of August but, barring a couple of “outliers” next year, I reach the end of it on Thursday and Friday (12 and 13 November) with the last two dates. The first is where it all began – the story if not the book tour – with a date at Britain’s highest inn, www.tanhillinn.com, where I’m looking forward to renewing some old acquaintances and making some new ones back in the inn I managed in the 1970s and owned in the 1980s. I’ll be talking about the new book, natch, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pigs-Might-Fly-Dales-Author/dp/0957253419/ref=tmm_pap_title_0 and also showing the iconic Everest double glazing commercial filmed at the inn 30 years ago and – for the first time in 30 years – the BBC documentary about our first few months when we took over the inn. Set in thousands of acres of wild moorland, it has built a reputation as a bit of a quirky, left-field music venue these days. There are no neighbours to complain about the noise since, apart from sheep and grouse, there aren’t any neighbours at all until you get four miles away! Bands who’ve already appeared there include British Sea Power and The Arctic Monkeys – there’s something particularly appealing about a band who can fill the biggest stadiums playing at a venue that only holds 100-200 people – and the day after my gig there on Thursday, Scouting For Girls are playing there: from the ridiculous to the sublime in 24 hours! Then I’m back on home turf the following day for The Last Night of the Poms (G’day Australia) at The Wheatley Arms in Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, www.wheatleyarms.co.uk (n.b. this isn’t a plug, because it’s already sold out). I sometimes question whether book tours make any sense for anyone, apart from the superstar authors that everyone wants to see, butI’ve really enjoyed this one and feel it’s been very worthwhile. I’ve sold some books, of course, but the real joy has been in escaping the tyranny of the word processor every few days and connecting with readers and a few other authors. So thanks to everyone who turned up and to those who didn’t: next time for sure!