Ben Aaronovitch's Blog, page 18
April 7, 2015
The Robert Elms Show
First task today was for me to visit Broadcasting House and plug me, my book and, most importantly, City Read London on the Robert Elms show which goes out on BBC Radio London.
Robert ElmsThanks a carefully crafted sign I was able to make it all the way through the show without swearing once, so thank fucking christ for that!
You can catch the show on catch up here.
And then tonight - Sutton!
Robert ElmsThanks a carefully crafted sign I was able to make it all the way through the show without swearing once, so thank fucking christ for that!You can catch the show on catch up here.
And then tonight - Sutton!
April 3, 2015
Day 3: Interlude with a Jaguar
Ben Aaronovitch and the Great Peter Grant Book Giveaway
1,000 Londoners
First thing in the morning, well I say first thing actually it was around ten o'clock but it felt early and that's the important thing, I headed off for Covent Garden Waterstone to be interviewed by Mark Currie for 1,000 Londoners.
Mark Currie and his camera assistant Shelana Thomas
1000 Londoners is a project to interview 1,000 Londoners on camera (duh) and personally I feel it needs no other justification than that. It's website can be found here but warning it is a total time sink.
The Giveaway!After acquiring some enthusiastic young police cadets (alas the picture I took was too horrible even for Photoshop to fix) we headed for Covent Garden where the mighty army that is Cityrtead 2015 sprang into action...
A well oiled publicity machine.Ben Bailey Smith was with us and to him fell the arduous task of posing with the genuine Mark II that Jaguar kindly lent us for the afternoon.
It's a tough job but somebody's got to do itThe cadets and cityread volounteers proceeded to give away about a 1,000 copies of Rivers of London andI found myself a table in a cafe which suddenly became an impromptu signing point.
Two hours and, an estimated, 800 books later the cadets all headed off to Look Left Look Right's magic training school and headed off to see my family.
Coming Soon: Sutton Library!
1,000 Londoners
First thing in the morning, well I say first thing actually it was around ten o'clock but it felt early and that's the important thing, I headed off for Covent Garden Waterstone to be interviewed by Mark Currie for 1,000 Londoners.
Mark Currie and his camera assistant Shelana Thomas1000 Londoners is a project to interview 1,000 Londoners on camera (duh) and personally I feel it needs no other justification than that. It's website can be found here but warning it is a total time sink.
The Giveaway!After acquiring some enthusiastic young police cadets (alas the picture I took was too horrible even for Photoshop to fix) we headed for Covent Garden where the mighty army that is Cityrtead 2015 sprang into action...
A well oiled publicity machine.Ben Bailey Smith was with us and to him fell the arduous task of posing with the genuine Mark II that Jaguar kindly lent us for the afternoon.
It's a tough job but somebody's got to do itThe cadets and cityread volounteers proceeded to give away about a 1,000 copies of Rivers of London andI found myself a table in a cafe which suddenly became an impromptu signing point. Two hours and, an estimated, 800 books later the cadets all headed off to Look Left Look Right's magic training school and headed off to see my family.
Coming Soon: Sutton Library!
April 2, 2015
Day 2: Blackheath
GREENWICH
Blackheath Library7:00 pm
10.8 km from Covent Garden
Day 2 saw me heading, once again, south (or more accurately sarf) of the river to the great maritime borough of Greenwich. There, at the Blackheath Library, I was greeted with coffee, cake and enthusiasm - which is just what a writer wants when he has to talk. Plus the Librarians had manfully attempted to get all the punters tipsy which also helps.
Look Librarians....
And an audience!
Up next: The great Covent Garden Peter Grant Giveaway!
Blackheath Library7:00 pm
10.8 km from Covent Garden
Day 2 saw me heading, once again, south (or more accurately sarf) of the river to the great maritime borough of Greenwich. There, at the Blackheath Library, I was greeted with coffee, cake and enthusiasm - which is just what a writer wants when he has to talk. Plus the Librarians had manfully attempted to get all the punters tipsy which also helps.
Look Librarians....
And an audience!
Up next: The great Covent Garden Peter Grant Giveaway!
April 1, 2015
Day 1: Canada Water
SOUTHWARK
Canada Water Library
7.00pm
5.4 km from Covent Garden
Uncle Owen! This droid has a bad motivator.
Amply supplied with coffee and cake I was ushered into a rather nice custom built space where I faced my 1st audience - and very friendly they were too.
It's always much easier to address an audience if they've been warmed up first and in this I was lucky because Mark Rodenhurst had kicked things off with a reading from Rivers of London accompanied by slides and live music from Luke Evans.
Then I was interviewed by Literary Development Officer (what a title) Sandra Agard before another reading, a Q&A and a signing.
So I'd like to thank Mike Hall and everyone else at Canada Water for easing me into a month of glorious exploration.
Tomorrow - Blackheath!
Canada Water Library
7.00pm
5.4 km from Covent Garden
Uncle Owen! This droid has a bad motivator.
Amply supplied with coffee and cake I was ushered into a rather nice custom built space where I faced my 1st audience - and very friendly they were too.
It's always much easier to address an audience if they've been warmed up first and in this I was lucky because Mark Rodenhurst had kicked things off with a reading from Rivers of London accompanied by slides and live music from Luke Evans.
Then I was interviewed by Literary Development Officer (what a title) Sandra Agard before another reading, a Q&A and a signing.So I'd like to thank Mike Hall and everyone else at Canada Water for easing me into a month of glorious exploration.
Tomorrow - Blackheath!
