A LETTER FROM YOUR GENERAL: FROM MOORISH MOUNTAIN TO DUBLIN

Dearest Darlingheart,

My heart leaps to even begin this letter! This very eve there is a scent of night blooming jasmine upon the air! With it wafts great luck as your letters reach me to fill my heart with such joy. Oh my Darling, it pains me that I haven’t been permitted to reply until now. You must have been worried sick but fear not, your general, that is me, I and I, is alive and well. Following the great battle of Standon Calling, I was posted here to this Moorish land, a safe house in the mountains. I have been forced into solitary confinement for the duration it seems. I have been watching the life of the ant and the life of the eagle and contemplating the blue space between them. I wake most mornings to watch the sun rise and then spend the silent waking hours, writing and reading and writing and reading and writing…books are my saving grace! Thank God and Queen we continue to fight so hard for them! The heat is terrific, you will hardly recognise my Arabian skin. I live on mostly fresh tomatoes and basil. And I have discovered that the local goats manage to strain an egg-shaped cheese out of their beaks, which is somewhat a local delicacy too. The battle of The Book Club Boutique at Standon Calling was an enormous triumph, a three-day BCB stage of brilliant music, readings, performance and DJ’s and we can only thank our almighty army! How wonderful and how brave everyone fought, how courageous! What a fiesta! Jam-packed with lively new friends and pretty faces, many of which I see have joined our army! A very warm welcome to you! My turtle dove-love, it has come to my attention that photographic evidence of the great Standon battle is now readily available on the community pages - Taken by Private First Class, Rosie Sherwood, The BCB Official Field Photographer - you will note most of us are heavily disguised as gangsters and hoodlums so please don’t be alarmed. During this great war for books, booze and boogie-woogie this behaviour is deemed necessary. There are video recordings and radio telecommunications also posted up and more to come - our field archivist codename:Redman recorded much of the weekend. In fact ‘Diesel Radio’ have been broadcasting a tasty 30-minute archive sampler of some of our BCB radio show recorded live from the Standon trenches, featuring BCB heroes, live and alive! Oh my treacle-pie, I am sure you can put your bridge game aside, raise your gin and salute your wireless to hear your BCB on the front line transported to the home hearth.

Fine tune into this channel here: www.mixcloud.com/dieselumusic/book-club-boutique-live-at-standon-calling

My fox-glove, I must admit I was startled by the silence and the solitude at first. I don’t mind telling you, my heart longed for your kippers, for little Johnny to hop on my knee and ask me to tell him silly stories of blood and guts and gore and gallant and for Lucy to hide in the wardrobe looking for witches and lions. Home fires seem so very far from me. I haven’t spoken the Queens English for so long. However I have managed to get a signal for the BBC world service so I know England Town is still almighty, which is a great comfort. Be brave my love, I will be home again before you know it. What I do, I do for books! I find I have confidently replenished my coffers with new material, new writings have been carefully edited and prepared for yet further forays and adventures into publishing’s - so hip hip hooray for that. Darling, the other night, when the moon was full, a group of bandits disguised as ‘musicians’ took it upon themselves to rescue me. They bundled me into a van and drove me for miles to another mountainside to play a ‘gig’ in the town square’s Fiesta – just like a church fete, dear, but held at night time and seemingly without any scones or cup cakes – it was my duty to sing songs, about some fellow from "Guantanamera" and someone they called “La Bamba” and I don’t mind telling you I have no idea who this La la la la la Bamba fellow is, but he seemed pretty popular with the local villagers! Alas! The escape was a total failure! To play along with the scheme I sipped upon iced and minted drinks they called mojitos and although I saw a boat out in the calm moonlit ocean, it was not for me as I had suspected all along. Dumbfounded, I toyed with the idea of making a run for it, diving off the rocky cliff and swimming to Dover, damn it, if I had to, but it was not to be - and they brought me back to my confines again. Worry not my little apple-blossom-puff!

