From the Alligator’s Mouth bookshop in Richmond, Kevin flew east-north-east into the wilds of exotic Essex, where he had an appointment in Brentwood
with a chicken and a frog. But not just any old chicken and frog, oh
no. This particular avian/amphibian duo had their own bookshop.
Kevin
was impressed by their entrepreneurial spirit, and also by their
biscuits, which they had arranged on a posh cake-stand on the table
outside the shop to welcome him as he touched down. They even seemed to
have a biscuit tree, on which ripe custard creams and jammy dodgers were
growing. Kevin decided to ask Max and Daisy if they could plant some
biscuit trees when he got back to Bumbleford.
But
first he had a mission to complete. He wasn’t just here to eat
biscuits. He also needed to ask some serious questions so he could add Chicken and Frog Bookshop to his record-breaking bookshop tour.*
But
while he was eating the biscuits and checking to make sure he hadn’t
missed any, Chicken and Frog explained that, although their handsome
portraits were painted on the window, they didn’t actually have much to
do with the day-to-day running of the business.
“The
thing is,” said Frog, “we’re too short to be seen when we stand behind
the counter. So we have a human to do the actual bookselling. She’s a
very nice one and her name is Natasha Radford. Come on, we’ll introduce you, and she’ll explain everything.”
*Kevin’s
tour has broken two world records: Most Bookshops Visited By A Winged
Pony, and Most Biscuits Eaten During a Fourteen Week Period. (This
record was previously held by Reeve & McIntyre.)
Kevin: What’s the best thing about being a bookseller?
Natasha: Meeting the readers and matching them up with the right book.
Kevin: What’s one way you’ve tackled a problem that your bookshop has faced during the pandemic?
Natasha:
We have embraced technology. As a technophobe, that's quite a leap. Our
clubs have all migrated to Zoom. And we have realised that 'blended'
events are the way to go in the future, as they create accessibility for
so many people. For example, we have been joined by people in Egypt,
Ireland, Scotland all around the UK. How wonderful is that?!
Kevin: What are three books you absolutely love hand-selling to customers?
Natasha: Emmy Levels Up by Helen Harvey, There's an Alien in the Jam Factory by Chrissie Sains and Jenny Taylor, and The Perfect Fit by Naomi and James Jones.
Kevin: Who is your favourite children’s book illustrator?
Natasha: How can I answer that! Oh goodness. Can I give you a list instead?! Laura Ellen Anderson, Chris Riddell, Bethan Woollvin.
Kevin: What is your favourite biscuit?
Natasha: Bourbon
Kevin:
Do you think it’s best to eat them all in one go, or do you prise the
top biscuit layer off and lick off all the chocolatey creamy stuff
before you eat the biscuity bits? Mmmmm, bourbons… Oh, sorry, what I
meant to ask was, do you have a shop pet?
Natasha:
Does our Lego collection count? We have lots of chickens and frogs, but
not real ones, sadly. A shop goldfish will be with us soon though.
Kevin: Finally, what is the best way for people to buy books from you if they can’t visit the shop in person?
Natasha: Ring us with your order on 01277 230068, email info@chickenandfrog.co.uk or visit our Bookshop.Org site!
You can visit Chicken and Frog's website - chickenandfrog.com and follow them on Instagram - chickenandfrog - on Twitter - @chickenandfrog - and Facebook. And follow Kevin's tour at #
I remember Merlin being shown on TV as a two-part mini-series over a bank holiday weekend. The version I found on YouTube is a single three hour movie, but I think it might work better in two chunks, as originally broadcast. It still works pretty well, though. Director Steve Barron is completely infatuated with video editing tricks and slightly primitive CGI effects that I’m sure were state-of-the-art when it was made, but he uses them quite inventively, and there are some very enjoyable performances. Since First Knight was such a washout, I guess this is the definitive ‘90s Arthurian film. Like Excalibur , the definitive ‘80s Arthurian film, it tries to tell the entirety of the Arthur story, but since it’s main focus is Merlin it covers a lot more too, and Arthur himself ends up being a bit of a side-character, with the rise and fall of Camelot packed into the second half. At first glance, Merlin seems to be aligning itself with what I’m coming to think of as the Low Arthurian tradi...
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