A day in Bath with Claudia Gray

I'm just back from a great day spent with my fellow High Republic story architect, Claudia Gray, who is over in the UK on a research trip for her brilliant Jane Austen-inspired mystery series.

We met up in Bath and, after a healthy breakfast, headed to somewhere I've been meaning to visit for an AGE – Mary Shelley's House of Frankenstein.

Now, this is where Claudia's research trip became mine as I'm working on something Frankenstein-y at the moment, so the timing couldn't have been better.

And the house is fun, following Mary Shelley's story and how her infamous creature refuses to die – and the interior is a gothic dream!

(The photo doesn't quite do justice to the size of that death mask!)

You make your way up through the various stages of Mary's life and career, coming across curtains of skin that are perfect for poses.

New author pic alert?

And what lies beyond the flaps of skin? Why, the creature of course, beautifully realised by Millennium FX, the warped geniuses behind many a Doctor Who monster!

And yes, he breathes and looks around!

It's alive! IT'S ALIVE.

Somehow more so than this monstrosity:

Once we reached the top of the house with its collection of Frank merch over the years, it was back down to brave the basement – a dark, dingy labyrinth of corridors complete with a scare actor jumping out at you.

Now, I love horror. I write horror. But actual jump scares in the dark? Absolutely not.

Still, down into the gloom I went thinking Claudia wanted to explore.

In Claudia followed, thinking it was my idea of a good time.

Turns out neither of us wanted to be there!

That's friendship for you.

Tea, cakes and quills

The rest of the day was spent in far more genteel surroundings, giving Claudia a tour of Bath's wonderful bookstores – including the excellent Mr B's and the glory that is Topping Books, where my family lost me, only to find me up a ladder so I could reach the books on the top shelf.

I was good, I only bought one book – a mini-collection of Mary Shelley's short stories.

Well, it seemed only right, considering how we started our day.

Along the way we also popped into the Jane Austen Centre, where Claudia practised her quill work...

... and ended up in Bath's oldest house, the Sally Lunn restaurant, where we sampled the world-famous Bath Bun. I opted for the traditional cream tea variety – how the late Queen used to like them apparently – while Claudia went for the recommendation of an earlier monarch, with lemon curd as favoured by Queen Victoria herself!

Corpses, quills and cream tea shared with your family and a dear friend. What more could you want?

Here's to the next literary adventure, Claudia. Let's not leave it too long!