There is light on the horizon, for we have made a connection with Ireland and one will be in the land of Dublin to meet the BCB troops for the battle of The Electric Picnic. This is a certainty - There is a picnic that they are electrifying and we have been called upon to do our duty for this cause - I have heard word from Wing Commander Mulligan and Major Max that I will be smuggled across the border to meet The Book Club Boutique at The Electric Picnic! From there I am sure we can electrify the picnic and still make it home in one piece. It won’t be easy but we’ll use the powerful tools of Guinness and the currency of Jamesons to find safe passage back to blighty: http://www.electricpicnic.ie/tickets/ Tell your dear mother I keep her photograph with me always. My Cherry-moon - until I kiss your face again - you must know, I kiss it one hundred times before I fall asleep. And rest assured we will be reunited, the BCB will return to the heart of England Town and The House of St Barnabus when golden leaves fall upon Soho Square. Ama la Vida! Viven! De largo! Vivo! Ole! or rather…

Love. Life. Live. Long. Alive-o
Yours Generally,
General G.

"Beyond living and dreaming there is something more important: Waking Up." 
Antonio Machado 


And here are some links for excellent further reading material: http://ink-sweat-and-tears.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2010/8/23/4611743.html or http://urbandistrictwriter.blogspot.com/

BCB AT THE ELECTRIC PICNIC

I couldn't wake you from your slumber / Letter from your General / Standon No.1

Dearest Darlingheart,

As I write this I am watching you sleeping softly and how angelic you look, how peaceful. I dare not wake you, my love, so you will find this letter on your pillow and when you open your beautiful eyes I will be gone far, far away to fight in this beastly war. It’s a bookclubboutique thing, it is our duty, each and every one of us, to fight in these battles for the love and the freedom and the joys of books, booze and boogie-woogie. Apple-pops, my dear skies, you know you would have only cried, if I had let you see me off at the station and I cannot stand long goodbyes nor to see you tearful. I will be back and under your feet, leaving the top off the milk and toast crumbs in the butter before you know it. Dear Sugarcheeks, we mustn’t make a fuss, we must all keep a stiff upper hip and put our best book forward. Thank you for the extra pair of clean socks and the photograph of your Mother I find you have slipped into my kit bag, this is most kind and thoughtful of you. Please tell little Johnny the General said he must eat his greens if he wants to grow big and strong and read and write the big books like his heroes. And tell dear little Lucy there are no monsters in the wardrobe! Ah dear Lucy, she is growing so fast, I do hope she will remember the General when I return and dare I say I hope she will include me with fondness in her childhood memoirs one day. Buttercup, I promise I will send correspondence from the front line as best I can. Please don’t find these missives from the trenches too strange. But heed that these letters will reach you from a war torn mind. You cannot imagine what I now face, how all that mud and hay, the barrage of constant bright lights and loud music, what that can do to a human being. Don’t fret I will spare you the grimy details, the agony of gangrene, trench foot and the weevils. Luckily we have Colonel Boris McNabb in charge of the mess and rations, so we’ll no doubt be well fed, there will be decent tea and tiffin’s a-plenty. Major Max and I have ensured that the BCB will be able to broadcast to your wireless and stereographs via radio telecommunications from the front line to you and all of your friends and families in the England Town, the city of Europe land and beyond.

The first ever BOOK CLUB BOUTIQUE RADIO SHOWS will be aired live from STANDON CALLING on DIESEL RADIO. On line, On site, On it! We will play archive BCB recordings, going back from the early heady Dicks Bar shows in Soho up to the present, live at Standon Calling, including clips from our show, backstage chat & star interviews! You will hear TWO Book Club Boutique Radio broadcasts: The archive hour: Friday 1pm - 3pm The live hour: Sunday 10am – 11am Just go to: www.dieselradio.com And so off I go to war whistling “Oh pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile smile!”

