Thursday, February 21, 2008

Day 1 in the Big Green Bookshop

flippin 'eck. If it's like this every day then whoopdeedoodles!

Last night a courier from the BBC delivered a video camera to us. We've been in conversation with them for a little while and they've been right behind our bookshop project. They said they didn't have anybody to interview us, and asked if we could do a kind of video diary thing for them to put on the Evening News. OK we said, and so this morning we got to the shop inreadiness for filmimg ourselves doing things like pulling walls down etc.
Then, at about 11.30 (after we realised we didn't have a tape in the video camera) the BBC called and said they were on their way and they wanted to do a piece for the evening news today. OK we said, and got a little bit excited.
Also, I must now say, last night I sent out a message on the Facebook Group (haven't you joined yet?), asking for people to come down to the shop at about 1pm to help demolish/say hello etc. I knew this was short notice and never really expected people to come down, but look at this person here!
His name is Stuart Evers, and he is lovely. I used to work with him at Waterstone's in Charing Cross Road, and he was a wonderful wonderful bookseller who was passionate about his job, and he used to love hand selling books to people. I haven't seen him for many many years, and he made the effort to come in and spend the afternoon helping us out.
And look at this person here!
Her name is Nina Grant (or so she says!). She is an amazing and talented artist/photographer, who gave up an afternoon for us and was a real breath of fresh air with her positive attitude and great sense of fun.
Thank you , thank you , thank you.

Right, so the BBC turned up at about 1.30pm and filmed/interviewed us, and lo and behold we were on the BBC London News this evening.
Now I can't find an easy way of linking this onto the blog, so if anybody knows how, please let us know. But here is the link. We're on after 18 minutes and 45 seconds (you can move the time thing along by clicking the line thing under the picture so you don't have to watch about fights, Spurs, or Post Offices, unless you want to of course. Blimey, what a palaver! Anyway we're rather pleased about this, and hope there's more on the horizon.

In other news today, we met our neighbours at the hairdressers and the cafe, who bought a couple of chairs from us, and will probably take a couple of the computers too. We're flogging them off for £70 each (that's for the whole computer system, what a bargain). We also saw 2 people weeing in the lane next to the shop.

At about 4.30pm the Meat Wagon turned up at the Big Green Bookshop. You've really got to see this. The Meat Wagon is an amazing lorry which is taking Joseph D'Lacey around Britain to market his amazing book MEAT. Here he is signing copies of the book for the shop. Our first author, and our only book!

Tim and I got into the Meat Wagon, which is quite simply the maddest, greatest most wonderful lorry, which I can't do justice to on this blog. It's basically a lorry, with the book detail all over it, and in the back of it is a kind of butchers table with cuts of meat etc on it. The sides of the lorry open and close revealing this gruesome thing. Here we are standing in the lorry.
Tim got scared after a few seconds in the lorry, and had to be given counselling. The book is brilliant, as i've said before, and I urge you to get your hands on a copy.

We left at about 5.30 and we're very happy with the days work.

I'm knackered, but full of energy at the same time. Is this possible?

8 comments:

Barb McMahon and Alan Mailloux said...

Knackered, but full of energy at the same time - it's why I'm hooked on self-employment!

Anonymous said...

That's amazing!
And a bit weird, to be honest, to finally hear what you guys sound like... I'd imagined Tim with a Texan drawl, really. Must be the beard.

Try linking this URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/london/realmedia/news/londontv?size=16x9&bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1

I tried it out in a draft on our blog and it worked, although you still have to manually skip the first 18 minutes.

Lots of luck and I'll try to pop in sometime this weekend to have a sneak peak.

Don't worry, I'll bring something chocolaty.

San

Vanessa said...

How brilliant - and what handsome devils you are too! It's going to look lovely although we must admit to coveting that branch of Daunt's - imagine having a balcony!

J D'L said...

Gentlemen,

Brilliant to see you yesterday and even better to see you on TV. Well done to you and your enthusiastic volunteers! It's going to be a very special bookshop.

Hope to swing by in the Meat wagon again if there's time before we have to give it back.

In the meantime, all the very best with it.

Anonymous said...

Hi there guys,

Leaving a message of support all the way from Ireland. Love what you're doing and hope every day is as good as that first one. Will come and visit next time I'm in London.

x

Lesley said...

No chance you can borrow the Meat Wagon then for your van needs?!

Mark Thornton said...

Golly, stop reading your blog for a few days and look what happens! A huge ball of positive energy that we can feel up here in Abingdon, and plenty of amazing things happening. Well done everyone. Our warmest congratulations - Nicki & Mark x

Lindsay said...

It's all happening - what an amazing feeling to have put in a full day of hard graft all for yourselves! No more big corporate beastie cracking the whip! You are inspiring me, now where did I tuck that daydreaming about opening my own coffee shop?!