Here I am outside the fabulous Ocean venue on the seafront in Exmouth where my theatre tour arrived on the last day of May (with the last day of Theresa May approaching ever closer).

 

This is a stunningly beautiful part of the world. Carolyn and I arrive at lunchtime and walk the coastal path to Budleigh Salterton which we remember fondly from the literary event we attended there in 2017, memorable not least because Hilary Mantel, a patron of the Budleigh festival, was in the front row. The walk covered six miles. We caught the bus back.

 

Before the show in Exmouth we meet old friends in a fabulous fish restaurant called Rockfish – probably the best fish restaurant we’ve ever been to in this country. It set us up nicely for the 7.30pm performance.

 

There seem to be whole battalions of West Londoners living in South Devon. Two of them, Brian and Barbara, grew up in North Kensington. Barbara lived opposite me in Walmer Road and Brian went to Bevington, my old primary school.

 

The book seller was Winstones who have shops in Exmouth and Sidmouth. Karl, the manager, was at Sidmouth when we appeared there at the Dissenters Hall a few weeks after ‘In My Life’ was published.

 

Now, for the first time, the paperback was on sale; an important milestone in the evolution of a book.