Golden Treasury Champagne Party

David Schofield

On a cold, clear December night (2004), I went along to a champagne drinks party to celebrate the re-opening of the new enlarged Golden Treasury in Southfields, a suburb of London. You can see more info about this independent children's bookshop at www.thegoldentreasury.co.uk

I chatted with my author friends Cliff McNish, Marcus Sedgwick and Graham Marks and met authors Rose Wilkins and Mary Hooper. Ian Beck was there, too; he's an illustrator. You can see them all pictured below.

I also met an actor who was in the Oscar-winning film Gladiator! David Schofield (above right) played the part of Senator Falco. He told me some great stories about filming with director Ridley Scott. He and I are both huge fans of that director, so that was fab! David told me that when Oliver Reed died unexpectedly in the middle of filming, they had to change the end of the story. So they flew in a top Hollywood script-doctor. Now I can't confirm this, but David said he was there for a week and they paid him $150,000... per DAY! No wonder lots of my writer friends want to become screenwriters.

Golden Treasury Southfields 

above: kids' authors at the re-opening of the new improved Golden Treasury in Southfields. From top left clockwise: Ian Beck, Marcus Sedgwick, Graham Marks, Cliff McNish, Mary Hooper, Rose Wilkins, and Caroline Lawrence. Sadly, none of us earn $150,000 per day.