Pete's Day
Apr. 6th, 2005 02:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skyringThis was intended to be my day off to recover from travel, but I can't say
that I've needed much in the way of recovery. Yet.
The forecast was for heavy rain, and after a bit of thought I decided not to
head all the way out to Old Kent Road. It's a long walk and I don't have an
umbrella. So I set off to have a quick look around nearby London. I found a
few books that could usefully be released, mainly 84 Charing Cross
Road, which Littlemave had given me specifically for the purpose.
But first, I checked out the "Go Hunting" page for London. Interestingly, this showed a book - a good book - within
easy range in time and space. So I had something to do with my day. Just to
sort of "get acquainted" with the place.
Navigation looked pretty simple - straight down Fleet Street/The Strand, and
turn right at the end. I knew that 84 Charing Cross Road wasn't quite where
the number sequence might indicate, but I also knew where it was, thanks to
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thebiblioholic's research.
First step was to make sure that all my books were registered. I've been
using Mundoo's trick of using a preprinted label number and sticking in my
own label. I also use the preprint for jotting down notes about the book,
such as title and ISBN and release info. This is great for organisation, and
on the road, organisation is key. Usually after a day or so of living out of
bags, everything is in a terrific jumble.
Somehow I'd picked up a copy of The Da Vinci Code. I
thumbed through it for one of the London locations, and Temple Church hit my
eye. So that was my first objective.
I've got to say that London is full of churches. All of the most charming
sort constructed in the finest of style. Temple Church is no exception, and
the only difficult part was finding it. But it was found, and the book
released. With a couple of photographs. I'm not enough of a Da Vinci Code
fan to go inside and take a good shufti at the details. But hundreds do.
Thousands.
My photography isn't up to much - a large percentage of my shots are coming
out blurred. Perhaps it's the dim light or the excitement or something.
I've been looking for the New Zealand High Commission so as to let Bilbo Kiwiberry see
the place. I thought it might be near Australia House which was on my way,
but no.
Australia House was a good spot for releasing one of my favorite
Bookcrossing titles - An Indecent
Obsession. Like my release outside the Australian embassy in Washington,
I wondered if I might get shooed away by a security guard for leaving a
dodgy parcel outside, but no.
Trafalgar Square looked pretty bleak when i got to it. The wind was blowing
the spray form the fountains all over the shop, and I wondered about its
suitabiloity as a release location. Thousands of tourists, and if I left a
book there, it might not last long enough to be photographed.
The release notes mentioned an Orange Internet Cafe at Trafalgar Square.
Nothing struck my eye, although I'd spotted an Orange network cellphone shop
nearby, and possibly that was it.
I took a photograph or two of Bilbo on a convenient stand. He's hard to
photograph because he's so small and flimsy. If I stand back to get a decent
shot of a landmark, poor old Bilbo disappears down to a pixel or two. And
falls over or blows away. Actually, he hasn't blown away yet, but I live in
fear...
I poked around some of the nearby shops, and just as I was about to go and
hunt up that cellphone outlet, my eye was caught by an orange sign
advertising an Internet cafe. Aha!
Inside were rows and rows of computers and my heart sank. Anything left here
wouldn't last long. And there had been no specific location instructions,
such as "Beside terminal 20". But I walked up and down a bit, and there it
was! just lying there beside a young man furiously internetting away.
"Is this your book?" I asked, and he said it wasn't, which meant it was
mine!
As is my custom, when I find a wild release, I leave one of my own books
there in its place, just in case someone turns up on their own hunting
expedition. So I pulled out a book with an appropriate title, and left it in
Captain Corelli's place. Pictures from an
Expedition, complete with pictures.
That really made my day. So often I go hunting and never see the book I'm
searching for. Wild catches are few and to be treasured when they happen. So
I was on a bit of a high as I went up Charing Cross Road.
Bookshops aplenty, and I staunchly resisted temptation. I kept an eye on the
numbers, and I saw the Pizza Hut that one might expect to be at Number 84.
But just over the road was the real deal. I checked that there was a plaque
advertising the history, and that it had a Bookcrossing sticker on it. Yup
and yup!
