The Road Blog

 

Wednesday 4th Jan 2012

Pretty quiet day in my Suffolk look-out. No fires to  report. A man came in talking about bricks and left with a  Beginner’s Guide to Mountaineering. Off to see Gary Snyder. (If you’re out there Gary, I’d love to hear from you.)

You can also tell Paul Mason that nothing’s ‘kicking off’ in Stoke by Nayland. Yet.

Thursday 5th Jan

Reading Fjord ‘Mad Ox’ Ford about his kitchen garden. The answer lies in the soil. Lies in the soil. And DH Lawrence, the fox. Galsworthy, the Devonshire man, a velvet glove, a marble fist. Penguin Modern Classic. Yours for £3.

Monday 9th Jan

Who said: ‘The more they are downtrodden the more they flourish’ and about whom/what?

Friday 13th Jan

Was it E.J. Thribb about bookshops or Edward Thomas about footpaths?

Sunday 15th Jan

After a good woman, and a good book, and tobacco, there is nothing so agreeable on earth as a river.

Thursday 19th Jan

Great event at shop last night. Packed house and Mark Mason on sparkling form, apologising and mesmerising us with trivia about London. Lovely to see everybody.

Friday 20th Jan

A quiet day. A man came in and bought a small pamphlet entitled Socialist Farming. Maybe the Revolution is just about to happen. Found time to curate a new window display celebrating the anniversaries of Robert Burns and Adrian Mole. I think you’ll find the juxtaposition pleasing.

Saturday 11th Feb

Wonderful sunset. View from my shop each evening. Sign up for sunsets.

Also, the home of doomed poets. Poor Delmore.

Sunday 26th Feb

What a fantastic gig!  Great music from Ben and Simon and then some marvellous poems from Richard Ings. The Road is really coming together and thank you Polstead for your support.  I think it was a very special event and I think of all of you with great love and wonder. Strength to strength. Why not?

Monday 16th April

The Open Road now operating under summer conditions open Tues-Sat 10-5. Lovely to see some old/young faces last week. Two former students of Colchester SFC, Louise and Alex. Stupendous.

Looking forward to a packed house for Adrian May on Wednesday 25th April. Let me know if you want to reserve a chair!

Monday 23rd July

I know it’s been a long time but here I am again. Just finished reading a wonderful book by Thomas Bernhard called Woodcutters which is a treat. No copies in the shop, I’m afraid. The exciting news is that we continue for another year and offer more exciting events. See forthcoming events. The other exciting news is that the shop goes on the road to Guernsey and appears along with me and Mandy at the Guernsey Literary Festival 13th-16th September.  Hope to see some of you there.

Wednesday 19th September

Guernsey Literary Festival was stupendous. Some great writers and lovely people. Saw Linton Kwesi Johnson in a road house from the 1980s. He was magnificent: such poise and dignity. Then met the man at breakfast. (Still poised.) Carol Ann Duffy came to my book stall in the market and bought one of her own volumes. Great fun and hospitality. You must go. Next one in May 2014.

Tuesday 4th June 2013

Can so much time have passed? Has anybody been hanging on to my next word? I’m still here and functioning. Latest news is i’ve stopped teaching again and can concentrate on the shop and some writing. Launch of my new book on September 13th. 2nd anniversary of the shop.  A special evening. do come along.

Sunday 29th December

Nearly the end of another year and lots to celebrate as well as look forward to…Mark Padmore’s appearance at the bookshop was an unforgettable experience when he sang a selection of Blake’s Songs of Innocence. Looking forward to January and Oli Arditi’s gig on Burns’ Night. My new year’s resolution will be to attend to this blog and make it an unmissable destination/check point/hitching post for your weary horse on the interminable journey.

Tuesday 13th May 2014

When will winter let go its grip? Off to Guernsey for another festival. Then back for Patrick Barkham on Wednesday 21st. Should be a great evening. ‘Unwritten poems were killing him’. Who said that? Answers on a postcard please. Spectacular prize for correct answer.

Thursday 1st January 2015

New Year’s resolution: I must attend to this blog.

1st January 2016

This blog has forsaken me. I can no longer attend to its hopelessness. I go astray withouten words. The bookshop is enough. The rest is silence.