Book Signing

Mark and I "appearing" on an Agatha Christie set at the Palace Theatre Paignton...... It was 'him' that done it...

 Mark and I will be leaving the hotel shortly to head for Honiton to do what we love doing best. . .antiquing. The town, once famous for its lace, has a number of antique shops in the main street and we’re hoping to come away with some nice finds. From there we will be heading to Fagins Antiques, which bills itself as ‘acres of antiques in the West Country’ – it is enormous. You’ll find Fagins at The Old White Ways Cider Factory,
Hele, near Exeter.

From there we will be going to see my old friend Matthew Clarke at his Torbay Bookshop in Paignton in Devon. Mark and I are doing an ‘Evening of Antiques’ at the Palace Theatre tomorrow evening at 7.30 pm in conjunction with Mathew’s wonderful shop as a part of Independent Booksellers Week.

A little slow in getting to my blog today. I was out doing Saturday things during the day and when I got hone it was the Scotland v England rugby match. Growing up in the Scottish Borders I was immersed in rugby from a very young age. There was a time when almost every one of the Scottish team came from the Border towns of Hawick, Melrose, Selkirk, Jedburgh and my own hometown of Galasheils. Today it's very different but I still get a thrill when I watch a Scotland team walk out onto the Murrayfield pitch and the crowd sing 'Flower of Scotland.' This year was not a great game and it ended in a draw!

Last night's books signing at Chorleywood was fabulous. Lots of people turned up at the Memorial Hall (so good to see a local hall being used) and most everyone came with something to be valued which meant Mark and I did not finish until after 10 p.m. The event was organised by the Chorleywood Bookshop which is owned and run by the lovely Sheryl Shurville and Morag Watkins (above) They run regular author events both in Chorleywood and in their other shop at Gerrards Cross. They are proof that independent bookshops can thrive and prosper. Sheryl and Morag know their market, offer real service and perhaps most important of all put so much energy into what they do. Publishing is quick to bemoan its lot and to tell you how hard things are, but what these ladies do is to prove that it is possible to run thriving local bookshops. I take my hat off to them.

Among the things that people brought in to show us was a mid 19th Century waxed head doll, in its original clothes, which was worth around £800. A Kammer and Reinhardt Bisque head doll also from the 19th century that would fetch close to £800 at retail, but near half that at auction. Someone else brought in a mid-19th century micromosaic of St Peter's in Rome. It was in a hardstone frame with an inset malachite border and was probably purchased on the Grand Tour and would today be worth at least £1,500-£2,000.

On top of all that we signed masses of books and I came home with a lovely Narcissus, which I’m going to plant in my garden.

Long live independent books shops!

I'm writing this in haste as Mark and I are just off to the Chorleywood Bookshop for a book signing and valuation evening which should be great fun. It's going to be in the Chorleywood Memorial Hall and starts at 7.30 p.m. . . I'm sorry I didn't post earlier but as usual things have been hectic.

I've just got a copy of Mark's new book from his TV series, Cracking Antiques and I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.

It's been a long and tiring week so this evening's post is just a quick bit of advance notice about an event with Chorleywood Books on Friday March 12th at 7.30. It will be held at Chorleywood Memorial Hall and Mark Hill will be coming with me. Tickest are £5 each and are available from Chorleywood Bookshop.