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We’ve got the best books, great books, let me tell you…

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I love books, let me tell you, no one loves books more that I do. Everyone tells me I have great books, I don’t know, but it’s what people tell me. And those books? Great books by the way.  They are written by great authors, the very best, let me tell you, seriously, we have gathered the very best books together. Fantastic books and together we are going to make Christmas great again.

What about a signed first edition signed by the very best people. Trust me I know them and they are the best. What about Ann Cleeves? She writes the best crime fiction ever and what about Michelle Paver, she tells the very best scary stories and trust me I should know. How about Stef Penney, what a knock out! Great women, I love these women and no one loves women more than me, let me tell you. We’ve even got the latest signed Ben Aaronovich. Numbers are limited for all these so be quick.

 

How about children’s books? Let me tell you I’ve heard about children, I understand they are really great. Fantastic people,and they will love these books. Of course you will have to buy these for them but I can tell you that if you do that will make you the best, the very best. If you like surprises, and who doesn’t, especially when they can be just so surprising, then try some of our pop ups. Or what about That’s Not My Penguin. Great books. Really. Trust me,we are going to make Christmas great again.

 

Fact books, fun books, flipping fabulous books. We have them all. It’s going to be great!

Christmas Book Hampers

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Christmas day and everything is warm and wonderful. You’ve had breakfast, maybe gone to mass, been on a bracing walk. The fire is roaring and you are gathered around the tree. What will this year’s gift be? An itchy jumper? Some vouchers? A food blender?

Or what about a tailor made hamper full of books and little luxuries? Can you imagine how great that would be? Some wonderful books, a journal, a bath melt, some chocolate all packaged in a wicker hamper with straps and carrying handle.

We can make up any hamper on any theme; avid reader, sporting enthusiast, writer, connoisseur or Cornish interest. We can also make it up for anyone; husband, father, boyfriend, wife, daughter, godchild, postman.

 Hampers start from £25 this include as wicker hamper, book, bar of chocolate and luxurious bath melt or soap. You can either leave it up to us which flavours / title to put in or you can specify every item. We’ll let you know what’s available and you can pick and choose. After that the world is your lobster. How about just books! Or some exquisite pieces from Rory Dobner. Add a bottle of something sparkly. Whatever you do you’ll be sure of getting and receiving the best present ever!



A day in the life of Mevagissey.

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Welcome to a day in the life of a Mevagissey bookseller.  Well it starts as always with a box full of books in the car and a drive in from St Austell. Today was hellishly windy but as I dropped down into the village the wind seemed to die down, clearly Heligan was taking the brunt of the winds.  I drove down Jetty Street parked up and unloaded. This is always a tricky effort but easier in winter, this morning I am unimpeded by any other traffic and I drive off to park at the lighthouse.  I could park in one of the other car parks, but I love walking out by the sea, dodging the seaweed strewn road and the splashing waves.  It’s also the cheapest place to park  which helps!
Walking back to the shop I’m stopped by a couple in a car who ask me if I’m local. Now there’s a question.  I doubt there are many other places in the world where such an innocent sounding question is laden with problems. No, I’m not local, I come from St Austell but even there I’m not local, I used to live up country, worse yet my parents aren’t local either, neither are their parents. However, these guys are on holiday and just want to know if the Wheelhouse serves breakfasts. As if to underline how much of a local I’m not, I don’t know the answer. Frustratingly the wife pipes up “Only we saw people in there eating breakfast…” Grrr, well surely that answers your own question!? On I stroll and pause to watch a cormorant sunning himself on a rock and think about how gorgeous life is sometimes, so long as you choose not to focus on stupid questions.
The day progresses along normal lines, as we have the new EV Thompson in, lots of people are popping in to collect their copy and all of them stop to share a story with me. They are really entertaining but I’m not getting anything done. He was a lovely gentleman and is clearly missed by a lot of people. Here in the village he was well known and loved, not because he was famous but because he was good. Other people wander in for a browse and find some book that they can’t do without. Others baulk at £3 and point out that they can get it for a pound at their local car boot sale. Hmm, off you go then.
Out in the street the wind is picking up but unfortunately for the Mevagissey Lights Committee this is also when they need to hang the new lights.  Jetty Street is getting some amazing strands of lights running the entire length; they are going to look stunning. The lights committee are swearing as the lights refuse to switch on but the wind is whipping away any offending words and only the gulls are assaulted by the words and God knows they’ve had worse directed right at them. 
By three the heavens open and the road is white with bouncing rain. By four I have my ark built and head home, I stop at Kim’s to buy some fish and have to laugh. She was telling me when it started raining she was chatting to some of the fisherman who promptly bolted at the first drop of rain. Now there’s a group of men that you’d think wouldn’t melt in the rain.  Then again, I should imagine that they have to put up with more than their fair share at sea. Getting wet inland is just too much.  The road outside the firestation is flooded but there are people out helping to direct the traffic through the shallowest section. And then I’m off home again, driving out of Mevagissey and thinking about what a great day it’s been despite the atrocious weather.

