Archive for May 24th, 2008
The best bookshop in the world, ever
This is pretty amazing. Matthew and Adam work hard at what they do, and what a reward. The best - BEST! - bookshop in The Independent’s Top 50 Bookshops list.
This startling ranking is for the old store, near to Waterloo. Hade and I nipped into the new Fulham Road shop this morning, just to see what it’s like, and I almost burst into tears. It’s just perfect. You go in and there’s Matthew behind the till on the right. A fiction/new stuff/travel room with three tables of really well chosen titles, clean and smooth shelves all around, then a doorway through to a back room, which has kids’ books, so through from there and there’s another back room containing history and the like, and then - and I love this - a small courtyard out back. I say courtyard, it’s not really a courtyard, but a small, enclosed space with a table, two chairs, and a happy capacity to take sunshine.
I picked up three titles: The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig (Matthew’s recommendation), Contempt by Alberto Moravia (I bought Boredom by the same author at Shakespeare and Company in Paris earlier in the year and enjoyed that a lot), and finally a copy of The Iliad by Homer, a book I haven’t read since I was 18 but one that I enjoyed hugely back then.
So yeah, Crockatt & Powell is in Fulham. They’re not far from the site of the old Pan Bookshop. Over the road and then right (in the direction of the Cottage). Go in, say hello, and I’m sure you’ll find something you like.
(all of this is Fulham related because Matt has a season ticket at the Cottage)
Roy’s Summer Holiday Video
Typing as I listened:
Roy looks relaxed, had to put his summer plans on hold until after the game. Now hard at work for next season. Pre-season programme, improving the squad and trying to avoid giving Fulham supporters heart-attacks.
Mike Kelly knew Mark Schwarzer from Middlesbrough so enabled us to bring him in ahead of some quite glamourous clubs (Juve, Bayern).
Bringing in more players. Could do with one or two players in most areas; not because the players aren’t good enough, just more players capable of playing at a high level.
Aim to put some distance early on between us and the relegation zone.
Couple of pre-season friendlies: Birmingham and Celtic.
Roy’s off to the Euros, doing some scouting at UEFA’s cost. Part of the technical study group, will be well looked after and see some great football.
