Friday 27 February 2015

A letter of love to the staff at Piccadilly Waterstones

A few weeks ago I went to Waterstones in Piccadilly seeking something. Recently, I've gone through a through a few difficult life events, things that I accept and am dealing with but are affecting me in different ways.

I came to Waterstones to find books. Obvious, I know but I needed a certain kind of book. A funny, warm, loving book - the kind of book that we've all read that made us fall in love with reading in the first place. My only stipulation? For the love of god, not chick lit. But I was welcome to anything and everything else. 

Piccadilly Circus, LMC
I went to the main desk and met Darcy. I told Darcy what I was looking for - a book to help me switch off, engage with something else, take my mind off things and basically give me a literary hug.

Darcy was incredible. 

We went through the shop, collecting her colleagues as we went, who all had their own recommendations for me. It warmed my heart to be met with such passion, kindness and joy for books and people that Darcy and her colleagues showed. 

I bought 'The Eyre Affair' by Jasper Fforde, 'High Fidelity' by Nick Hornby and 'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran. 

I wanted to thank Darcy and her colleagues for giving me a lift that day, and showing that in this busy city, people still genuinely care about each other in a real way and are willing to open their hearts to strangers to help them out.

Thanks Darcy - I really loved High Fidelity.

Lizzie xxx












Wednesday 25 February 2015

Private or Public London

Walking, exploring, seeing, adventuring, perceiving, being, mapping, finding....

I'm spending the year exploring the hidden joys of London for my solo show, and there is so much wonder to be found.

But there is trouble afoot in old London Town.

What is public? What is private?

Where can you walk in your city, and where is barred to you?

Check out this worrying look at what happened when Guardian journalist Jack Shenker, writer Anna Minton and urban explorer Dr. Brad Garrett went on a mission to walk the Thames Pathway, to varying degrees of success....