My Shout
If I’d Known That You Were Coming I’d Have Baked a Cake!
Not wishing to blow my own trumpet or anything but that Mr. Books window really does look lovely and is attracting quite a few comments from customers and passers by. It’s really encouraging when people actually bother to walk in the shop just to say how imaginative they think it is and that it has lifted the High Street. If Queen of Shops, Mary Portas, ever walks by she would indeed be proud of me as she couldn’t fail to notice the current window which we’ve called “Baked a Cake.” It’s on the theme of a 1950s typical window which has been left in a bit of a mess as the mystery baker has abandoned her cake making for some unknown reason. The detail is superb right down to the checked floor tiles, scattered flour and broken egg shells. I’d love to claim credit for all this but, actually, I merely held the screw driver and fetched and carried the props into the shop. It was my wife, Jeanette, who did all the creative stuff. The best news of all is that I don’t even have to pay for this level of genius, she does it because she loves it! If only all my suppliers thought the same way! The previous two window displays were pretty good: we’ve had “Summer of Sport” and, before that, “World Traveller” but this one will take some topping. Rather like that cake in fact! So as not to appear too biased I feel bound to mention that other shop windows in Tonbridge also have nice displays. In factCountryGardenflorists won the Town Team’s recent Olympics themed window competition with a lovely array of floral decorations (flowers and that) decked out in Team GB colours and there were some pretty good efforts by a good many other shops particularly at the north end of the High Street. So it appears that the bar has very definitely been lifted so, people of Tonbridge, watch out for those displays as Christmas approaches.
Post Script on My Summer Romance with Tallulah
Quite a few readers have asked me how my canoe’s name, Tallulah, was thought up. (See the Tonbridge Town Crier October issue.) Well the answer is that I knew that it was a Native American sounding name which seemed to suit her and when I discovered that it means Leaping Water it was settled. The internet makes it quite easy to search for watery girls names and I dare say that there are many other boats with the same name but I liked it and, in any case, some of the other favourites like Sanuye, which means Red Cloud at Sunset, I just couldn’t pronounce so Tallulah it was.
PPS. The romance has blossomed into a full blown love affair….
Keep My Shout, Posted
Being based right in the centre of the old town I do have a firm ear to the ground (a dangerous thing to do especially in the rush hour!) but I’d also welcome your own local stories, so please send them in.
You can contact me on 01732 363000, by email to mrbooks@btinternet.com or by popping into Mr. Books Bookshop at 142 High Street, right near Tonbridge Castle. I’ll put the kettle on! Or you can comment online: just go to www.tonbridgeblog.blogspot.com
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