It's back! The Daily Constitutional's annual London Christmas Shopping Guide kicks off with a trip to West Hampstead…
DC Editor Adam writes…
Exciting times ahead for stationery junkies. (Although, tbh, all times are exciting if you're a stationery junkie.)
Exciting times ahead for stationery junkies. (Although, tbh, all times are exciting if you're a stationery junkie.)
First there was the
good news that "journalist" and TV "personality" Piers
Morgan has pledged never to shop at Paperchase again. He's in the huff with them.
For a grown man I spend an indecent amount of time in Paperchase and I was in
constant dread of running in to the phone-hacking old, er, hack. One less thing
to worry about, there. Hurrah!
Better news: word reaches The DC that the great West End Lane Books is hosting a Personalised Moleskine Day on
December 8th. Any Moleskine product – diaries, notebooks, sketchpads –
purchased that day can have the name of your choice hewn into to cover.
Best. Christmas.
Present. EVER.
 |
| Plenty seasonal goings-on at West End Lane Books |
While you're waiting for your Moleskine book to be engraved, do
make enquiries about my two favourite children's books of the year so far…
The fourth instalment
of Chris Riddell's Goth Girl series - Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony –
came out this year.
The books, written and
exquisitely illustrated by former Children's Laureate and Observer political
cartoonist Riddell, follow the spooky adventures of young Ada Goth. Ada is the
only daughter of Lord Goth and they live in the Gothic sprawl of Ghastly Gorm
Hall.
In this instalment, Lord
Goth is throwing a music festival, with performances from the finest composers
in the land. Ada can't wait, but it's quite distracting when her grandmother is
trying to find her father a fashionable new wife, there's a faun living in her
wardrobe and sinister Maltravers is up to his old tricks. Ada must make sure
everything goes to plan, and luckily help is at hand from a very interesting
house guest . . .
As usual it's a
rip-roaring adventure laced with a ton-and-a-half of gloriously daft gags.
Tip: Don't wait for
the paperback. Get the hardback. It's sumptuous…
***
The Forbes review for Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls states that it is "A must-have for the night stand of every girl or young woman you know."
I'd add… it's a
must-read for everyone.
Goodnight Stories For
Rebel Girls is written and compiled by Elena Favilli and Francesco Cavallo.
Their project is the most-funded original book in the history of crowdfunding,
which tells us something about the lack of books featuring powerful role models
for girls. Clearly, the people wanted this book. And it was worth the wait.
The idea is simple: take
100 women who have changed the world, present their inspirational stories
simply and illustrate each with a memorable image.
The scope is broad.
Malala Yousafzai is here, Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks and Joan Jett, too. A little
further off the beaten path of the standard English school curriculum we find
astrophysicist Margherita Hack and Colombian spy and revolutionary Policarpa
Salavarrieta.
It's inspirational
stuff, and boldly presented. So bold, indeed, that I'm willing to bet that the
recipient of this book will always remember the person who gifted it to them.
It's already a landmark event in my own daughter's reading life. Ditch the
Disney princesses this Christmas and make it a landmark in the reading journey
of your daughter/granddaughter/neice/Goddaughter, too.
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Christmas 2017 With London Walks…
Walk up an appetite with The Christmas Morning 1660 Walk – meet at 11:00a.m by the big tree in Trafalgar Square
Walk off the pudding with The Christmas Day Charles Dickens Walk – meet by the big tree in Trafalgar Square at 2:00pm
A London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.
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