Karen Wright: Promoting my book with a festive switch on

It was fabulous to see how the place has evolved and changed these last six months and it felt very much like when the centre first opened forty years ago. I worked for several years in one of the new shops back then and I remember those days with great affection. I remember the food court down in the basement, which was always heaving every day with diners who were spoiled for choice with so many different outlets to choose from. It was amazing and back then it seemed out of this world!

Last week there were lots of people milling around both in and outside of the shopping malls from early in the morning. By late afternoon the place was packed with families coming down to see the lights go on and to meet Father Christmas and the Star Wars characters who were out in full force. I had a great time with my books, and they sold very quickly, with Christmas coming they make a great gift. What was especially lovely for me was the number of people that stopped to chat with me who told me how much they enjoy this column and look forward to reading what I have been up to each week. Hello to you all!

In other news I was invited along to the ‘soft launch’ of a new street food restaurant in Wakefield. The Spicy Baker now has premises in Cross Street, and it is a great place to eat. The décor is very urban and cool, and the food was so good. We were treated to samples of nearly everything on the menu and at the end of the evening I was feeling very full indeed.

Advent starts next week so the countdown to Christmas will be on in my house. I generally buy my presents in the first week in December and get them wrapped up in good time before buying a tree and decorating that around the second week in December. I will also be getting some of the food preparation done in good time and stored in the freezer - I will share some tips next week!

If you want to buy my book Meals on the Move: A Campsite Cooking Journey, you can find it on Amazon and on my website www.karenwrightbakes.co.uk