Tom McLaughlin

For those regular followers of the blog who know that Nat's cousin Oliver Jeffers, artist and children's author--: Oliver Jeffers :-- has recently had a portrait accepted at the National Portrait Gallery , you may also be interested to know that her brother Tom has an exhibition of his poems and art in Exeter until May Tom McLaughlin and I have it on good authority that Paper Girl will be arriving at our house at the end of the exhibition .

Can you tell its a seal ?

We could even see its whiskers .

It was bobbing along beside us as we walked along the pier at Tynemouth , thick necked and chasing seagulls off as they swooped low to see if it had fish . Click on the photo to enlarge ? Or not , possibly !