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22 August 2018

WILL SHE, WON'T SHE?

I have a book that is very old. It came into my possession when my parents died and left everything to me. I haven’t read it yet! Why? Because the print is so small … it was in those days. Several times I have taken it off the shelf fully intending to give it a go, but never got beyond the first few flimsy pages.

The book’s title is ‘London Belongs to Me’ and was written in 1945 by Norman Collins who at that time had written seven books. Today I decided to give it another go. If I only read one flimsy page at a time I might eventually get through it.

I have attempted this before and given up so I hope that now I have more time on my hands I can at least read one page per day. Only one, I hear you say! The real reason is that the eyes give up by the end of one page.

So far I have gleaned that the writing is good and includes a touch of humour.

It was Christmas. Time four-thirty on Friday 23rd December 1938. Scene set in an office where the staff members prepared to celebrate, or as the author described ‘Bethlehem now broods encouragingly over London’.

“Mr Battlebury had dropped into Scott’s for a dozen six-and-sixpenny oysters and had ordered a bottle of Hock to go with them – which is why he arrived back in Creek Lane, E.C.2., carrying his gaily tied-up parcels, a lot later and a good deal more genial than he generally arrived.’

Mr Battlebury’s staff had not gone so far afield. The typists had rushed off to the neighbouring Lyonses and Express Dairies and Kardomahs (two flight up and mind the old oak beam), and had stuffed themselves with slices of rich dark pudding or hot flaky mince pies. The male staff, of course, had made for the pubs.”

Kardomah Cafés were a chain of coffee shops in England, Wales, and a few in Paris, popular from the early 1900s until the 1960s, but now almost defunct. I don’t know about you but I remember Lyons and Kardomah and the coffee drunk in both. It was at a time when coffee was banned in my family, so drinking it on the sly was like an adventure. There was a theory that coffee was bad for growing children. Hmmm! I wish my parents could see the present generation!

Back to the subject of this post……. okay it might not interest anybody else but to me it was like taking a step back in time

Wish me luck in what I consider to be a mammoth task. If I read a page a day it will all be over in 639 days!

Go on, I dare you, work that out!

24 comments:

  1. Haha, that's my normal attitude to books to be honest. You never know you might get into it and read 2 pages a day! Maybe you need stronger glasses? Good luck!

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    1. Like to take a bet on that, Joe? Glasses? I think binoculars would be better!!

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  2. Valerie, I think it's awesome that you still own a vintage book like that. The first thing that popped into my head was, "OMG....I bet that book smells wonderful!", because I love the smell of old books.

    I wondered though, why the print is so small. Aren't books pretty much printed with a standard font size? But I hear you because my reading eyesight over the years has gotten progressively worse. I'm at a point where I need to use a hand-held magnifying glass whenever I read something closeup - HA!

    Anyway, in 639 days from now, you'll have to let us know how the book ends.

    Have a great week, my friend!

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    1. Hi Ron. Old books do have their smell. The one I am talking about doesn't smell of anything which makes me wonder why. I would imagine font sizes have changed considerably as the years rolled by. I have deliberately not worked out when 639 days are up. Go on, call me a coward lol.

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  3. How about looking for a rectangular magnifying glass... Which allows you to see a good part of the page.... It would make reading, a lot easier.

    And this certainly sounds like a fun book!

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    1. I did have several magnifiers, all belonging to hubby when his eyes couldn't cope with the small print. Unfortunately, they were given away. I have one left but it just makes reading more difficult. I can read it but it is hard going after a while.

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  4. All the Norman Collins books are available in Kindle format on Amazon...EXCEPT this one, so enjoy it one page at a time. They do have newer additions available, but I suspect from comments, all also have small print. I feel your pain with the small print, even with magnification glasses.

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    1. Thanks for this, Joe. I researched Normal Collins and found he was the guy who brought DICK BARTON, SPECIAL AGENT, to our screens. The book I have was also mentioned in the write-up. I really should learn to see a job through before spouting about it.

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  5. I have some books from my grandmother, and the print is so tiny.

    The smell of the old books also evoke that feeling of being in am old library.

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    1. Hi Susan. I remember that smell but I'm glad to say my book has no distinct aroma.

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  6. Try this site: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/60459/london-belongs-to-me/

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  7. "..mind the old oak beam"

    It conjures up a delightful picture of the coffee house. I love old books, especially gardening one's. They take you to another world.

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    1. They sure do, Dave. Right now I am in the middle of a country based book, complete with superstitions that once were. Lovely!

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  8. Maybe reading the book ins't as important as just holding it and imagining the people who have read it, where they read it and how thick the glass was in their spectacles.

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    1. You are right, Toni. Thinking back, although we had a full bookcase I don't recall my parents ever reading books which makes me even more curious.

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  9. Good luck with your latest project, Val. Sounds like it will be worth the effort based on what you shared with us. Take care.

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    1. Matt, I still haven't done more than five pages! Is there hope, do you reckon?

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  10. I remember visting a Kardomah I think in Bournemouth, but the chain closed down very shortly after and it didn't make much impression, probably on its last legs. I remembered the name though, and wondered what it meant.

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    1. Many a happy hour was spent in one or other of the Ks, Jenny, and lots of fun with the lads. Oh happy days.

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  11. It sounds to be a good read... even if it does take 639 days! It's nice to have such an old book, I do hope you enjoy it. Being on the computer a lot seems to prevent me from reading some of the novels waiting around. I used to enjoy reading at night in bed, but now get too tired. Well, that's all day it seems. haha

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  12. Mary, I have plenty of time during daylight hours when I could sit reading but I get distracted. To read this book I will need plenty of noise-free hours just to read a few pages. At least you are doing what you want to do, that's all that counts.

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  13. We need a large lap desk with a strong and equally large magnifying glass on top of it, with enough room between the desk and the magnifier to slip the book between. I wonder if anyone has ever patented something like that. I know there are hand held ones but we need one that is on ‘legs’ to be able to put it over us, so that we can use it to read in bed at night. That is when I like to read, a page here and there before I drop off to sleep. Then of course we would have to add a reading light. It would probably way a ton, we wouldn’t be able to lift it and would be trapped underneath. Yee gads my imagination is running riot. Of course folks would say we have something like that, it is called an iPad and you can have the light and enlarge the print, but it doesn’t help with those of us who have honest-to-goodness, old paper books. True treasures they are. Okay, my waffling cometh to the end. Have a great week Valerie :)

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    1. Keep waffling, Denise... I love it, and I shall continue to read books until the eyesight packs up!

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