Mac had a conference in Brighton so I decided to go along too - I had one more day's work to finish off the second draft of the new Secrets of the Tombs book and decided to set myself up in the cafe at The Brighton Royal Pavilion for the day. I hadn't quite realised how perfect a setting it would be. The pavilion, built for the George IV in early 1880s is a blingtastic Regency extravaganza. The orient was clearly all the rage at the time and the place is stuffed to the gills with chinoiserie . . .
Chinese dragons everywhere you looked -
including a whole flight* of these green guys with the yellow rays behind them. You can't tell from the postcard but they are painted on windows. They look as if they are bursting onto the stage in a musical with a "ta-da" doing jazz hands with their wings. The other postcard (no photos allowed inside) is of the mangificent dragon chandelier in the entrance hall - a masterpiece (there'sa photo here if you wanted to see it properly http://rpmcollections.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/dragon_banqueting_rm_8823.jpg).
As the book is set in China, and might just feature a dragon or two, it was truly inspirational!
(and I've just found out that there is a murder mystery novel by Peter James) that features this very chandelier - Not Dead Yet - next on my reading list!)
apparently flight is usually agreed to be the collective noun for dragons, although I prefer a fireball of dragons.
Beautiful words and a picture to match. I know Brighton very well, and first got into print there straight from school, so this has many happy memories for me.
When will it be published, and is it a sequel to the last one, the secrets of the tombs? That was among the books I bought for my daughter. Enjoy Brighton
September 3rd, 2014
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