Peter and Guleed in Fast Paced Action Scene
Ah the adrenalin pumping excitement of police work!March 28, 2015
Currently Reading
I seem to be on a bit of a fantasy jag at the moment...
Half a King/Half the World by Joe Abercrombie
Jo Abercrombie introduces you to his characters, makes you care and then tortures you for the next 200 pages - the swine.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
A hugely enjoyable tale of palace intrigue.
A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar
I've only just started this but already the language has sucked me in a way that I haven't felt since I first picked up a Wizard of Earthsea all those years ago...
Half a King/Half the World by Joe Abercrombie
Jo Abercrombie introduces you to his characters, makes you care and then tortures you for the next 200 pages - the swine.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
A hugely enjoyable tale of palace intrigue.
A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar
I've only just started this but already the language has sucked me in a way that I haven't felt since I first picked up a Wizard of Earthsea all those years ago...
March 20, 2015
March 9, 2015
Even More More Useful Stuff
Even More More Useful Stuff
Traction Engine
Essentially steam locomotives that run without rails, that used to be used for heavy agricultural work and by showmen to both transport their rides from site to site and to power them when they got there.
A showman's road locomotive, as they were known, would be brightly painted and decorated with gilt and lights and emblazoned with the name of the family who operated it.
Many of these engines lived a long and eventful life being traded amongst families, modified, rebuilt and renamed all while travelling the length and breadth of the nation. Many drivers will swear that each engine has its own distinct pesonality - many drivers caught behind one on a narrow road merely swear.
Gastropub
Once there were just pubs and what kind of pubs they were was determined by a sort unspoken agreement between the landlord (or lady) and those that drank there. It could be a rough pub, a cosy local, an expatriate hang out or just the nearest place to your home where they sold booze and fags. Now all that has changed and pubs are now branded and breweries have marketting strategies(1).
A Gastropub is a pub that serves food of a much higher quality and price than a normal pub. This is particularly prevalent in Herefordshire where a village local might have a tapas night and a roadside inn a MIchellin star rating. This is a fine thing but sometimes you really just want a plate of chips.
(1) This is an exageration of course the breweries have always imposed their ideas on their tenants and no amount of branding is goung to save you if the local Millwall supporters decide that your place is where they want to congregate before a game.
Traction EngineEssentially steam locomotives that run without rails, that used to be used for heavy agricultural work and by showmen to both transport their rides from site to site and to power them when they got there.
A showman's road locomotive, as they were known, would be brightly painted and decorated with gilt and lights and emblazoned with the name of the family who operated it.
Many of these engines lived a long and eventful life being traded amongst families, modified, rebuilt and renamed all while travelling the length and breadth of the nation. Many drivers will swear that each engine has its own distinct pesonality - many drivers caught behind one on a narrow road merely swear.
Gastropub
Once there were just pubs and what kind of pubs they were was determined by a sort unspoken agreement between the landlord (or lady) and those that drank there. It could be a rough pub, a cosy local, an expatriate hang out or just the nearest place to your home where they sold booze and fags. Now all that has changed and pubs are now branded and breweries have marketting strategies(1).
A Gastropub is a pub that serves food of a much higher quality and price than a normal pub. This is particularly prevalent in Herefordshire where a village local might have a tapas night and a roadside inn a MIchellin star rating. This is a fine thing but sometimes you really just want a plate of chips.
(1) This is an exageration of course the breweries have always imposed their ideas on their tenants and no amount of branding is goung to save you if the local Millwall supporters decide that your place is where they want to congregate before a game.
March 4, 2015
BODY WORK - Page One In Colour!
Here's a little something to whet your appitite.
Artist: Lee Sullivan
Colourist: Luis Gerrero
Publisher: Titan Comics
Artist: Lee Sullivan
Colourist: Luis Gerrero
Publisher: Titan Comics
January 3, 2015
Even More Useful Stuff
Even More Useful Stuff
Dogging
Some people like to have sex in the open air, some people like to watch other people having sex in the open air, fortunately some people like to have people watch them while they have sex in the open air. The term used to describe these activities in the UK is 'dogging' as in "I was out dogging last night." There are websites and other forms of social networking to allow people to arrange hook ups but for many this lacks the exciting randomness of just turning up at a dogging location and seeing what happens.
Ford Asbo
Is Peter's nickname for his, currently second, Ford Focus ST - the term originates with Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Focus ST which can be found here.
Fry Up
Otherwise known as the traditional English Breakfast and the opposite of a Continental Breakfast(1). It usually involves a combination of three or more of the following - eggs (fried, scrambled or omelet), bacon, sausage, baked beans, black pudding(2), liver, bubble and squeak(3), onions, mushrooms, chips(4), toast or fried slice(5).The full expression of this culinary cornucopia can usually be found in two locations, mid-level hotels or a traditional greasy spoon cafe. A proper English person upon moving into a new area will always seek to locate a suitable greasy spoon for those mornings when you just got to eat right no matter what your partner, dietitian or cardiologist says.
(1) Hotels would love to switch to offering just a continental breakfast because it's much easier to arrange a couple of croissants, some fruit and a selection of jams than the wonderful artery clogging panoply of the traditional breakfast,
(2) A blood sausage made from oatmeal and pork blood.
(3) Are you sure you want to know? Okay it's basically a dish designed to recycle leftover vegetables from a big roast beef dinner. So you get yesterday's potatoes, brussel sprouts, cabbages, peas and anything else you might have lying around - and then you fry them until they're a nice crispy brown on both sides. It was big during the dark days of rationing but now it's mostly made from fresh ingredients.
(4) French Fries.
(5) A Fried Slice of bread. Oh god now I'm hungry.
