Not such adventurous holidays

Another fine and perceptive question has arrived in my inbox (I did promise I'd get round to answering some of these eventually!)

It's this - what do I tend to do for my holidays? 

The question is broader, and indeed more cunning, than it first appears.  My correspondent wants to know if I favour the same kind of things as Dan in the tvdetective books, and further, if he can then deduce an element of how autobiographical they are.

Regular readers of these blogs will know the time honoured Hall answer to that question, and here it comes again. I always plead the Fifth Amendment - so, no comment!

Anyhow, back to the matter of hols, and yes it's true, there are similarities between Dan and I, but with one very big difference.

I can confess here that I'm terrified of flying, which rather restricts the range of what I might be able to do.  When I was younger, I could tolerate it, albeit only for a few hours, but the fear has only grown worse with the passing years.  So these days, as does Dan, I tend to holiday closer to home.

I love the literary festivals which I'm invited to across the country, they allow me to see lots of new places, which is a delight. But I'm rarely happier than when taking a break in my native south west.  For me, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset are very hard to beat. 

My ideal break is simple - a couple of fine inns to stay at, with good local food and ales, and some scenic walking to fill the days.  The coast path has become a favourite in recent years, but I also have a great passion for the bleak beauty of Dartmoor. 

The main difference from Dan?  Ruefully, I have no Rutherford to accompany me.  But one thing I've always promised myself - when life finally gets calmer and more predictable, I shall go straight out and find myself a dog.  It's something I've wanted to do for years now, and I'll be delighted when finally it happens.

As to what I'll call him or her - I can't help but think it's going to be very hard to resist Rutherford!

Don't forget, if you've got a question about the tvdetective books, or any area of my writing work, you can get in touch via the contact page of the site - www.thetvdetective.com/contact.html