Jacqueline Wilson Typewriter

Our visits to Seven Stories at Ouseburn, near Byker are now such a regular event.

There is usually a new exhibition around some children's author or illustrator, (or in the case of Sharrott Scheffler, Donaldson and Wilson, both) as well as numerous other minor exhibits.

Previous exhibits have included, Roald Dahl, Judith Kerr and the Puffin Story. These authors have been a part of my life and are now a part of Lois and Oscar's. It is always fascinating to get close to the intimate moments of creation, the minute scribbles on notepads and scraps of faded paper, the why's and wherefores.

There was a smaller exhibition on Axel Scheffler. A letter in 1997 from Julia Donaldson's publisher expressing excitement on first sight of his Grufallo drawings was fascinating.

The Seven Stories is a must see venue if you ever visit the north east. It is buried deep down between Byker and the city. They are pretty tight on pictures being taken so I could only manage to sneak this one out; a shot of Jacqueline Wilson's typewriter. Lois was beyond herself as she is currently working her way through her collection. The description on the side explained that she no longer uses a typewriter but a computer that does not have Internet access because that is too "distracting."

Indeed it is.