Eamonn O’Neal

I’VE never really been what they call an early adopter of technology but our house is now full of iPhones iPods, iPads and iPatches. And we’ve got half a dozen Kindles knocking about which we use a lot.

Actually that causes a bit of a moral dilemma because although I’m impressed that I can store hundreds of books and thousands of words in that convenient device, I do still love actually holding and reading a book.

I especially enjoy visiting and spending time in small independent bookshops which are trying to be innovative to keep up with the changing marketplace.

Peter and Frances Hopkins run Urmston Bookshop and as well as having the retail business, they organise some great events in the shop and at various other locations.

I was pleased to be at the recent Johnny Vegas evening for which there was an impressive crowd and we all thoroughly enjoyed meeting Johnny and hearing him read from his autobiography.

Now Peter and Frances are at it again with international best selling author Philippa Gregory coming to town this Friday, August 15.

Philippa Gregory was an established historian and writer when she discovered her interest in the Tudor period and wrote the novel The Other Boleyn Girl which was made into a TV drama and a major film.

On Friday she’ll be talking about and reading from her latest novel, The King’s Curse, which tells the story of deposed royal Margaret Pole, one of the few surviving members of the Plantagenet dynasty, all wrapped up in King Henry VIII’s rise to power in Tudor England.

It’s going to be a great event at Waterside Arts Centre in Sale and if you’re interested you can get details from the Waterside or from Urmston Bookshop, 0161 747 7442.