Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Day 7 in the Big Green Bookshop

Simon;

I wasn't really there today. But Tim and John were and when I strolled in to see them earlier they were getting along very nicely.
Today was my day for sorting out the opening etc and making sure that everything is getting done. It is.....



cheers then.



















no, no i'm only joshin' with you.

Katie and I had put together a list of stuff to consider, and also things to make sure we could do. They were, in no particular order


  • Stickers (made up saying 'I Love the Big Green Bookshop')

  • Balloons with logo, address, telephone number on

  • Make sure person who said they were going to open the shop can open the shop

  • Bookshop Name Competition Winner is OK about everything

  • Bunting!

  • Contact Shopping Centre nearby to see what they could do for us

  • Contact library nearby etc

  • postcards for people to fill in details for mailing list

  • flyers

  • glamorous guest appearances throughout the day

  • posters to cover the window of the old Waterstone's? (still an empty shop)

  • Local Newspaper coming to take photos

  • All local residents associations aware of shop

  • Giveaways

  • competitions

  • sweets

  • band

  • kid's character costume

  • contact all local schools

we have a budget (i'm sure i put it somewhere) and some of this list we will do, and some we won't, but our attitude is to think like a big bookshop. If you don't ask, you won't get, and although JK isn't available (she never returns my e-mails), I'm sure we can do something that will be memorable.


The star of the show so far is this gorgeous creature Oh yes, Maisie Mouse will be making an appearance. (I'd better not mention about two of her distant relatives that i've dispatched recently). I have the wonderful Juliet Miles from Walker Books to thank for arranging this. Ms Miles is Maisie's agent (and also works in the Marketing Department), and after moving a few things round in her busy schedule was able to arrange a limo for Maisie to make the trip up to Wood green from her plush hole near Vauxhall.

There's more crazy stuff and we've had our portraits painted by an amazing artist called Cally Gibson. Cally is an absolute star and I suggest until she tells me how to see more of her work, you ask her kindly to be a friend on facebook, because she's a wonderfully talented artist and she's got a great portfolio on her facebook page.

she has now told me that her website right here, and it's even more amazing than I thought it could be.

I bet you never thought before you started reading day 7, that you'd appreciating art, did you.

Ikea construction tomorrow. Nuts.....


8 comments:

Unknown said...

yay - bunting!!!! Great stuff :)

MarkFarley said...

You guys look great. Display them proudly behind the till, me thinks. xx

Nina said...

MAISY! Goodness I'm excited now :D I have a Maisy skirt I must wear for the opening day!

Nina said...

Hmph it called me Nicola. That's not allowed.

Nina.

Anonymous said...

Lads - don't forget to remind BBC London about your opening date...you might get a bit more publicity from them....I've been following your progress from here in Suffolk...fantastic!

Unknown said...

Just wondering....will you still be blogging once the shop is up and running?

Lindsay said...

Maisie! My O LOVES Maisie! Hope your opening day is a non-nursery day so I can bring her along, she'd love that! Maybe the shopping centre would be interested in a combined Maisie treasure hunt - get Walker to give you some freebie goodies to hide around the centre with the final clue directing everyone towards your shop and Maisie as the grand finale? Or print out some Maisie (or other characters and get their publishers to give some prizes) pics for a colouring in competition for stortytime at the library and the children have to bring their masterpieces (and therefore their parents) into the shop to enter? Sticker something biggish and green and cheap (apples?) and hand out on the high st?

Very sorry guys, your post seems to have activated a part of my brain that hasn't been accessed since I went on maternity leave and forgot to go back! I shall go and lie down now.

Simon Key said...

hello lovely people,
Maisy has called me this evening to confirm that she's definitely coming on Saturday. She'll be there for 1pm and then, after she's made a hole in our skirting boards and eaten some cheese, she'll be out to see the crowds again at 3pm.
Lindsay, you've just predicted one of our competitions, although having you around one afternoon for a brainstorming sessions could be fun.
Can't wait to meet you and the lovely O next weekend, or if not, very soon.
S
Nina, I guess blogger can't spell and thought you must be called Nicola.