Lighting up the village

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As soon as Bonfire night is over I find that as a business we automatically turn to Christmas.  The shop is beginning to fill up with little goodies and as I have a Christmas Fair over at Newquay this year I have even more goodies than normal.  I’m particularly pleased with the stationery lines that we have.  I know that in the age of the internet and mobile phones, which instant messaging, texts and e-mails than hand written word seems to be coming a bit of a rare bird but who doesn’t love to receive a real letter through the post?  A blog is never going to be the same as a journal, Facebook may be a clever all dancing and singing bit of kit but it can’t replace the privacy of a diary.  With this in mind I’ve chosen some lovely notecards, stationery sets, journals and notepads, they are beautiful to look at as well as to hold and to write on and I hope that they prove very popular.  I’ll be selling them at the Macmillan fair but I’m keeping some back for the shop so that everyone can get to have a browse. In addition to these I’ve gone mad and have stocked in some new books for Christmas. These are really special books that will make memorable presents so I hope that I haven’t taken too much of a gamble. You’ll have to come and have a look and tell me what you think.

Of course it’s not just the shop that’s getting ready for Christmas, the village is too. Last night the Lights Committee were out in force measuring bits of street and surveying walls ready for new brackets and the like. Over the year they have worked so hard fundraising for the lights and it’s always gratifying to see such large crowds come out and see the village light up.  For the first time ever Jetty Street will also have lights, long garlands running the length of the street which I think will look stunning. We’re also going to have two Christmas trees sticking out of the wall so we will be really festive. On a sadder note this will be our first year without EV Thompson coming in for a signing session. We have his books in stock now and they are selling as well as ever but nonetheless it’s still a damn shame.

Inevitably, once the business starts to think of Christmas then wearing my other hat I also start to think of Christmas for the home and family.  Next weekend we will bake the cake, an event that always seems to cause more grief than it should but this year I’m going to do it by myself and if the children want to join in they are more than welcome.  I really want to make shortbread and ginger bread decorations for the tree but I imagine that that would just be too much of a temptation for Agatha and to be fair I think Harry would also find it difficult to resist tearing down the Christmas tree for a quick snack, so maybe I’ll have to forego those for a few years.

So lots to plan for and hopefully everything will go off with a bang, except for the lights. We don’t want any banging where the lights are concerned.

Trying to get ready for Christmas early.

