Patternotion : The Film

Hot on the heels of Books For Free NW5's sad demise comes the news that it has been preserved forever by Peter S Smith. As well as being the backbone of the Patternotion book Peter films as we go along on our adventures. I would like to say we've got wise to his 'tactics' and guerrilla style of information gathering but when your guard is lowered some of the most interesting stories are revealed it seems.

Thank you Peter for working so hard to bring this social document to eyes of the world. Of course a thank you too to the players here, Steve and Victoria Cohen, Jacquelyn Guderley and friends, Mike and Gail Watts, Harvey Wells, Bill and Gina Mudge (with Harriet in arms), George and Sally Low, Ella Penn, Natalie Low, Daniel Leek, Melanie Ezra, Effra Aye-Maung-Hider, Jessamy Low, Geraint Evans, Katie Stone, Tanya Kreisky and Dawes Gray.

As you can see it was a long day...a long walk.....

AL.

Launching Patternotion in Style

Blue Plaque walkers at Books For Free NW5

We launched the Patternotion book in style last Saturday (9th March 2013) with a Blue Plaque walk around North London.

Well, the style was mostly waterproofs and walking boots, but what do you expect with the threat of a 50% chance of rain.

We were hosted by some very stylish walkers (Jacquelyn Guderley and friends) though. Volunteers from Books For Free NW5 joined us too and sections of our procession resembled a fashion runway with these North London beauties in tow.

The artists and authors who started the walk we're Bill Mudge (with Gina and Harriet), NCRIPT (Steve and Victoria Cohen), Myself with Jessamy, Effie and Natalie Low, Mike and Gail Watts, Ella Penn, George and Sally Low, Peter S Smith, Melanie Ezra, Daniel Leek, Harvey Wells and Geraint Evans. And not forgetting Jacquelyn Guderley's BFF group of course.

The route (right) took us up hill and down dale and through some of the smartest corners of London. We picked up people and artists along the way including Tanya Kreisky, Katie Stone and Dawes Gray.

It was a strong pace so we could get round the full 9.5 miles of the walk and return to BFF in time so that the furthest travellers, Mel and Dan, could catch their train back to Swansea. In future though I'll be choosing a modest launch for next Sampson Low Ltd book. After this hot pace and tackling North London's hills we we're all glad of the 'breathers' we got when reaching each of the 17 plaques on our route.

We placed around 50 magnets along our route and you can view the whole day in the slideshow (right). If you'd like a closer look then click on the images and peruse at your own leisure.

Thanks you to everyone who walked with us and contributed all the photos (Peter S Smith, Harvey Wells, Mike Watts, Tanya Kreisky, Jacquelyn Guderley, Gerry Evans and Melanie Ezra). I'm going to have a well earned rest now because we have several Sampson Low Ltd books in the pipeline or at the printers including Harvey Well's Therapeutic interventions for mental health professions and Epsom UCA's The Future Bound Project.
But the one that will really test my stamina is SMartwalks' 'The longest Gallery in the World' book. They'll be putting out the call to artist's on April 1st, so keep your eyes peeled.

Hope you have enjoyed the Patternotion project and Blue Plaque walk. We'll be keeping up the reviews of artists work by our intern Philip J Deed and check out our latest reviews on our press page, including our most recent from Rainlore's World of Music, Art and Letters.

Goodbye,
Alban


Tanya Kreisky with her plaque and where she lived in 1971

Free Thinkers, Books and Blue Plaques - Join Us!

Blue Plaque walk route

Tomorrow, Saturday 9th March 2013, we'll be visiting 17 traditional blue plaques from North London's finest authors and artists.  Join us for part or all of this 8 mile walk encountering some of Literature's finest minds, and the chance to meet the latest crop of Britain's great thinkers along the way. Yes. That's right they'll be a number of artists and authors from Patternotion here too.

Artists like Melanie Ezra, Ella Penn, Tim Cullingford and Peter S Smith.
Photographer Darren Atkinson and poet Daniel Leek.
Folk empresario Gerry Evans and  published author Harvey Wells.

Hopefully a few guests too, Mike 'the Folk lens' Watts and his wife Gail, and freedbook contributor/graffiti artist NCRIPT. Writer Tanya Kreisky and papershuffler Katie Stone.



We'll be starting at the Books For Free Bookshop,
 147 Fortess Road, Tufnell Park (30secs from Tufnell Park Tube) at 10am.

