Day 8 in t... oh forget it. Look and see what we've done!

Simon

2 days in one posting.
Thursday was a day which involved putting together bookcases. Lots and lots of bookcases. Thank goodness that help was at hand in the form of facebook legend Martin Deutsch. He did manage to escape from the bookcase prison we built, but he was an absolute hero, not only helping me put together dozens of bookscases, but also setting up our broadband for us. It needed someone other than Tim or I to do it, as there were things like passwords and rubbish nonsense to negotiate on the old tatty computer we have for the shop. We'll be getting some better PC's soon but at least we have the www at our fingertips now.
Also in attendance for the day was Claire...who not only second coated half the shop but brought us a box of Big Green treats
Carlsberg, Aero, washing up liquid, it's all there and there isn't much left of the Carsberg or the Aero, although we've yet to open the washing up liquid.

I forgot to mention that a few days ago we got a package in the post from the very very lovely Amanda Lees, author of Kumari. In it was a load of Kit kats to keep the troops happy, and it certainly did. Thanks Amanda, you're great.

Today, it was all about finishing the carpeting, setting up the counter, and putting the bookcases in the right places. We got about a third of the shop sorted. here's a little taster (ignore the boxes) Red shelves? what are you thinking!?

We also got our main delivery
this'll be fun to unpack.
we also didn't get some deliveries that we were expecting. So there's a bit more work to do this weekend on spreadsheets.

Tomorrow is a facebook army day, and we've got a gang coming in helping us with making some bunting etc.

For the 4 people that have asked if we'll still be blogging after we open, the answer is yes indeedy. As long as people still want this nonsense, we'll keep writing it.

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.....

Day 6 in the Big Green Booshop

Simon,

the morning didn't promise much in the way of progress, as we decided to do a few fiddly jobs, so although it was quite frustrating it was very necessary.
The man from BT arrived on time and fitted the lines for broadband and telephone. He seemed to speak in an alien language that only Tim could understand, but he did the job and nicked off.
We went and did some shopping for primer, gloss paint, and 7 metres of wire, and looked at the possibility of buying some helium from Woolworths.

After a builder's lunch of beef pies from Greg's the bakers, we reached a situation where one corner of the shop was ready for a bit of carpet action. As none of us had ever laid carpet before, it was a bit of trial and error, but with a mixture of guesswork, two big sticks, furious stamping, and by hiding the mistakes the job was done.

We then started to put up a few of the bookcases to see what they looked like(really, this was just to hide the carpet edges). And after an hour or so, this is the result. Our show corner

The electrician turned up at about 6.30pm, and spoke in an alien language that onlt Tim could understand. He's coming back on Thursday evening and has said he'll stay until he's finished. This could mean a long night, so Tim and I have agreed to do shifts on this day (this means that i've arranged to meet a friend in the pub on Thursday evening, and Tim's going to sleep until CBeeBies comes on).

We got home at about 8pm, and I zonked out on the sofa by about 10pm. Katie is without doubt the most patient and understanding person in the world. Almost 5 months pregnant, she works all day, comes and sees me on her way home and cooks for me when she does get home. I'm very lucky and I hope I never take it for granted.

Im typing this on Day 7, which I will post news of later tonight.

Day 5 in The Big Green Bookshop

Simon;

I was a bit too tired to blog last night. It must have been that sleeping liquid I drank at the pub. Anyway back in action with an update.

An absolutely brilliant day. Tim, John and I spent the morning finishing the office and building a false wall to cover a multitude a chaos in one corner of the shop. We were expecting the carpet to be delivered today, as well as a new skip and the bookcases etc, so after a call out to the facebook army we had a team a legends turn up at 1pm to help with all the lugging around. Legend 1 is Neil Wilcock (Jameson's and coke), who used to work at the Waterstone's in Wood Green, before sensibly leaving 2 months before it closed to be employed at King's Cross station encouraging people to stand behind the yellow line and not to leave baggage unattended.

Second Legend was Stuart Evers,(kronenborg) back for a second time, who seems to have been given all the rotten jobs, like taking the plastic lettering off the front of the shop. He seems quite happy though..

