Harold Riley

I've always left things to the eleventh hour...it used to be homework today it was the piece I had to write for the creative writing group. There's Something Nasty in the Woodshed was the title and we can only use 250 words. I sat and pondered all things nasty then I just let the pen do all the work. I still have over a hundred words too many but at least I have something to take with me tomorrow. Actually, I was so engrossed I suddenly realised that I was quarter of an hour late for a hair appointment...it is a good job I only had to 'run' to the end of the road.

I've just been hobnobbing with some Salford bigwigs as I went along to the opening of the Victorian Gallery at Salford Museum with Carole. She had an invite and I was her plus one. We set off early as the weather was horrendous, it was blowing a gale. It was so bad that I think they closed Trafford Bridge, the queue of traffic trickling out of town was eternal.

We had a cuppa and did some serious people watching before the finger buffet opened. They put on a fabulous spread, I have to say. We were then all invited upstairs to the gallery. It has been refurbished and the paintings specially selected, cleaned and hung. They have done a fabulous job of it all. There were a few speeches and then we could wander and peruse the paintings whilst quaffing champagne.

One of the special guests was Harold Riley, he had donated one of his paintings, it was up for a sealed auction with a suggested price of at least £1700. I wish I could have bought it as the last painting he sold was of Nelson Mandela and went for two million. It would have been a nice little investment. He had a few interesting little anecdotes to tell, he is also passionate about investing in art for children. As soon as the speeches finished I snaked through the crowd and asked Mr Riley if he would pose by his painting for me...what an obliging man. I had the pic in the bag before the press ha ha ha.

It was still blowing a hooley when we left the museum. The traffic was building up on the East Lancs as a couple of trees had blown down across a lane. I do hope my chimney clings on until Saturday.