Skip to main content

Chelsea

J and I had an enjoyable trip out today. After parking at the O2, and dodging the crowds (some in costume) attending the League of Legends World Championships we tubed it to South Kensington and walked down to the King's Road to Chelsea Town Hall for what turned out to be a pretty decent book fair. Lots of familiar names there, and certainly lots of good books. We kept spotting Michael Bond books (maybe brought out in anticipation of the new film) and there seemed to be lots of le Carre about. I was tempted to buy a couple from Neil Pearson. He had a signed copy of A Trick of the Light (Sebastian Faulks's first book), but it wasn't in the best condition. Mind you, I've just had a quick look on Abe and both of the signed ones on there are more! He also had an inscribed Licence Renewed, but I thought I should stick with Jon for stuff like that (plus I already have an unsigned one). Anyway, I was very happy with my purchase, a signed fine (bordering on mint if you ask me now that it's mine!) copy of First Love, Last Rites (Ian McEwan's first book), so I went away feeling like it was a successful event all round.

Return trip on the tube, deposited my purchase securely in the car, spot of late lunch at the food market at the O2, and then over on the cable car for the Formula 1 exhibition at Excel which was a splendid second half to a grand day out.



Popular posts from this blog

Finds

A slow start to 2025 for posting, but certainly not a slow start for reading. More of that later, but this post is a report of Saturday afternoon's excursion along Rochester High Street and some pleasing finds. A separate post will be required for the previous weekend's trip to Hythe and Dymchurch. Along the High Street in the charity shops, in Baggins, and in Shop 104, I was lucky enough to find: The latest Kate Atkinson Jackson Brodie in brand new paperback, in a special independent bookshop edition with sprayed black edges. Yes, I know I was lucky enough to go and get a 'signed' edition (well, stamped due to wrist problems) of the hardback first edition from the author herself, but that's hardly the point. Certain books need to be owned many-times over. Three more Elly Griffiths paperbacks for the collection - two Brighton Mysteries and one Ruth Galloway and, as it turns out, the first Ruth Galloway, which was a bonus. A first printing of Trigger Mortis in paperb...

Away

Back from three and a half weeks in Indonesia - some work, some holiday. Lots of travel, and plenty of opportunity to get on with some reading. As always with the work section, reading was iPad and library based, but I was able to enjoy a couple of physical books during the holiday section. Books read were: Francis Bourgeois' Trainspotter's Notebook - brimmed full of joy in conveying his passion for what he does, whilst acknowledging the challenge of how his approach has ruffled some feathers within the community. Henry Marsh - And Finally - the doctor becomes the patient. Some honest and moving reflections about the latter stages of life. Maybe I've left it too late to ever clear out the loft? What other burdens might I be leaving to the next generation? Ian McEwan - The Child in Time - the worst nightmare and the havoc it causes. Sara Pascoe - Weirdo - weird book, but strangely compelling. Richard Osman - The Last Devil to Die - and so we will have to manage without them ...

Cheese

Lazy Sunday including lunch at the Cheese Room for N and me and a general wander along Rochester High Street. Oxfam bookshop came up trumps with ten at £2.49 each, seven of which were old Asimov paperbacks to add to the collection. I have a few box sets in the same format (Foundation trilogy, Early Asimovs) purchased in the early 90s from a second-hand bookshop not far along the road from the station in Oxford. I think I might have paid £10-15 per box set for them, certainly an astronomical amount of money at the time, but I am very glad that I did.