My new book The Shropshire Cakes and Ale Trail, beautifully illustrated by Wendy Poulton, is being launched at the Ludlow Food and Drink Festival on the weekend of 7th-9th September 2007. Wendy and I will be selling copies of the book (and signing them) at Hobsons Brewery stand on Friday and Saturday. The following weekend there will be another launch in Bridgnorth at the CAMRA beer festival at the Severn Valley Railway Station.

I am really delighted with the book – the result of two years of committed walking, writing, photographing and drawing. It’s my first guide book and I’ve walked the Trail twice from end to end, as well as walking every section of it several times to check. Things change, however, and I’m sure some of it will be out of date before the first copy sells.

Walkers who complete the seven-section Trail and get their books stamped in the appropriate pubs will qualify for a fee pint of Hobsons beer, courtesy of Nick Davis of Hobsons Brewery, which has recently won Best Beer for its mild ale at the British Beer Awards.

Next plan is to produce The Worcesterhire Cakes and Ale Trail, which I’ve already begun to explore, and then maybe a similar one for Warwickshire. But we’ll see how sales go first of all.

At the end of last year a short story of mine, entitled Short Story Competition, won first prize at the Wellington Literary Festival and I’m also in the midst of creating a series of short stories to be collectively known as the Sandiford Tales – Sandiford being the fictional town where all take place.

I’ve also started writing a novel about aging, the Battle of Crete, and secrets. But you won’t see anything of that for quite some time.

I’m still giving talks about my books all over the Midlands, so, if you’re interested, contact me at bob.bibby@virgin.net.