Saturday did what Peter promised, and for few brief hours the rain didn't fall from the sky and instead the sun came out making everyone a little happier.
Added to which there was Peter's book, “Smile Dammit Smile!!! Chorlton”, which Peter introduced at the book launch outside Chorlton Bookshop
It is, to misquote that Woody Allen film, All the Chorlton News you wanted to read but didn’t know where to look. It is silly, irreverent and at times quite topical.
So here in no particular order are, “Bodies Found in Southern Cemetery”, “Books Discovered in Chorlton Bookshop” and “Dead Shark Found in Chorlton Diving Club Pool”.
My favourite to date is “Mysterious Container Found on Doorstep”, which breaks the news that “In the early hours of the morning a man was seen lurking around doorsteps depositing glass containers with a white liquid inside”.
The inspiration for Peter’s flight of fancy was “Billy’s Weekly Liar".
This was a broadsheet sold in Blackpool from 1922 till the death of its creator, William Curtis in the late 1960s.
Mr. Curtis was the owner of Billy’s Joke Shop in Preston, where Peter grew up.
And rereading Billy’s Weekly Liar still has the power to bring a smile , which was in fact the motto of the paper …… “Smile Dammit Smile”, and it would be hard not to, with stories, like “Unconscious skeleton found on beach”, “A football scout from a Midland Club is interested in Dan Druff from Ayr” and “Brighton Prom stolen By Ladder Gang”.
All of which led Peter to compile his “counter factual Chorlton news stories” into a book, which he called Smile Dammit Smile!!! Chorlton.
The book is available from http://www.pubbooks.co.uk/ or Chorlton Book shop, 506 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9AW 0161 881 6374.
And yesterday with the sun well and truly out from the grey clouds, passers by engaged Peter in conversation and went away smiling which of course was the point of the book.
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