Sunday, March 09, 2008

Signing books at a little table in a shrivelled gnome's beard

Thanks to everybody who came out to Brent Cross today to meet me and get a Jimmy Coates book signed. I was amazed that so many peolpe came - and it was also a great opportunity to introduce the series to some newcomers.

(And a massive thank you to the staff at WHSmiths as well - great support, much appreciated.)

Brent Cross is an odd shopping centre. I used to go there all the time, but I realised I hadn't been for over a year. The roster of stores stays pretty stable, with a few changes here and there. But the strangest thing is that no matter which shops open up, they're all too small, under-staffed and under-stocked. It's as if the Brent Cross building demands that of every store. I have a lot of sympathy for the staff (especially as I briefly worked at the HMV in Brent Cross - my last 'proper' job: October-December, 1998. I still have the Santa hat. And the nightmares about Mariah Carey and U2.)

Since I saw the Trafford Centre up in Manchester, Brent Cross has appeared more and more like a shrivelled old gnome with liver failure and temporary blindness, who accidentally gave birth to a noble unicorn, which rode up North and founded Paradise.

There'll always be a place in my heart for the old gnome. (But I know where I'd rather shop.)

3 comments:

Jeremy Jacobs said...

There's nothing like Brent Cross is there Joe?

Anonymous said...

Trafford centre...Paradise? You must be joking!

Joe said...

I've just seen, only from the outside, the biggest shopping centre in Europe, here in Dundrum, Dublin.

I have to come back.