Hi All! Today was about research of East Berlin, of life behind the Wall and, in particular, the workings of the Stasi, the infamous secret police. And it was the best kind of research, for I had an interview lined up. My subject, a friend of a friend, an elderly English gentleman, immaculately turned out in blazer, cravat and brogues, who proved hugely informative. In fact he painted such vivid pictures of food shortages and hardships endured that I began to feel decidely guilty at the luxurious grande lattes both he and I were supping amid the opulence of Hays Galleria. He went on to tell of how secrets were passed-on, of how people were smuggled out, and of his involvement with the Berlin Airlift. My friend who set up the meet claimed that Arthur had been a British spy in the Second World War, had worked with the French Resistance, had worked in post-war Germany (particularly Berlin) to infiltrate the Stasi, and that working behind enemy lines in general for British Intelligence had been his passion and specialty. He also went on to mention something about taking things with a pinch of salt. I beg to differ. I think Arthur knew more than enough to have certainly been associated with all the above. Naturally, any self-respecting spy would not confirm these claims of heroism, but I’d already made up my mind of one certainty: that he was clearly a wonderfully inspirational character, and one immensely worthy of mention (indirectly of course) in future books. Got back home and finished the 2000 word count quickly. T’was a good day. I feel I know Berlin much better now, and as with many of the wonderful things attached to the world of books and writing, I’ve had my eyes opened to a whole plethora of other interesting avenues in history. Thanks Arthur, and thanks all for reading. Catch up tomorrow. All the best Dominic