Keep your powder dry and your ink wet!
love.life.live.long.alive-o Y
ours Generally General Godden


TOP SECRET INFORMATION FOR BOUTIQUERS ONLY For those of you that will be at Standon Calling…Disguised heavily as ‘cigar chewing gangsters’ and ‘whiskey sipping molls’ The Book Club Boutique Speakeasy Standon Battalion roll call and battle plan is thus:

SCARFACE! THE AL CAPONE SPECIAL Friday Nights Grand Opening 7pm: DJ Redman Host: Salena Godden & The Book Club Boutique Band Amah-Rose Mcknight Nikesh Shukla Moustache Man Stuart Evers Orlando Seale & Band DJ Carbo & Hydrate Amber Marks Sara StockBridge Jont Trash Money The Book Club Boutique Band finale’ DJ Boris McNabb

MA BARKER’S SAFE HOUSE SET Saturday’s Daylight Robbery 12:00 DJ Zion Bru Hosts: Amah Rose McKnight & Oli Spleen Xavier Leret Orlando Seale Kim Sherwood Amber Marks Niall O’Sullivan Ray Shell Fran & Josh Moustache Man Kate Daisy Grant DJ Matt Gross THE JOHN DILLINGER SUITE Saturday Night Watch 8pm: Hosts: Nikesh Shukla & Salena Godden The Book Club Boutique Band Stuart Evers Nikesh Shukla Kate Daisy Grant Moldeviant Lisa Lore Salena Godden (spoken word set) Claire Nicolson Band Pink Narcissus host: The Book Club Boutique Band finale’ DJ’s Carbo & Hydrate

DON’T WAKE THE BABY! BABY FACE NELSON’s Sunday Lunch Out 12:00 chill out in the hide out and lay low Wise words and mellow tunes from: Jont David J Kate Tempest Kim Sherwood Karen Hayley Lisa Lore Salena Godden Delirium Tremens Amber Marks Central Reservation plus a Sunday roast of BCB DJ’s & open mic too!

BLOW THE SAFE! THE BONNIE & CLYDE FINALE Sunday (after Buenavista Social Club) Did you know Bonnie & Clyde took 50 bullets when they were finally caught?! And so we bring you the 50-Bullet All-Star Super-Jam! THE BONNIE &CLYDE GRAND SLAM FINALE 50 quickfire surefire sets, last man standing… The Book Club Boutique Band / Salena Godden / Sara Stockbridge / Amah-Rose Mcknight / Kate Tempest / Vashti / Kim Sherwood & Pink Narcissus / Oli Spleen / Nikesh Shukla / Xavier Leret / Moustache Man / Trash Money / Lisa Lore / Orlando Seale and Band / Claire Nicolson and Band / Niall O’Sullivan / Jont / David J / Karen Hayley / Central Reservation / The Book Club Boutique DJ’s Followed by the J Edgar Hoover-up! Tune into Diesel! Over and out! Pip Pip!

ARE YOU READY FOR THE BCB SPEAKEASY AT STANDON CALLING?

