Gin O'Clock

I have just read, cover to cover, the Gin O'Clock book, based on the Twitter account of Elizabeth Windsor.  The (obviously fictional) twitter account of the Queen has the catch phrase 'gin o'clock!'

I have spent hours giggling, laughing out loud (literally) and reading snippets out to unsuspecting passers by.  I can't do the book justice, but I really recommend that if you are on twitter that you hook up - and buy the book.  It isn't by me, I wish I could write that well. 

Speaking of which, it will be about a week before I can write again.  Elizabeth Windsor has a very distinctive voice, that I sort of soak up like a sponge.  One text from today's twitter feed was, 'The King of Tonga thought Catherine was Cheryl Cole. Awkward.'  It's a terse writing style, because of twitter's constraints, and very pithy.  I am finding myself thinking in the same style and struggling not to write this blog entry in the same tone of type.  I can't just write things like, 'So he turned into a werewolf.  Awkward.'

I have the same problem when I read Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, and I have unofficially banned myself from them.  It is a shame as they are beautifully crafted, but I find myself typing in a copperplate tone of voice for weeks after.  This is one reason why I stick to reading a lot of non-fiction. 

So I am doing some research.  Currently I am dipping into some historical recipes.  After reading some of the more outrageous medieval ideas I am happy to stick to microwave meals!