You Are Here book launch

Tuesday, August 15th
The Old Synagogue, King Street, Cantertury

The cosmology > geology > natural history > pre-history > local history > stream of consciousness book I've been working on for the last three-and-a-bit years, called You Are Here: The biography of a moment got completed and printed in time for the third anniversary of the day on which its narrative ends (2014-08-15). I wanted to put on some kind of appropriate launch event and in was amazed when the King's School allowed me to use the Old Synagogue (built in Egyptian temple style in the 1840s during a period of British Egyptomania). As well as promoting the book, selling a few, giving some away, and bringing people together, this gave me a chance to put on some of my favourite local music on somewhere new.

As well as book signing, lots of lovely people milling around in a far-out building and drinking wine (while Frances Knight played in the background on the Steinway grand piano) and a lively question-and-answer session, there were sets from Koloto (half an hour of glorious glitchy organic electronica, with psychedelic projections by Mark Rangolio) and Arlet (forty-five minutes of pure musical bliss). Suprisingly good sound in this high-ceiling'd spaced. But I suppose it is the King's School's music recital room for a reason.

A couple of dozen Tuesday night party people carried on the festivities at the afterparty (a secret location near Canterbury) featuring, amazingly, a set from Bristol's bonkers-prog-gods The Evil Usses... Oh how I love this band! Much silly dancing, other people flopping out, grinning, fairy lights woven all over Dan's drumkit by event photographer Rosemary of Harbledown. And they had to drive back to Bristol that night. One of the best days of my life, it felt at the time. A couple of days later I was to learn my dad was dying in hospital, which rather put things in perspective. But all the love and appreciation I'd felt on this occasion (and a couple of days earlier) helped to cushion that blow.