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Well autumn really came up on us quickly this year; the early hot spring meant that the harvest was early. September seems to have consisted of nothing but wind and rain making the dark nights seem even earlier and the holiday makers have stayed cuddled up on comfy sofas leaving the streets and sights quieter than normal.  All this early hibernation inevitably makes me think of winter and like so many of us I want to get the house looking nice for Christmas.  Why Christmas, so many no longer celebrate it as a religious festival and yet it is still incredibly important.  This is because it is still a festival and has been for centuries before Christianity.  It’s around the shortest days of the year and it’s the start of a new year. We get to pause, swop gifts, get together, eat well and so the dormice amongst us want to make sure that our little bolt holes are warm and snug for the celebrations.
It must be a maddening time of year for the trades and furniture suppliers with a sudden avalanche of orders all to be delivered, fitted and installed by Christmas. Part of the urgency is of course down to the fact that we know if it isn’t in by Christmas we won’t see hind nor hare of a fitter or delivery van until well into the second week of January.  I imagine that I’m in a similar position to lots of folk in Cornwall, I make my money in Summer and I only have the time to spend it in autumn and of course if I’m buying a new sofa then I want it by Christmas so that I can loaf in front of my fire watching rubbish on TV, drinking something excellent and generally indulging myself.  I don’t want to be sat on my sofa that has given gallant service over the past 13 years but is now beyond repair.
The problem is finding a sofa that beats or matches the old one and one that we can all agree on.  The last sofa we bought was a stunner, we spent a lot of money on it and it was worth every penny.  This of course was before the children had arrived and we had money.  Over the decades it has been a bed, a castle, a trampoline, a submarine and the most comfortable sofa ever, very deep with huge thick feather cushions.  Replacing it has proved hopeless, in the first place it’s not something you can buy on the internet, you have to try it out and you have to try it out together. What I think is comfy, Steve thinks is ugly, what Steve thinks is perfect, I know won’t fit.  We wander around furniture showrooms with their gorgeous lounging sofas that would look great in a warehouse apartment but honestly how many of those are there around here.  It’s ridiculous, we have a nice large front room but I think a sofa longer than two meters will dwarf it.  I wonder how many people get their sofas home only to realise that they can no longer close the door?  So far the only ones we can agree on are the ones where we also agree cost too much.  Well the cost is relative isn’t it. It’s worth the money but we don’t want to spend the money, so there we are.  Maybe when the children have left home and we know it will no longer be used as a rugby touch down, a diving platform or a balance beam then we will indulge.  For now though I think it’s going to have to be something that will do and be in by Christmas.  Maybe I’ll buy a nice rug to throw over the fake leatherette and cuddle down into that instead.  Or maybe the sun will come out again and I’ll forget all about winter and leave it until the last minute.

Merry Christmas…

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With the weather forecasters beginning to mutter about heavy snowfall I wonder if we are going to get a white Christmas? Beyond the romantic notions of a white Christmas it just seems right. Winter should be cold, there should be snow otherwise what makes it a season distinct from the others? We’re heading up to Dorset to be with Steve’s family, it’s going to be a house heaving with brothers and sisters, cousins and aunts, grandparents and cats and dogs and I suspect by the 26th I will be heading towards a breakdown.

I know Christmas is a time to get together, to be with friends and family, to relax and have fun but honestly I can have lots of fun in a silent house, with sole command over the radio and TV, I’ll have that bottle of beautiful port all to myself and I won’t have to share the terrine. I’ll take the dog for a 2 hour walk along the cliffs without a backdrop of complaints and I’ll get to watch Doctor Who without my niece hanging off my ear and my father in law telling me how good Doctor Who is whilst I try to watch it. He’s loves it as much as I do but seems to be able to watch it and talk through it without it hampering his enjoyment one jot. It’s clearly a failing of mine that I can’t.

I’ll go to midnight mass and sing my heart out without the embarrassed murmur of offspring looking mortified. I’ll have smoked salmon and champagne on Towan beach for breakfast and will not be dragged away to open the presents.

As it is I’ll experience 48 of the noisiest hours of the year. There will be no respite and no silence but there will be lots and lots of laughter. There’s bound to be tears as the cousins are young and there’ll also be cries of “cheat” as once again we all try to fleece each other at cards. The fleecing becoming more and more apparent as the bottles fill up the bins. I doubt we’ll go to mass and I imagine all the presents will be opened in an ecstasy of fumblings before 8am. Greg will take control of the TV remote and we’ll all be subject to Jamie telling us how we should have cooked the turkey. And whilst I know this all sounds manic I’m also looking forward to it.

