Sarah Prineas ([info]sarah_prineas) wrote,
@ 2008-09-17 06:58:00
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Little Shops Road

Little Shops Road


Hello!
I am in London. It's 2:48 in the afternoon here, which means something o'clock in the morning at home in Iowa, and despite the dire warnings about jet lag I am doing just fine. Maybe it'll hit me tomorrow?

I do keep spelling things wrong and retyping them...typing things wrong and respelling them...

Anyway, the trip over was so easy. Big plane! Flies fast! We got in early and had to circle around London before their curfew ended, and then a stack of six planes all landed at once and a crowd of people descended on Customs. I got through okay ("What is your purpose in coming to the UK?" I was asked. "I am a writer on tour for my book!" I answered chirpily).

"Car' picked me up from the airplane thingy place and drove me to hotel, which is QUAINT (means you get lost in secret passageways trying to find the elevator--excuse me, "lift") (if you click through the pictures, you can see a picture of my room key, also quaint). Then I met up with my lovely UK publicist, Nicci, and we whirled around to three different bookstores to sign books. The picture, above, is of a pedestrian street packed with tiny independent bookshops, all with different specialties.

Now I'm in the hotel and have about 45 minutes until HIGH TEA with editor and her assistant. I am told high tea is quite an event, with much food in addition to tea.

Did you ever have high tea? Are jeans proper attire? Wondering if I should change...

Cheers!

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[info]robinellen
2008-09-17 02:03 pm UTC (link)
How exciting! High Tea can be pretty fancy ;) Do you have a skirt? But the food is amazing...of course, this is all based on High Tea that they offer in a Denver landmark hotel which people wear opera-style clothes (and pay a lot of money) to attend. Actual London tea might be quite different, hehe. Hope it's wonderful!

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 02:14 pm UTC (link)
I have no skirt. It's supposed to be fancy, but the restaurant is in a remodeled factory, so I think jeans will be okay. I have been told the food is amazing here, too. Can't wait!

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[info]kazdreamer
2008-09-17 02:04 pm UTC (link)
Eeee!!!! I used to work down that road! I'm not kidding. In Watkins, the esoteric bookstore. You must go in there.... I was a bookseller and then a tarot reader. *g*

High Tea is usually quite posh. Have fun!

Where are you signing? Hmm... I think you're trying to avoid me. Don't try telling me you're busy or any of that nonsense. ;)

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 02:13 pm UTC (link)
It is a cute little bookstore street! We went to Goldsboro.

Thing is, these are just drop-in signings. So basically publicist and I stop at bookstore at no specific time, they dig out their stack of books, and I sit in an office and sign them, and then we leave. I will ask and see if any of them are going to be more formal open-to-the-public signings, but I doubt it because the book is barely out and it's not worth their while to do that.

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(no subject) - [info]kazdreamer, 2008-09-17 02:18 pm UTC

[info]autopope
2008-09-17 02:07 pm UTC (link)
Jeans will do. You're on tour and you're jet-lagged if you need an excuse, but it's basically just tea with scones and jam and possibly sandwiches, an afternoon filler between meals.

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 02:13 pm UTC (link)
Do you mean I brought my tea dress for NOTHING!??

Jeans it is!

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[info]tltrent
2008-09-17 02:14 pm UTC (link)
Was going to tell you to have a great trip in your previous post, but looks like that's already happening! Enjoy your high tea--hope you have a chocolate fountain! ;)

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 02:15 pm UTC (link)
But is a chocolate fountain Traditional?

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(no subject) - [info]tltrent, 2008-09-17 02:18 pm UTC

[info]wyrdwriter
2008-09-17 02:19 pm UTC (link)
When we won our whirlwind trip to LA we didn't get Jet Lag until our return. Same when we went to Vegas. We stayed up till the wee hours of the morning and got up a few hours later and just kept moving. I think adrenaline has a lot to do with it--and I am SURE that you are Flying High on adrenaline between visiting London and Touring YOUR BOOK!

A street full of bookstores! ZOMG! That isn't a place in London, that is HEAVEN!

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 02:31 pm UTC (link)
Yup, the adrenaline and excitement are doing their job.

Tea would be good right about now, though.

You're right: heaven.

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[info]iamza
2008-09-17 02:28 pm UTC (link)
Welcome to the UK! As others have said, jeans should be fine. Enjoy your high tea. :-)

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 02:31 pm UTC (link)
Thanks for the welcome!

And it's not raining!

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(no subject) - [info]iamza, 2008-09-17 02:49 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sarah_prineas, 2008-09-17 05:39 pm UTC

[info]dawtheminstrel
2008-09-17 02:33 pm UTC (link)
I've had tea in Ottawa in a fancy hotel, but it was below zero out and we walked there, so I was wearing wool pants, a fleece top, and a parka. You probably don't need that.

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:39 pm UTC (link)
No, not quite.

It's actually a beautiful evening. Cool and clearish.

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[info]lalam
2008-09-17 02:45 pm UTC (link)
I love high tea! Used to take Rebecca to high tea at the Ritz in Boston. We always dressed fancy. But khakis and nice top will work too. Some places can be snooty and not allow jeans. Becky always wore a frilly dress:)

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:41 pm UTC (link)
At the tea place there were fancy people and jeans-wearing people, and I was just fine. Lots of waiters...

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[info]j_cheney
2008-09-17 02:51 pm UTC (link)
Have fun at tea. Don't forget to hold your pinkie out!

