More new people came. A good evening, all in all. Mary's novel in progress is like biting into very a Fortnum's fruit cake, with a thin slice of stilton on top, washed down by a Laphroaig. More, more, more...

Aside from Mary and me, there were no regulars (what is the plural of 'Judas'? Judi? If so, that's most of you...

I think that we need to consider making a rule about writing for children. I think that narrative stories without pictures are fine, but perhaps we need to make it clear that writing for very young children (say, under 8) is really not welcome at the group.

What are the chances of two new people joining wgwg last night, both being called Ian? I don't know - what am I a maths genius? Anyway a very good night ensued with two excellent children's stories, a poem, a fantasy with an alarming amount of flaming resin (you had to be there) a very good mystery short story and the extremely promising start of a new book set in Korea. Then off down the pub. Perfect.

So, at 8pm we appeared to have only one person who had anything to read out. Given that a new member had turned up, this looked to be embarrassing.

By 8.03pm I gave up and started downloading my manuscript on my phone to read out an excerpt. Desperation.

By 8.10pm another person turned up with something to read. It looked promising.

Miraculously, by 8.20pm we had 9 people and 5 readings set to go...

I love it when a plan comes together (after the Hannibal Smith).

We are carrying on regardless tonight, so feel free to come and join us, we figure that after three days the rioters must be tired by now...

Six people, three poems, two excerpts from books in progress, a fillip, a dollshouse and a murder. Then we went off to the pub, not a bad way to spend a summer evening - and not a doldrum in sight.

A select group tonight of four. We heard two very good stories and then went home, I like to think of it as quality rather than quantity.