Photography was important here, and I went across the road to check that I
could get a good shot. Starting to rain, and I sheltered in a phone box
while I stamped and stickered and bookmarked and ziplocked the book, making
sure I had the BCID in my Daytimer. Then back across the road. The only
decent spot was on the footpath at the base of a column. A bit out of the
main traffic flow, but not much.
Then i quickly recrossed the road and set up my shot.
As usually happens, the man with the walkie-talkie chose that moment to send
a stream of traffic my way. Big red London buses, blocking off the view. And
when the road was clear, someone would walk in front of me. Curses.
And then I saw a man walk past, hesitate, stop and bend down to pick up the
book. Arrrgh. It's OK, just don't walk off with it before I get my
photograph!
But he unwrapped it, studied it, and walked off with it. I got a reasonable
shot, and
I figured that there was a sporting chance that he'd journal the book - I
mean he'd obviously been attracted by the cover, and I suspect he'd made the
link as soon as he saw it. Right?
The finder is the chap in jeans and blue jacket under the sign saying
"Crossing Zone" (or something zone). He's looking at the Bookcrossing stuff.
And I'm hoping like mad he likes what he sees.
Anyway, he strode off before I could get anything like the photograph I
wanted, but that's OK.
I was so excited that I hunted up a nearby Internet cafe and made release
notes on the spot. For all the other books as well.
And for good measure, I released a book at my terminal. The mouse was a
little sticky, so the title "Of Mice and Men"
seemed appropriate.
On the way back, I spent a bit more than I should on a battery recharger -
for the camera - and a British extension lead so that I can write at night
in the cafe and be plugged in, rather than draining my battery. It's a nifty
little charger. it does NiMh, which is what I use nowadays, and it comes
with US prongs as standard - they flip out - and two adapters, one for UK
and one for Europe, which simply clip onto the prongs. It might be a while
before I can save enough on foreign battery purchases to make it worthwhile,
but it's a useful bit of kit, and light as a feather.
And now, if you don't mind, I'm feeling absolutely exhausted. Perhaps it's
something to do with all the yummy coffee I've been drinking, but I think
it's the lack of sleep and the walking around and the having a grand old
time.
that I've needed much in the way of recovery. Yet.
The forecast was for heavy rain, and after a bit of thought I decided not to
head all the way out to Old Kent Road. It's a long walk and I don't have an
umbrella. So I set off to have a quick look around nearby London. I found a
few books that could usefully be released, mainly 84 Charing Cross
Road, which Littlemave had given me specifically for the purpose.
But first, I checked out the "Go Hunting" page for London. Interestingly, this showed a book - a good book - within
easy range in time and space. So I had something to do with my day. Just to
sort of "get acquainted" with the place.
Navigation looked pretty simple - straight down Fleet Street/The Strand, and
turn right at the end. I knew that 84 Charing Cross Road wasn't quite where
the number sequence might indicate, but I also knew where it was, thanks to
thebiblioholic's research.First step was to make sure that all my books were registered. I've been
using Mundoo's trick of using a preprinted label number and sticking in my
own label. I also use the preprint for jotting down notes about the book,
such as title and ISBN and release info. This is great for organisation, and
on the road, organisation is key. Usually after a day or so of living out of
bags, everything is in a terrific jumble.
Somehow I'd picked up a copy of The Da Vinci Code. I
thumbed through it for one of the London locations, and Temple Church hit my
eye. So that was my first objective.
I've got to say that London is full of churches. All of the most charming
sort constructed in the finest of style. Temple Church is no exception, and
the only difficult part was finding it. But it was found, and the book
released. With a couple of photographs. I'm not enough of a Da Vinci Code
fan to go inside and take a good shufti at the details. But hundreds do.
Thousands.
My photography isn't up to much - a large percentage of my shots are coming
out blurred. Perhaps it's the dim light or the excitement or something.
I've been looking for the New Zealand High Commission so as to let Bilbo Kiwiberry see
the place. I thought it might be near Australia House which was on my way,
but no.
Australia House was a good spot for releasing one of my favorite
Bookcrossing titles - An Indecent
Obsession. Like my release outside the Australian embassy in Washington,
I wondered if I might get shooed away by a security guard for leaving a
dodgy parcel outside, but no.