We will be in the capable hands of Jacquelyn Guderley from BFF who'll be providing everyone with a map and list of plaques.

Of course this wouldn't be a Sampson Low Ltd book launch without a twist. So we've made 50 coaster-sized Blue Plaques of our own which we'll place en route. Follow our progress on Twitter though our SMartwalks chums @smartwalks or #patternotion.

In fact I helped our friends at The Kentishtowner get in the spirit of things this week by making blue plaques for 5 of London's lost nightclubs from the 1990's. Check out their adventures HERE!


The KentishTowners celebrating
the 1990's lost nightclubs

Now, we appreciate an 8 mile walk might be a bit long for some, so join in where you can. My mobile number is 07792 027716 if you need to get hold of me or get lost.

All going well we hope to return to Books For Free around 3pm-ish where we'll be signing and leaving 5 copies of our latest book Patternotion for people to pick up for Free.


If you've still got some energy left, Mike Watts is leading a raiding party into the nightlife of Kentish Town at The Torriano to see Joyce the Librarian. So after picking up 3 books for Free from the BFF NW5 carry on partying long into the night.

I'll have a few copies of Patternotion for sale (£4.99) on my person but I wont be able to carry the full stock. So if you'd like to buy a copy visit the BUY Page.

Find the list/itinerary of Plaques we'll be visiting below, hopefully you'll be able to join us.

Alban


Itinerary
Meet Tufnell Park Tube – Books For Free 10am
(Tube/train stops we're passing in Bold)

BETJEMAN, Sir John (1906-1984) Poet lived here 1908-1917
31 Highgate West Hill, Highgate, Highgate, N6 6NP

PRIESTLEY, J.B. (1894-1984) Novelist, playwright and essayist lived here
3 The Grove, Highgate, N6 6JU

HOUSMAN, A.E. (1859-1936) POET and SCHOLAR wrote "A SHROPSHIRE LAD" while living here
17 North Road, Highgate, N6 4BD

 LAWRENCE, D.H. (1885-1930) Novelist and Poet lived here in 1915
1 Byron Villas, Vale of Health, Hampstead, NW3 1AR

GALSWORTHY, John (1867-1933) NOVELIST AND PLAYWRIGHT lived here 1918-1933
Grove Lodge, Admiral's Walk, Hampstead, NW3 6RS

BAILLIE, Joanna (1762-1851) POET AND DRAMATIST, BORN 1762, DIED 1851. LIVED IN THIS HOUSE FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS.
Bolton House, Windmill Hill, Hampstead, NW3 6SJ

Hampstead Tube

SITWELL, Dame Edith (1887-1964) Poet lived here in Flat 42
Greenhill, Hampstead High Street, Hampstead, NW3 5TY

KEATS, John (1795-1821) POET, LIVED IN THIS HOUSE. B: 1795. D: 1821.
Keats' House' (Wentworth Place), Keats Grove, Hampstead, NW3 2RR

Hampstead Heath Overground

BRAILSFORD, Henry Noel (1873-1958) Writer Champion of equal and free humanity,lived here
37 Belsize Park Gardens, Belsize Park, NW3 4JH

Belsize Park Tube

PLATH, Sylvia (1932-1963) Poet lived here 1960-1961
3 Chalcot Square, Primrose Hill, NW1 8YB

YEATS, William Butler (1865-1939) Irish poet and dramatist lived here
23 Fitzroy Road, Primrose Hill, NW1 8TP

CLOUGH, Sir Arthur Hugh (1819-1861) Poet lived here 1854-1859
11 St Mark's Crescent, Primrose Hill, NW1 7TS

JACOBS, William Wymark (1863-1943) Author lived here
15 Gloucester Gate (Albany Street frontage), Regent's Park, NW1 4HG

Camden Town tube

THOMAS, Dylan (1914-1953) Poet lived here
54 Delancey Street, Camden Town, NW1 7RY

Camden Rd Mainline train

 FONTANE, Theodor (1819-1898) Writer and Novelist lived here 1857-1858
6 St Augustine's Road, Camden, NW1 9RN

ORWELL, George (1903-1950)GEORGE ORWELL 1903-1950 Novelist and Political Essayist lived here
50 Lawford Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2LN

Tufnell Park Tube
Books For Free - 13.5km – 8miles   Arrive 3pm-ish