Recently in Work Category

Protestors against the Iraq War have taken to moving copies of Tony Blair's insufferable and next to unreadable autobiography from the Politics, Current Affairs or Biography Sections to True Crime, Humour or wherever they is funniest. I have to say it's a really feeble protest.

There are forms of civil disobedience which allow the powerless to speak to power. This is not one of them. It doesn't affect Tony Blair at all. I doubt he has to ask Hatchard's where his book is. It barely affects the publishers. They might send their reps in to check that the book is prominently displayed but beyond that would be quite happy if a few copies 'got lost' and didn't get returned. The management of the big chains don't much care about your protests either. No, the only thing you're doing with your pathetic, pointless little act of resistance is annoying some poor bookseller who has to reshelve the book.

If you want to make an effective protest against the publication of this horrid, horrid book then write to the publishers or to the managers or owners of the bookshops and stop your childish little games. It's pathetic.

I went beyond the bounds of reason itself yesterday and out into darkest Norfolk to Norfolk Children's Book Centre. I love that place. It might be the world's only wind-powered bookshop. It's probably not the world's windiest bookshop; lots of them are full of hot air but it's one of the nicest for me to visit. As soon as you arrive, a nice person offers you tea or coffee and there are always biscuits in the tin. I had Bourbons yesterday. Nice. Well, I had Nice last time. It was also my last visit for a while. I'm handing responsibility for that account and the other ones near Norwich to my colleague who covers London. I'll probably be back there at some point in the future. I really hope I get to go back again.

The reason for their success is down to the staff's enthusiam and knowledge; it's basic, old fashioned bookselling. Independent booksellers can still be successful in the UK market if they have a commitment to customer service, well-trained staff, strict financial discipline and a willingness to carve a niche for themselves in their community. In the case of the NCBC, that community is Norfolk's teachers. They are half a mile down a narrow lane off the road between Norwich and Cromer and they still manage to drag in the punters when you have to be looking quite hard for them just to qualify as passing trade.

So, thank you Tina for all the tea, coffee and biscuits over the last few years. I hope I'll see you and Marilyn again soon.

I was in Glasgow this week for the Scottish Learning Festival. I don't think I've ever worked quite so hard for ages. I'm used to spending most of my working day on my own, either travelling between appointments or in my office at home slaving over a hot laptop. It was a little different last week. I was on our stand for six or seven hours each day and in more or less constant face-to-face contact with customers or clients. It was extremely difficult for me. It came as a bit of a shock to realsie that I'm not as personable as I used to be. In my retail days, I'd be fine with that. Now, I think I've become so used to spending time on my own that I find too much time spent in the company of other people rather stressful even when those people are very pleasant.