Legends 3 and 4 were Kelly Arnstein (kronenborg), who's offered help ever time the call's been made and is a natural with polyfilla, and Mark Farley (kronenborg). Yes, the Bookseller to the Stars came for a visit from the lowly slums of West London to the glamorous Wood Green,

With a team like that how could we fail. The day was helped along by some lovely Cherry and Almond slices that Katie had made for us, and with energy levels high and skip delivered, we cleared all the rubbish out of the shop in a jiffy.
The next step, whilst John manfully continued making the false wall, was pollyfilla-ing the holes in the wall. Like a well oiled machine, the 4 volunteers shot around the shop and in a trice the job was done.
The carpet duly arrived and so , as we were so far ahead of the game it was already to put the first coat of green paint on the walls of the Big Green Bookshop!
A historic moment and as such we re-enacted a well known moment from earlier on in our quest,

As we started on the walls for real it was a truly great feeling. It was becoming a reality in front of us.
The team took over and with Tim sanding down followed hot on his heels by 2 people doing the edges and two people with rollers, all the walls (that are going to be exposed after the shelving's been done) were finished in an hour.

As we sat and admired our work, we realised there wasn't much else we could do today, and we just had to wait for Ikea to deliver the bookcases. I'm sure there must be a word to describe the very moment when delivery drivers finally appear, after they say they'll turn up at a certain time, are a little bit late, and you begin to worry that they're not going to make it at all. That was the exact moment the van arrived.
Once again the army took over and over a ton and a half of bookcases was carried in in less time than it takes to get to the pub from the shop.
Which is where we ended up.

There's more photo's on Mark Farley's blog and also on the facebook group.
It's BT day today, and we'll be taking the big sign down off the side of the building. And maybe a bit of painitng.

Just in case Tim and I had lost our touch, Stuart gave us a brilliant present. It's a book called 'Beginning In Bookselling. A handbook in Bookshop Practice' by Irene Babbage, and is full of wise advice from the halcyon days of boookselling. I'll be sharing some of the advice with you soon, but I think by the look of things Mark was keen to get his hands on it too.

The sun's out.

Day 4 in the Big Green Bookshop

Simon,

Another fantastic day in TBGB. Last night I sent out a request to the facebook army and also on this here blog for a lift up to get some paint and carpet, as neither Tim or I drive. Within minutes I'd got a message on my phone from the wonderful Caroline, who said she'd be happy to do this. What a star!
So this morning I gave her a call to make sure she was still OK to help. No problem, she said. In fact there were now two people who were going to help. So I went round to her house in the lovely Noel Park area of Wood Green, and met her and Hannah. The plan was that Hannah was going to drive me and then Caroline would meet us back at the shop to help out when we'd got back. Good Plan.

So off we went with my list, and managed to sort out all we needed in no time at all. Hannah and I chose the paint colour and the carpet for the shop. Here is the lovely Hannah with some of the spoils. After we'd chosen the carpet, it was decided that as the rolls were to big for the car we'd get it delivered instead. It was dead easy and should arrive tomorrow. Here is the very carpet that is on its way.

Seeing as there wasn't any carrying for Caroline to do (2 tubs of paint and some pollyfilla we could just about manage between us), I don't have the obligatory photo as she wasn't there. Suffice to say I know where she lives, so she won't get away with it that easily.

So then Tim and I spent the afternoon building the office. It's much better constructing things than it is destroying things. It feels like real progress is being made. And progress was made by jiminy doo-dah. By the end of the day the framework and (sort of) 2 walls had been put up.

We then got slightly delerious and decided it was time to go home, but not until we'd done the following . Here, for your amusement, is Tim..............

And this, ladies and gentlemen is me...............

We probably just need a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow we've got a load of stuff being delivered, and we have 3 people who've offered to help out. So with luck we'll be well ahead of the game by the time Tim and I become delerious again.

Day 3 In the Big Green Bookshop

Simon,

today was a 'catch-up day'. Tim spent the day in the shop, knocking down the last of the walls, fixing some plumbing, and getting the floor ready for the corner carpets. He also did some sums and worked out exactly where the new walls have to go. He's very good at doing stuff like this, a lot better than me. With that knowledge in mind, I was sent off to Ikea on the bus. Katie kindly escorted me on the trip, and we arrived at about 1.15pm.
I had my list of things...

and we weren't going to diverted by the sneaky Ikea tactics. Apart from a bowl, we made it to the end and looked for a bit of help. A sad sack with a bad back and a pregnant lady shouldn't be expected to carry a shop's worth of bookcases, and after about 15 minutes a lovely Ikea chap came over and looked after us. It filled 5 trolleys and was not much fun to do, and if anyone has been to an Ikea on a Saturday you may either

• Sympathise with us
• think we are a pair of idiots for going to Ikea on a Saturday to do this
• not really care one way or another

we got it wheeled through the checkout and to the delivery place, where I coughed up 120 smackers to get it delivered on Monday. We got some vouchers aswell, as we'd signed up for the Ikea card, and as you get rewarded more vouchers for spending more money, we did quite nicely after handing over £2,300.