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:42 pm UTC (link)
D'oh! Totally forgot about the pinkie.

The tea was good, though. Crunchy. Lots of tea leaves...

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(no subject) - [info]j_cheney, 2008-09-17 06:59 pm UTC

[info]cathschaffstump
2008-09-17 02:59 pm UTC (link)
Did you change? I would have suggested yes.

Have a great time!

Catherine

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:43 pm UTC (link)
I did not!

The place was fancy, as it turned out, but there were plenty of other jeans-wearers.

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(no subject) - [info]cathschaffstump, 2008-09-17 06:00 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sarah_prineas, 2008-09-17 06:05 pm UTC

[info]beckylevine
2008-09-17 03:09 pm UTC (link)
I can't believe I forgot to tell you this last time, but maybe it's because you weren't there yet and the connection hadn't hit me. You MUST read The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff. It's the sequel to 84 Charing Cross Road (also a must read), where she FINALLY gets to go to England for a book tour of 84 CCR. Many years ago and she goes ALL over the place, not just London, but when you mentioned your "lovely UK publicist, Nicci," it all came back to me.

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:43 pm UTC (link)
Oh! Thanks for suggesting it. What do you want to bet one of those cute street bookstores has a copy?

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(no subject) - [info]beckylevine, 2008-09-17 05:45 pm UTC

[info]david_de_beer
2008-09-17 03:53 pm UTC (link)
learn and employ the phrase "jolly good show, old boy!"

high tea with or without scones? without scones is not high tea.

enjoy:)

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:44 pm UTC (link)
With!!

Actually, I think the scone is just a vehicle for clotted cream and jam. Surprisingly biscuit shaped, too.

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(no subject) - [info]david_de_beer, 2008-09-17 05:51 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sarah_prineas, 2008-09-17 05:57 pm UTC

[info]stephanieburgis
2008-09-17 04:17 pm UTC (link)
Yay for an easy flight and an escape from jet lag! I hope the high tea was wonderful. I've only ever had it in little small-town tea rooms where everyone was wearing jeans and it was considered a normal activity...I think it's only in places like Harrods that you're expected to dress up for it!

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:45 pm UTC (link)
Well, this was a fancy place with a chandelier and crawling with waiters and busboys, but a lively crowd and jeans were clearly okay.

I'm just now starting to hit the wall. I walked back to the hotel from the tea place and stopped off at Selfridges for dinner things, and once I nom that, I shall conk.

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[info]asatomuraki
2008-09-17 05:10 pm UTC (link)
I've been laboring at setting my house to rights, and I just noticed this post and the one before. Have an awesome time! that sounds so wonderful, and a street full of bookshops seems like a dream to me. Wow! Great pictures, too.

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:46 pm UTC (link)
I fell lame taking pictures--like a tourist!!!--but my publicist humored me. Or maybe humoured me. I'll try to get some more tomorrow.

You and your house project! Good luck with it!

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[info]del_c
2008-09-17 05:15 pm UTC (link)
Little Shops Road

Also called by the natives, and filmgoers, Charing Cross Road :-) The side street your photo is looking into is Cecil Court:

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.510686,-0.128253

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:47 pm UTC (link)
Well, that explains it!! I knew we'd walked in the vicinity of Charing Cross Road, but I wasn't sure where we were when we got to the court.

Cheers!

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[info]charmingbillie
2008-09-17 05:37 pm UTC (link)
Oh, I'm glad your trip is going so well!

Hope high tea was excellent. Thanks for the update (because right now pretty much all my travel is vicarious).

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-17 05:48 pm UTC (link)
Well, except driving to MO to cheer on the pup...

The high tea was fancy. The tea came in a silver pot and the milk in a dented silver pitcher. More quaintness! I love how everything is so familiar here, yet so different.

Gah. I think my head is about to fall off. Perfect time for a game of Scramble!

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(no subject) - [info]ruralwriter, 2008-09-17 09:07 pm UTC

[info]olmue
2008-09-17 08:36 pm UTC (link)
Germans don't do tea, so I have no idea what to wear. BUT, I'm incredibly jealous of your trip! Have a wonderful time in England!

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-18 05:48 am UTC (link)
Yes, but they have their cake every afternoon, don't they? Their schnitt? (not idea if I spelled that right).

Having a wonderful time. 10 hours of sleep last night helped.

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[info]kelly_swails
2008-09-17 09:36 pm UTC (link)
Loved the pics! That was about the coolest room key ever.

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-18 05:48 am UTC (link)
Isn't it! I don't carry it around with me; I leave it with the "porter" when I go out...

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[info]marybethkelsey
2008-09-17 11:08 pm UTC (link)
Oh wow, London! Hope you have a wonderful adventure, Sarah. Enjoy the high tea. Maybe try stilettos with the jeans? That oughta give you a classy look. :)

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-18 05:49 am UTC (link)
Oh yeah, stilettos... THAT is not happening!

I do have new heeled danskos which I am kind of in love with...

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[info]devarae
2008-09-18 12:23 am UTC (link)
Ooo, High Tea! I've never had it myself, but I aspire to.

Good luck with your travels, and thank you for sharing some of the tidbits with us!

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[info]sarah_prineas
2008-09-18 05:50 am UTC (link)
The tea came with tea, of course, and then a little stack of plates on a rack with scones (biscuits, really!), little cakes, and the as-expected crustless sandwiches with egg, cucumber, ham, various other things. Delicious!!

I wish I could have shared some of those tidbits! But I did walk back to the hotel, at least...

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