Trafalgar Square looked pretty bleak when i got to it. The wind was blowing
the spray form the fountains all over the shop, and I wondered about its
suitabiloity as a release location. Thousands of tourists, and if I left a
book there, it might not last long enough to be photographed.
The release notes mentioned an Orange Internet Cafe at Trafalgar Square.
Nothing struck my eye, although I'd spotted an Orange network cellphone shop
nearby, and possibly that was it.
I took a photograph or two of Bilbo on a convenient stand. He's hard to
photograph because he's so small and flimsy. If I stand back to get a decent
shot of a landmark, poor old Bilbo disappears down to a pixel or two. And
falls over or blows away. Actually, he hasn't blown away yet, but I live in
fear...
I poked around some of the nearby shops, and just as I was about to go and
hunt up that cellphone outlet, my eye was caught by an orange sign
advertising an Internet cafe. Aha!
Inside were rows and rows of computers and my heart sank. Anything left here
wouldn't last long. And there had been no specific location instructions,
such as "Beside terminal 20". But I walked up and down a bit, and there it
was! just lying there beside a young man furiously internetting away.
"Is this your book?" I asked, and he said it wasn't, which meant it was
mine!
As is my custom, when I find a wild release, I leave one of my own books
there in its place, just in case someone turns up on their own hunting
expedition. So I pulled out a book with an appropriate title, and left it in
Captain Corelli's place. Pictures from an
Expedition, complete with pictures.
That really made my day. So often I go hunting and never see the book I'm
searching for. Wild catches are few and to be treasured when they happen. So
I was on a bit of a high as I went up Charing Cross Road.
Bookshops aplenty, and I staunchly resisted temptation. I kept an eye on the
numbers, and I saw the Pizza Hut that one might expect to be at Number 84.
But just over the road was the real deal. I checked that there was a plaque
advertising the history, and that it had a Bookcrossing sticker on it. Yup
and yup!
Photography was important here, and I went across the road to check that I
could get a good shot. Starting to rain, and I sheltered in a phone box
while I stamped and stickered and bookmarked and ziplocked the book, making
sure I had the BCID in my Daytimer. Then back across the road. The only
decent spot was on the footpath at the base of a column. A bit out of the
main traffic flow, but not much.
Then i quickly recrossed the road and set up my shot.
As usually happens, the man with the walkie-talkie chose that moment to send
a stream of traffic my way. Big red London buses, blocking off the view. And
when the road was clear, someone would walk in front of me. Curses.
And then I saw a man walk past, hesitate, stop and bend down to pick up the
book. Arrrgh. It's OK, just don't walk off with it before I get my
photograph!
But he unwrapped it, studied it, and walked off with it. I got a reasonable
shot, and
I figured that there was a sporting chance that he'd journal the book - I
mean he'd obviously been attracted by the cover, and I suspect he'd made the
link as soon as he saw it. Right?
The finder is the chap in jeans and blue jacket under the sign saying
"Crossing Zone" (or something zone). He's looking at the Bookcrossing stuff.
And I'm hoping like mad he likes what he sees.
Anyway, he strode off before I could get anything like the photograph I
wanted, but that's OK.
I was so excited that I hunted up a nearby Internet cafe and made release
notes on the spot. For all the other books as well.
And for good measure, I released a book at my terminal. The mouse was a
little sticky, so the title "Of Mice and Men"
seemed appropriate.
On the way back, I spent a bit more than I should on a battery recharger -
for the camera - and a British extension lead so that I can write at night
in the cafe and be plugged in, rather than draining my battery. It's a nifty
little charger. it does NiMh, which is what I use nowadays, and it comes
with US prongs as standard - they flip out - and two adapters, one for UK
and one for Europe, which simply clip onto the prongs. It might be a while
before I can save enough on foreign battery purchases to make it worthwhile,
but it's a useful bit of kit, and light as a feather.
And now, if you don't mind, I'm feeling absolutely exhausted. Perhaps it's
something to do with all the yummy coffee I've been drinking, but I think
it's the lack of sleep and the walking around and the having a grand old
time.
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no subject
Date: 2005-04-07 06:16 am (UTC)Heh. Maybe I'll leave another one there!