So whatever your Christmas is I hope it’s a good one. For those of you on your own, enjoy the peace and silence, for those of you with family enjoy the company, for those of you working, I hope that everyone you work for treats you with extra gratitude, for those of you that don’t celebrate Christmas I hope you enjoy the break and for those of you for whom Christmas is a rough and difficult time I hope it passes soon.

Advent Calendar December 17th

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A Calorie Free* Squidgy Chocolate Log

This is a cake that has no flour in it – so it’s extremely light and moist and perfect for anyone with gluten allergies. It’s also a bit wicked, with its chocolate mousse and whipped cream filling! During the rolling up, the cake will crack, but this is quite normal and looks most attractive.

Many thanks to Delia Smith for this one, I’ve cooked it year after year and it never fails.

Serves 8 (but you won’t want to share)

Ingredients
6 large eggs, separated
5 oz (150 g) caster sugar
2 oz (50 g) cocoa powder

For the filling:
8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate (70-75% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
2 large eggs, separated
8 fl oz (225 ml) double cream

To finish:
icing sugar

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).
Equipment

You will also need a tin 30 x 20 x 2.5cm / 12 x 8 x 1 inch, oiled and the base lined with baking parchment

MethodBegin by making the chocolate filling. Break the chocolate in pieces into a basin and add 100ml/4fl oz warm water. Now place the basin over a saucepan of barely simmering water and wait for the chocolate to melt. After that, remove from the heat and beat it with a wooden spoon until smooth. Next beat the egg yolks, first on their own, then into the warm chocolate mixture. Let it cool a bit then whisk the egg whites till stiff and fold them into the chocolate mixture. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Meanwhile you can get on with the cake. First place the egg yolks in a basin and whisk until they start to thicken, then add the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens slightly – but be careful not to get it too thick. Now sift the cocoa powder into the egg yolk mixture and whisk them together, then, using a clean whisk and bowl, whisk the egg whites to the soft peak stage. Next carefully cut and fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture – gently and thoroughly – then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake the cake on the centre shelf for 20-25 minutes until springy and puffy. When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven but leave it in the cake tin to cool (it will shrink quite a bit as it cools but don’t worry, that’s normal).

Then when the cake is quite cold, turn it out on to an oblong of baking parchment which has been liberally dusted with icing sugar. Peel away the cake tin lining paper from the bottom of the cake (which is now facing upwards), then spread the chocolate mousse filling over the cake. Next whip the cream softly and spread it over the chocolate filling. Now with the shortest end nearest you, roll the cake away from you, using the parchment to help you to make a log shape. This will serve eight people and, although it’s unlikely that there will be any left, you can cover any remaining cake with an upturned basin and keep it in the refrigerator. As an alternative, an 11 oz tin of sweetened chestnut purée (crème de marrons) can replace the chocolate mousse.

*Calorie free?  Well if you can’t believe in miracles at Christmas there’s no hope for you!

Advent Calendar December 15th

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A Freebie!

Do you know Project Gutenburg https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page It’s an incredible project that was stared in 1992 that basical aims to make all copyright free texts available to all.  They’ve now taken the logical step forward and are making all their free online books available for free downloads.

Want the complete works of Jane Austen for your laptop or kindle? Go ahead! Dickens, the Koran, Noddy, knock youself out.

Merry Christmas

Advent Calendar December 14th

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A Funny!

The new Built-in Orderly Organised Knowledge device (‘BOOK’ )
The BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It’s so easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its protective cover! Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere – even sitting in an armchair by the fire – yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disk.

Here’s how it works… Each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs in half.

Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now BOOKs with more information simply use more pages. this make them thicker and harder to carry, and has drawn some criticism from the mobile computing crowd. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.

The BOOK never crashes and never needs rebooting, though like other display devices it can become unusable if dropped overboard. The ‘browse’ feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an ‘ index’ feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval. An optional ‘BOOKmark’ accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session – even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous bookmarkers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of sheets in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS). Portable, durable, and affordable, the BOOK is being hailed as the educational and entertainment wave of the future. The BOOK’s appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform. Look for a flood of new titles soon.

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