Anyone reading this will surely know that the week just gone was centred around World Book Day, last Thursday. I am firmly of the belief that every children’s author should be in a school somewhere on WBD. And yet I was at home, clearing out my under stairs cupboards, ready to have a smart meter fitted to my fuel supply. How did this strange situation come about?

Well, because of the popularity of my dragon books, I am often contacted way in advance for any given WBD. And that was the case this ...