A LETTER FROM THE GENERAL DELIVERED VIA EAGLE UPON THE EVE OF THE AUGUST OFFENSIVE TO THE BATTLE OF STANDON IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD TWENTY TEN: For the eyes of Boutique Army only, please burn your lap top and poke your eyes with pencils after reading: Dearest troops, Following the battle of the Fort of Port Eliot they did me a mischief and did manage to capture me once more! I cannot believe my bad luck! This time they have me under lock and key up some mountain in a Godforsaken place they call The Peak District. I am sure its a cover up and that them mountains are made of cardboard! I am surrounded by purplish and green hills and paper mache sheep. i know these sheep and believe they are the same ones from last time! I have very little time to write this missive before they do cut me off by the goolies and sense the signal...I have managed to get a signal by dangling this lap top out of my cell barred window and attaching it to the wings of a duck...but while i have signal i must say 'twas an awesome battle we did fight upon the barricades of St Germans! Port Eliot was amazing! Thank you and hurrah to all Port Eliots! You who were so kind and generous in spirit and body and soul and cider and hay. I thank you for all the kind words which have reached me via code, via pigeon and telepathically, thank you, we loved the Port Eliot too, so many fine shows were seen, such wonderful poets, authors and musicians, oh how i love thee all. I have a bunk bed and a cell not much bigger than a tea bag box where i do share bunkers with Dockers, otherwise known as Ms Laura Dockrill to you. They also captured the brilliant author Nii Parkes who is down the corridor from us. We have been up with the larks to climb mountains with our bare hands and we have drank from rivers - a copper taste meets upon the tongue with a hint of heather and gorse weeds - At the peak we looked down into a rainbow and were not without praise for this creation and the spinning earth that is this planet upon which we fight for freedom of books and booze and boogie woogie. I have no idea how long they plan to keep me inside this time. As you know the next battle is that of THE STANDON CALLING FESTIVAL on the AUGUST 6TH, 7TH & 8TH...our soliders for this are fearless, our barricade strong, our fortress without holes and our army is almighty, we will see you there, my love, we will fight and we will dance, we will sing hurrah for books and booze and boogie woogie and we will have the most wonderful weekend of it at the Bonnie and Clyde speakeasy! Your disguise should be that of cigar chewing moll or gangster or cop! Do you have your papers and passes for this weekends battle sorted and your disguises and uniforms ready? Boots polished and guns greased? Are you ready to hide out and lay low at our tasty crime themed speakeasy literary extravaganza at Standon Calling festival! Only 5 days to go! We'll be there, disguised as whiskey sipping gangsters, Bonnie and Clyde, baby, prohibition has never been sexier! oh cuff me! When you come by the Book Club Boutique Speakeasy at Standon Calling you can have your very own mug shot taken! We'll be booking 'em, hauling 'em in, and posting you and all your cronies on our very own Wanted page. Styling tips? Check out these glamour-pusses:http://picsdigger.com/image/f57fb464/ And what an almighty army we have too, this will be one magnificent and glorious 3-day books, booze and boogie-woogie extravaganza - check out the line-up! AUTHORS & POETS: SARA STOCKBRIDGE; AMBER MARKS; RAY SHELL; SALENA GODDEN; AMAH-ROSE MCKNIGHT; DAVID J; NIALL O'SULLIVAN; KATE TEMPEST; XAVIER LERET; OLI SPLEEN; KIM SHERWOOD; NIKESH SHUKLA; STUART EVERS; MOLDEVIANT; KAREN HAYLEY LIVE MUSIC: THE BOOK CLUB BOUTIQUE BAND FEATURING THE NEW YORK CHIC OF MS MAX DORAY & THE LEGENDARY COBALT STARGAZER SUPER STARRING: JONT; LISA LORE; CLAIRE NICOLSON; TRASHMONEY; PINK NARCISSUS; ORLANDO SEALE; KATE DAISY GRANT; MOUSTACHE MAN; CENTRAL RESERVATION SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES FROM: DELIRIUM TREMENS, SOUND OF RUM AND FRAN & JOSH DJ's: CARBO & HYDRATE; DJ REDMAN; BORIS MCNABB; MATT GROSS; DJ ZION BRU FILM & VISUALS: SALLY DUNBAR THE BOOK CLUB BOUTIQUE's SPEAKEASY LOUNGE MENU! SCARFACE! THE AL CAPONE SPECIAL Friday Nights Grand Opening / 7pm - 3am MA BARKER’S SAFE HOUSE Saturday Afternoon's Daylight Robbery / 12pm - 7pm THE JOHN DILLINGER SUITE Saturdays Night Watch / 7pm - 3am DON’T WAKE THE BABY! BABY FACE NELSON’s SUNDAY SESSION The Book Club Boutique's hide out & lay low / 12pm - 7pm BLOW THE SAFE! THE BONNIE & CLYDE GRAND FINALE’ The BCB fifty-bullet bust! All-Star Super Jam / 7pm - midnight THE J EDGAR HOOVER-UP - We Get Busted! Get out of there before the dawn raid! get your documents and mission papers here: http://www.standon-calling.com/tag/the-bookclub-boutique/ see you in the trenches, love.life.live.long.alive-o The General