Something from me

I know it's tragic, but I get on my 49cc scooter and this song starts up in my head...

Summink fur the weekend

Brilliant brilliant video for brilliant brilliant song;

Our staff still write books you know...

It's not just glam Marie, who signed my proof copy of Gods Behaving Badly and then added "as written at Crockatt & Powell!" - no -

Jane's at it too! Yes, that's just one of her books up above. We've sold two copies already. Jane waits, all quiet, no mention until it's through the till then she pounces - to the delight of both customers - who have quickly asked her to sign their books then asked advice. Note to "managers" everywhere. The trick is to attract staff that are brilliant - they make you look good too...

PS The pic is from Amazon. But why buy books from a robot when you can buy them from the author?

Dr Rick Recommends

Robert Olen Butler, a name I'd only happened across in passing but apparently brilliant and underrated. Certainly sounds like an interesting bloke. Looking forward to reading Severance his collection of 240-word short stories about the post-beheading thoughts of decapitated individuals...

dum da da da dum dum dum dum dum da da da dum dum dum dum dum da da da dum dum dum dum dah dah! dum dum dum!

The new Faulks James Bond goes on sale today. We have 16 signed copies between the shops. 3 gone already from Waterloo. Get yours quick...

Richard Rocks!

We've had a rave review from Richard over on his FFC related blog Craven Cottage Newsround.

Cheers mate! Hope you like the Zweig...

See Post Below

I think he's talking about this...

We Are Top The League Say We Are Top The League...

...according to the Independent! Does not seem to be a web link but there we are at number one.

Brilliant stuff. A great pressie for the opening of our new shop on the Fulham Road.

Why not much blogging from me past few days? Too busy having a great time in SW10...

Morning Team!

So, it's the two cities, Bristol and Hull, playing for mega-riches up in Wemberley (which I saw for the first time up close and personal on thursday night - nice arch but essentially an underwhelming bowl) For those of you unable to be there or to watch on the telly, like Matthew and I bestriding our vast bookselling empire, let me pass on a link that may ease your pain if you happen to be close to superfast broadband. Seems to only open in Internet Explorer and you have to download some software to play the feeds but it works pretty well. Needless to say, C&P take no responsibility for the links on this page...

Oh, and COME ON THE ROBINS!!

From the file marked, 'Bleedin' Obvious'

We here in the booktrade are so lucky to have the services of such wonderful people as Market Researchers

I particularly liked:

'Commenting on the findings, BML Research Director Steve Bohme said: “What fascinates me about the research is that the heaviest book buyers don't always seem to be the most responsive to marketing messages. You often hear people in the trade questioning why so much of the industry's marketing efforts seem targeted towards the younger end of the market, when it is older people who tend to buy more books.
“This research supports the direction of these marketing efforts, with younger, typically lighter buyers appearing more open to the per­suasive powers of cover design, adverts, charts and prizes.”

And blimey, I can read the rest of the report for the knockdown bargain price of just £395! On a PDF no less! Where's my cheque book!!

I'm here...

...he's there.

I've just discovered you can 'customise' the blog...

hours of fun...

Second book sold

Don't ask. Please, just don't ask...

First Book!

And the winner is...Alberto Manguel's The Library At Night

I think that's a great book to be the first sold at C & P Fulham Road. Weird as well. The first book we sold at C & P Waterloo was Bret Easton Ellis's Lunar Park.

In a recent interview Manguel was asked if he had ever removed a book from his library. Only one:

"Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho, because I felt that it was infecting my library"

Beautiful Evidence: A Taste...

So that's the view from behind the till. Lots of lovely books eh? Walnut veneer for the shelving. That long display unit for hardbacks is lovely, the books slide into your hand. You can see a bit of the sign on the floor there - we are very nearly done.


Maybe if we had spent less time chilling out here and reading the London Review of Books we would have opened sooner! But I'm joking you. There are people out there have us down as a couple of lazy chancers. In fact we've been working rather hard.

It's a real communal effort. Adam designed it. Jan built it. Charlie painted the sign. Mary did the garden (in a day!) What did I do again? Well, I must have done something.

We are desperate to get started now. It's going to be great fun. We have some excellent folk joining us - Stuart, Jane and Claire - all excellent booksellers with plenty of experience. We think Thursday...

The Only Thing Keeping Me Going...

...is my love of the Ukulele...

I'm Such A Pain...

What an ars* I am to be around at the minute.

Grumpy, irritable, prone to random and extreme fluctuations of mood.

Sorry Maz, sorry Adam, sorry Gemma, sorry Charlie, sorry Lucy and Natalie, sorry Jake, sorry Henry and apologies to anyone else I have been grumpy with etc in the last couple of days.

Still, the sign for the new shop is finished. But it's not up yet. It's sitting here in Lower Marsh, propped against a wall. Looks lovely though, hand painted in our legendary cellar by Charlie (who is almost certainly really Banksy BTW).

Need to open shop.

Need to open shop.

(Hear that thumping? That's me banging my head against the wall.)

Pompey chimes

Every half an hour or so another train comes into Waterloo station from Portsmouth and you can hear what sounds like an asiatic horde just behind the shop - 'Play up Pompey, Pompey Play up!'

Unnerving and strangely exhilerating...

Tha magic of the cup, eh?

Hey Marie - Your New Paperback Is In The Window!

Not only did it arrive in a box with a book of fiction inspired by the music of Sonic Youth - there are loads of great quotes all over it.

We'll get you down to Chelsea just as soon as we're open...

Update or Are You Really Opening Another Bookshop Or Is It Just A Joke?

Charlie has finished painting the sign in our cellar.

The shelving is done.

Display units, tables and the till under construction and finished "very soon".

Other tweaks and little bits of snagging will be completed with the shop open.

WE'RE NEARLY DONE.

Believe me, it's harder for us than it is for you.

Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Give a man a sub-prime fish loan and you're in business, buddy.

It's our job here at Crockatt & Powell to bring people's attention to things they may not have come across before or atleast to remind them of things they may have already seen.

Today, it's the Colbert Report on Comedy Central - satirical genius.



And here he is at the Whitehouse Correspondent's dinner in 2006 in front of dubya. Almost painful...