Saturday - Lit Fest Day!

Beans beans they're good for your heart….my day started out with a quick breakfast at the diner with Chris, Earle and Dawn.  It's very British to have beans in the morning- I guess they propel you through the day, right?

 The ladies were ready to moderate sessions while I was dressed for a lot of running around and schlepping books, signs etc. but I did have my literary Moby Dick t-shirt on.

I was glad that I was able to poke my head in on Chris' session.  This was with an author who wrote a book about the history of America's eating habits.  It was a packed house!  I wish I could have stayed to enjoy it.  (If you look closely you can see Laura in the crowd!)

Later at the church we were waiting for Andre - as usual.  When he showed up with 3 minutes to spare and a big grin on his face he said, "3 minutes? That's early!! Let's go get a cuppa coffee!"  Standing room only for the town favorite.

Quick lunch with the gal pals!  Stacey, Gabby….

 Denise and Laura.

The afternoon was too busy for photos.  Lots of packing up books, cleaning up venues etc.  Then it's home to change and get back to the church for our closing event.  After nine months of planning the end is finally in sight.  There was a photographer backstage doing pictures for a story so we got him to take a few with my camera.  This is Andre and Wally on either end with Vicki and the editor-in-chief of O Magazine in the middle.

 Wally's photo shoot

On stage for the big finale.  I love Jenna's Brady Bunch pants.

And now the fun begins - party at Andre's.  Most of my party pictures were too dark and chaotic but a few of us came out (and I love US!)

 Vicki's first jello shot.

Another Lit Fest done and dusted.  Everyone keeps saying that this was the best one yet - it definitely was the best one for me because I had so many friends involved this year. I hope next year I can get even MORE into the festival (hint hint!) 

Friday Night - Nbpt Lit Fest

I'm back in London this morning.  Thank you to everyone who was concerned for Bill's mental health in my absence.  I have to do a little backtracking now to catch back up to our regularly scheduled lives...

The annual literary festival opened Friday night.  This is the culmination of 9 months of virtual work and 48 hours of back breaking labor.  Starting Friday morning I am a manual laborer - hauling books, putting up posters, moving tables, etc.  But it was all worth it when my Fabbie Friends arrived.  Chris and Dawn were on board to moderate panels on Saturday so they were treated like authors with rooms at the inn.  Chris and Earle had a jacuzzi tub right next to the bed that was just begging for a photo op.

 The opening event was Andre and Ann Hood.  The theater was "sold out" and they were terrific.  Andre's demonstration of giving birth to his books was highly entertaining.

 Next stop:  Dinner With The Authors.  As you can see, it's a very stodgy crowd.  

 I was so happy thatDawn and Chris were there I hardly cared that I was surrounded by authors.

 Me and my buddy from the steering committee:  KK

 And here is my partner in crime - Vicki!  We splurged on Lit Fest caps this year for the committee so that we were identifiable during the events.  Something tells me no one had a problem recognizing Vicki.

Another Booktopia pal made her way to Newburyport - Sara J!

 We went out to the Tavern after the dinner.  Author Courtney and Chris were SO EXCITED to be carded.

Of course, it's all fun and games until someone falls in a bizarre selfie accident.  How Dawn wound up lying like a bridge between two chairs I will never know.

And on that note, we all went home to get ready for the big day!

Last day without Jennie - limping to the finish line

I ended up in East London again.  I do love it.

The Gerkin always makes me smile.  One, because it's shaped phallically.  And two, it's called the Gerkin.

 I bought flowers again.  The giant white hydrangea got a bunch of stares.

 In Shoreditch they were filming a movie.  I watch the guy in the overcoat in the back walk up and down the street while a police car went back and forth to meet him.  As glamourous as making movies sounds, it seems like there is a bunch of repetitive boring stuff.  I didn't find out who they were or what they were filming.

 I like how they made obsene graffiti for the set.  What self respective graffiti artist or even just a plain hooligan, would writh that wanker line?

 I found a garage with a few lunch stands in Shoreditch.  Cool place with good, cheap eats.

 I ate at Freebirds Burritos.

 On the way home I posed myself with this strange looking portrait.  I think it's suppose to be Sly Stallone.

If so, it's awful.

Send pictures, Jennifer

I'm waiting for some pictures from this weekends real story, The Newburyport Literary Festival.

I am amazed that Jen pulls these events off every year.  This year, especially, since she's had to coordinate from London.  If I were ever in charge of an event like this I would tell everyone the wrong date and have an event full of cigar bloggers.  Actually, I would have been upended in a coup far before the date of the event.

So your stuck with my wandering weekend.  Eat my socks, Fletch.

Londoners do scaffolding so much better than anyone else.  Work is being done on Fortnum and Mason and this is the Tyvek that covers it.  I'm thinking of wrapping our Newburyport house in a giant photo of Mother Entwistle.  How great would that be?  She would be staring at Laura's house, judging. 

I got the date right this week and took in the Royal Academy of Arts Print show.

This awesome map of London was selling for £4000.  If it were £400, I would have snatched it up.

Detail to the £4000 map.

Selfie to prove I was there.

Look at the cool heat grate.  That's it.  Just look at it.

Some sampling from the print show.  I thought Jen would like the old war drawings.

I'm confused by the concept of print show.  This isn't a print.

Warhol had a bunch of prints for sale.

But the real art whore is David Hockney.  He is everywhere.  I saw recently that he's now drawing on his iPad and selling those childish drawings.  I like Hockney.  Have some pride, man!

I found this new place on Charlotte Street for lunch, The Barnyard.  I have to admit the neon chicken and the white picket fence lured me in.

Corn on the cob served with a bolt as a handle was a nice touch.

Enjoyed my Bubble and Squeak with an egg and black pudding.

I sat outside on this beautiful afternoon.  I didn't realise until I sat down that I was right next to the place of last week's fabulous man-day, Ted Baker's Grooming Room.

BT Tower in the background.  I'd hate to work on the top floor.