It has all gone a bit quiet on the talks front now, although loads of people have been booking me to come and speak to groups next year.

Things are still ticking along – I am still selling books and we are not far short of raising £5,000 for the hospice, which is not bad in this current financial climate.

I am just starting to get the house cleaned up/decorated for Christmas and I am hoping for a peaceful time with my family. Merry Christmas to everyone who has been supporting this project!

I did get my hands on a Lonely Planet guide to Trekking In Patagonia the other day … well one can dream!

I had a lovely time last night at the Southern Vectis club in Newport, where I gave a talk to members of the Vectis Railway Enthusiasts, the Wight Model Railway Group and the Sandown Railway Enthusiasts and I really enjoyed it.

Not only were they really interested in the trip, but they were appreciative and the VRE, which hosted the talk, gave a nice donation to the hospice. Some members also bought books, which was great.

Furthermore, they even had refreshments, which I was really grateful for because I have had a madcap weekend and was pretty tired on arrival at the Southern Vectis club.

Also this weekend, I attended the prize presentation for the Island Voices poetry competition on Saturday afternoon and this was a real celebration of a very special year here on the Island, because not only was it the centenary of the Poetry Society, but it also marked 200 years since the birth of Tennyson, the Island’s most famous poet, who was born in Lincolnshire but wrote some of his most famous works at his home on the Isle Of Wight.

What was particularly lovely was that the poetry competition judge, Gillian Allnutt, bought one of my books – so a copy is now winging its way back to Durham!

On Saturday night I went to a family party and learned some very interesting news about a family member – but I can’t possibly reveal it now!

On Sunday, I spent practically the whole day at Brickfields showjumping and Zack only just missed out on a rosette, while Twiglet was third – I hadn’t had much chance to do any preparation , so I think this is a good omen for the season ahead (but waiting around all day was jolly tedious and I was knackered when I got home!)

Also this week, my Scottish war veteran has been in touch and we have agreed to commit his memories to paper for his family to keep, which is quite an exciting project for both of us!

I had a great talk at Wootton last Friday night and loads of people came out – despite the rain and the numerous fireworks displays that were on.

Hugh was brilliant with setting up and dismantling my equipment, as from the word go I was so busy chatting with people – some of whom had been on the Trans-Siberian or had visited China.

Amazingly there was a fabulous collection and I was astounded to be handed £104 – then there was a book sale or two, which was great! Added to the running total so far, we have reached almost £4,800 for the hospice!

Next Monday (Nov 16) I will be talking to Vectis Railway Enthusiasts and other railway-related clubs – I don’t know lots and lots about trains, so I hope they will bear with me!

I am quite busy with talks this month – starting with a talk at Wootton Bridge Methodist Church tonight.

I am amazed at how many books I have sold this summer – I haven’t done a proper count-up yet, but I think more than half my books has gone, which is great news. If you haven’t got your hands on one yet, try to get your copy soon because they are selling like hot cakes!

Elsewhere, I am up to my ears in wall-to-wall writing about Christmas! Bah humbug – it’s all too early to be Christmas shopping for me!

It’s been a bit chaotic here, both in terms of my social life and at work!

I had a great time at Barton Manor Christmas Fayre on Sunday, October 18 – I sold 13 books on the day and met lots of lovely people who said they had read the book and enjoyed it!

I am currently up to my ears in preparing talks for November, including one at Wootton Methodist Church on Friday, November 6, and one for railway enthusiasts at the Southern Vectis club in Newport on Monday, November 16.

I have also just been asked if I would help judge a writing competition which is to benefit the Earl Mountbatten Hospice and Love Russia – quite fitting I thought, given my Trans-Sib adventure!

Hugh and I are going out to dinner tonight – which is a very rare occurrence for us, so I am really looking forward to it!

I had a great time in Bath yesterday – it was fantastic to see Nikki again and to see her book, ‘Trans-Siberian Travels’.

