eggbaconchipsandbeans

Classic Cafe Preservation Society

I have a tendency to start things and not follow through. A good example is an idea I floated here - the Classic Cafe Preservation Society. A few good people joined in - notably Patrick Turland (not Turnbull as I called him in the book, how embarassing, what a fool I am), but I've been especially slack about it.

The idea that evolved from that was The London Cafe Society - a small group (who all lived in London, pretty much) who intended to publicise and support great cafes, initially with a little leaflet that we'd distribute in relevant places celebrating our choice of the Top Ten London Cafes. Copy was written, photos were taken but we never really managed to follow through on the thing. Mostly because I was full of big talk and then didn't make it happen.

Anyway, the current plan (at least from me and Patrick) is to transform that leaflet idea into a website, at least initially - and since the only way I know how to do that is a blog, it'll probably be a blog. And while I can probably set that up, I simply don't have the time to maintain it and develop it.

So this is partly by way of asking if anyone would like to help with that. Anyone? We'd start with the material we've already gathered and then move on from there.

I guess this is mostly a request for help and for ideas and discussion below.

Thoughts? Comments?

DeNiro's, 34 Maple Street, W1

DeNiro's is a classic, low-tech, plain and simple, no frills cafe - with a few funky bits of signage and more than decent grub. I don't believe Mr R. DeNiro is involved.

The ebcb is surprisingly delicate and lovely. Made all the more gorgeous by its window position, illuminated in the autumnal sun. Big fluffy eggs, lots of nibbly little chips, tender pink bacon and a superdense pile of beans.

A minimalist condiment approach. Sculptural. Ethereal. Other-worldly. Well, not really. Just some condiments.

There's a lovely bright yellow feel to the place and a big mirror, and some funky signage which I've managed to completely blur in this picture.

I should go back.

actual books in actual shops

Sorry to keep banging on about the book. More cafe entries will arrive shortly. But I just had to share my excitement about seeing actual copies of the actual book in an actual bookshop. Specifically Border's on the Charing Cross Road. And they're piled up with all the Christmas rubbish in a way that suggests it might actually sell. I hope so.

Anyway, I promise, that's the last book talk. (But don't forget there are still some t-shirts available.)

audio breakfast

I tried to persuade the book publishers to let me release the whole book on here as a Creative Commons download. I've not convinced them yet. Though maybe I will soon. Meanwhile, since I can't do that, I've decided to take a leaf from Cory Doctorow's book and read it out for you. Well, not all the cafe entries, they'd be pretty meaningless without the pictures, but all the little essays in between.

You should be warned, I'm no Martin Jarvis, listening back I can't believe how flat I sound, and how much stumbling I did. And I was appalled by how many typos I found when reading it out. But I can't face reading it through again, so here it is. Part One, below is accompanied by the sounds of the Marketplace cafe.

ebcb part one (It's 40MB. Sorry)

ebcb part two (About 24MB)

ebcb part three(About 30MB)

backing shyly into the limelight

Anne tells me I'm not making enough of the fact that the book's actually been published. So here's a picture of Pete Ashton reading it - and here's his review. He seems to like it. You can get it at Amazon - here. But ignore the blurb; because it's out of date. And I'm not the same Russell Davies who wrote all those other books.

But we've seen evidence of its existance in bookshops. And that's very exciting.

Enjoy.

And here's a lovely review from the The Times. Very kind of them. With a bonus recipe for beans on toast.