Horace derailed after meeting his TikTok idol

They say never meet your heroes. But “they” have never met Francis Bourgeois (above): superstar TikTok trainspotter and a big fan (as I am) of the Class 43 HST. I met the great man not at one of his usual haunts—such as the Frinkley Lane Level Crossing, where you can get a great view of East Coast main line and, if you’re lucky, the odd DB Royal Mail Class 325 trundling through to the Grantham depot—but at the Groucho Club for the YMU bash. Amanda Harris is repping his book and “the pre-empts attempts are coming in from all houses”. Carriages, surely, Amanda?

Francis and I commiserated about the 43 HST decommissioning process (health and safety gone mad...) but also his Flying Scotsman-esque journey, from making a few videos of his love of trains to suddenly having 2.5 million followers, being the face of Gucci and hobnobbing on TikTok with the likes of Thierry Henry, Sam Fender and Joe Jonas. “Four months ago, I was working in a car factory,” he said, shaking his head. “And now you’re at the same LBF party as Lisa Milton,” I said. “You have arrived, my son.”

If there was a murder, my prime suspect would be Designer of the Year Nibbie shortlistee Claire Ward. It’s always the shy, retiring types who commit the crime in a Christie novel, isn’t it?

Then a scuttle across to Home House for yet another splashy LBF party, thrown by the seemingly very deep-pocketed HarperCollins—pockets that were not lined by government funds in the pandemic. (Unusual, for a company led by an Old Etonian.) “We didn’t take any furlough money during Covid, not like some other big publishers,” Charlie Redmayne will tell you. And tell you again. And again. It was a launch of a collection of Miss Marple stories from the likes of Dreda Say Mitchell, Naomi Alderman and Val McDermid. A Miss Marple theme, in a stately Georgian townhouse... and no one was murdered? Colour me disappointed. If there was a murder, my prime suspect would be Designer of the Year Nibbie shortlistee Claire Ward. It’s always the shy, retiring types who commit the crime in a Christie novel, isn’t it?

And then to the Brand Museum, just a 30-minute stroll from Olympia, for Picador’s 50th birthday party, and a début for Joanna Prior on “day two” as the new boss, after two decades at Penguin. It was all going so well, too, as Prior neatly traversed Picador’s recent travails in her welcome speech, swearing “allegiance to Picador on its 50th birthday” and professing excitement for her job at the helm of Pan Macmillan. A museum was a brave choice for such a party at such a moment, but Prior said Picador has a strong future ahead. “We are looking for the fresh, the distinctive, mould-breaking new voices, books that will jolt us out of ourselves; books we will want to talk about and share, and press into the hands of friends and family. I have no doubt we’ll also have armfuls of prize-winners and bestsellers for you, as Peng...”

All was not lost. “God! I am so sorry,” exclaimed Prior, “you’ve no idea how hard I’ve tried, but after 23 years will you forgive me?” They did. However, if you see Prior on the PRH stand at some point today, do have a word.