Got back to the shop at about 5.15pm where Tim was on his knees smacking out the last of the tiles.

Tomorrow we start putting up the new walls, and also we're going to go shopping for some carpets and paint (I think).

I'll stick up some more pictures on Tuesday, because it doesn't look much different than my last photo.

btw It doesn't look like we'll need a Van, as we've managed to salvage most of the materials we need, but we might need a car, so if anyone is up for driving us around for a couple of hours tomorrow please let us know!

Day 2 in the Big Green Bookshop

Simon:

today was more of the same kind of thing. Knocking down stuff and tidying. My superhero name would be 'The Tidier', as Tim and his brother John seem to know far far more than me about building/destruction, so I kind of tidy around them. I think i'm very good at it too.
Tim's superhero name would be 'The Human Crowbar' as he seems to take pleasure in pulling walls down whilst singing as song which he's entitled 'mindless violence'.
John, the one who's holding us together, would be 'The Silent Avenger', as he seems to do all the things that really need doing with the minimum of fuss.
As a superhero team we're invincible. Especially when we get to eat our special scooby snacks, and one of our fantastic friends off facebook brought some for us. Look!!

This is the wonderful Shell Rees-Jones, who made some very very tasty biscuits to keep us going today. They were well yummy. Shell is brilliant and should be applauded as she walks down the road whenever you see her. Don't forget now.

So with our snacks scoffed, we plowed though the rest of the day (no, I can't spell plowed), and this is the result.
We can now see how much space is there. And it should suffice I reckon.

We've now got rid of all the computers (that the internet cafe left) to local scavengers. We're giving the chairs that were left to the library, and we've kept a couple of the PCs for some local charities. It's like Bob Geldof and Bono all rolled into one isn't it?!

we didn't see anyone wee in the lane today. Result.

We got a skip delivered and filled it within minutes and will need another next week. There's a load a stuff to chuck out. There you go, isn't that fascinating.

I also placed all our opening orders with the publishers. They'll arrive at the end of next week (or the beginning of the week after). G de L, you can now process the order I placed with you.

I'm off to Ikea tomorrow to arrange delivery of the bookcases, and Tim's going to carry on being the 'Human Crowbar'.

fare thee well

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?

Simon and Tim in real life

Katie here - as Simon is so incredibly busy at the shop I have been nominated as guest blogger today. Well, really its just a short and sweet blog to tell you that the marvellous British Broadcasting Corperation (the BBC to you and me)have been in to film Tim and Simon at the shop! So you can watch them tonight on your very own television on the London BBC news at 6.30 on BBC1, so rush home and catch it if you can! You can't buy marketing like that...

On another note, I just wanted to thank you for your lovely comments we've had about our baby.

That's all for now, Simon returns later.....

So Many Things

Simon;

It's finally happened. Six months of waiting, and this is what we've been waiting for


Of course we'll change them all tomorrow, but you get the idea. I actually found myself dancing around my living room earlier with excitement. My poor old back!

So Tim got to the shop at about 4.30pm (he had to get there early because a courier was delivering a video camera to him, curious eh?). The internet cafe was still full of unsuspecting punters obviously reading this blog. As 5 o'clock approached the internet cafe guys started chivvying them outside, and by about 5.30 after a few alarm/shutter/light explanations we waved them goodbye and stood in our shop as owners for the first time

All the gang were there. The lovely Katie(cranberry juice), the lovely Julie(strongbow), Tim's brother John(kronenbourg), George('Dad can I have this?) and Harry('Dad, what's this?).

We officially had the shop for 24 minutes before someone knocked on the window and offered us £40 for the counter(which you can see Tim working behind in one of these pictures). He'll be back tomorrow to pick it up. Someone's already taken all the fake plants as well. I'm not sure we needed to order a skip!

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS OF THE DAY IS THAT KATIE AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE A.....................................GIRL.

all in all one of the best days ever.