Characters old and new

Inspired by the wonderful Catherine Fox, I've been musing on the futures of favourite characters. She mentioned on her blog that Harry and Isobel did marry (good!) and that Andrew Jacks is fine. He'd be surviving every University restructure and terrify under-prepared undergraduates and university bureaucrats. Like one of my own tutors, watching him in a staff-student meeting would be seen as an afternoon's entertainment. Just not for the victim of his superior intellect. If you haven't read Catherine Fox's kindly sarcastic novels of life in the Church and around University, then you're in for a treat and there are three.

What of "my" own characters now that I have four? I feel quite certain that Tania Whichart (an early version of Petrova Fossil) would continue zooming around in a sleek little car and be a pilot. Perhaps even a Spitfire Girl during the Second World War. I suspect she'd have a fabulous time and eventually gain some confidence. Vivien Farthing is likely to have risen in the publishing world and been charming and elegant about it. Lintie Oliver's more of a puzzle. In wilder flights of fancy I do see her as a globe-trotting journalist. Then again, I see her relishing in the delights of an ordinary childhood having written her way into a family. As to Candy Nevill, she'd certainly reach New York and have the most amazing time charming America eating everything with enthusiasm before begging recipes. I can just see Ianthe and Candy riding the escalators and exploring every floor of Macy's. Assuming you could drag Candy out of the kitchenware department, she might even be persuaded to try on some smart clothes. I don't know how old Williams Sonoma is, but it strikes me as the sort of shop she'd greatly enjoy. I returned home from my last trip to America (not New York, one day, perhaps) with some Nordicware. I'd hoped for pineapples, but they only had roses in stock. It makes very pretty cakes. American friends rave about the food in local farmers' markets or in Trader Joe's. Then again, food shopping takes on new excitements when travelling as you negotiate any language barriers, see new packaging and find new flavours, if not new foods. Candy Nevill did mention Sally's Kitchens by May Worthington. This appears too rare to even be on sale. Is this worth tracking down for a read? Anyone?

New titles? Well, I'm still in a haze of rights and permissions, though with very interesting emails about writer relatives. It can take up to eighteen months to ascertain exactly who owns the rights to certain novels and some rights-holders are easier to track down than others. I'm doing the usual corporate treasure hunt to find out which arm of the conglomerate held the rights last in a few cases at the moment, so there'll be more news when I can give it to you.