She has created this poetry book as a companion to mine and I am thrilled to announce that it is also being sold in aid of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, which is really nice of Nikki. (The book is also in memory of several of her friends who have died of cancer recently).

I had also not quite realised how my challenge had spurred Nikki to write too – it’s brilliant that both of us have produced a book from the trip.

Together, we gave a talk and poetry reading at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution yesterday and sold several of both books to raise another £56.50 for the hospice!

We are now thinking of doing a joint reading/talk on the Isle Of Wight at some point.

If anyone would like Nikki’s book, email me on kate.drom@googlemail.com or call me on   07791 803449  and I will put you in touch. You can also find out more about Nikki’s work on her website at www.nikkibennettpoems.com

I am just back from a fantastic holiday to Madeira, where Hugh and I took a car and explored all over the island and did loads of walking – I can really recommend it as a place for those who like to walk, as you can choose from pleasant walks along the levadas (irrigation channels), amazing coastal walks and challenge mountain walks – we did one route where we took in Madeira’s three highest peaks in one day and I can honestly say the island has the most amazing mountain scenery.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) I am off to Bath to meet up with Nikki for a special event at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institute (BRLSI), to mark a year since our return and launch Nikki’s book of poetry (as well as an opportunity to sell mine to a fresh audience). It should be great.

For anyone who would like to come, Nikki will be giving a presentation of some of her poems, plus reading some Mongolian poetry in translation, and there will be photos of the trip on display.

Time 12.30 – 14.00; venue BRLSI, 16 Queen Square, Bath; entrance fee £4 to guests, £2 to members and visitors. This is part of the ongoing ‘uni-verse’programme hosted by Nikki, who is also the Bath Stanza Rep for the Poetry Society.

Today is the first anniversary of the beginning of the big trip! It is incredible to think back a year to Nikki and I meeting up at Heathrow and getting on our monster flight to Beijing (and me bumping my nose!)

One year later and my book is out, Nikki’s book is out and we are both still full of brilliant memories of the trip, while I have raised more than £4,500 for the hospice to date.

I had a great weekend at the IW International Charity Classic Car Extravaganza, with another three books sold (two of which went to the mainland), plus lots of money into the collecting tin, so thank-you all. It is hard to tell what is in the collecting tin, but when I  hand it in and get it counted, I will let you all know!

Elsewhere, in the middle of last week I went to the presentation of the Wolverton Manor Garden Fair proceeds to Age Concern (IW) and this year’s event made an amazing £24,000 for the charity – the biggest amount so far!

I have had a pretty busy week on the newspaper and this weekend I will be at the IW International Charity Classic Car Extravaganza, so you can catch up with me at the gazebo with the PS Monarch guys on Newport Quay tomorrow (Saturday, September 19), where I will be signing books.

On Sunday, you may well run into me at the classic car show doing my more normal job – reporting (look for a girl in a transsibwriter challenge T-shirt with a notebook in her hand!

I have also been putting the final touches to our holiday in Madeira in the first week of October – Hugh and I can’t wait!

Elsewhere, my parents are about to go on holiday for a week, so I take over their house and animals tomorrow and Hugh and I have been talking – babies!

Having survived Wolverton, I gave a talk to the members of Ventnor Afternoon Townswomen’s Guild on Monday afternoon and they were all fascinated.

I had the dentists Tuesday morning and a meeting Tuesday afternoon, so there wasn’t much chance to get any work done. It was my parents’ wedding anniversary dinner at Manuel’s in the evening – so a late night.

Yesterday, I did manage to get some work done in the office and yesterday evening Hugh and I had dinner at Lugley’s Restaurant with some friends of ours, which was very pleasant indeed. Another late night.

Today, I did some stuff in the office this morning, then popped to the hospice to talk to them about a feature and hand them approximately £850, including the Wolverton money. This evening I have got horses to ride and then hopefully an early night.

Curious situation at work – I seem to be doing almost all of this month’s work, while my colleague is bored, yet my boss is moaning at me! Do wonder why I bother to make such an effort to do a good job sometimes.