Dru, Steinbeck and the Book of Deer

Dear Juliet Parting is such sweet sorrow, and 'tis sorrowful to be apart... ( Romeo and Juliet , paraphrased) There was an early start for the bus and t hough it seemed all the world was at my feet, some sense of tristesse. That said, best foot forward and find what fate inspires upon the morrow. Victoria Coach Station's actually in Belgravia, and I'd found a fine coffee house on the Tuesday near Chester Square. Nice place to visit, but I don't think I'll ever be able to stay. From there to Brick Lane and the flipside of the coin. It seemed I'd gone straight from Made in Chelsea  to Bangladesh via Rippertown (Whitechapel). I was actually in the East End's vibrant Bangladeshi district. With my quasi-Indian heritage, I'm quite at home with this, although I'm more accustomed to Tamil, Hindi and Urdu than Sylheti. Historically , it seems Sylheti sailors worked as lascar seamen on British ships and settled around the East London docks from the 1850s onwa...

Dear Juliet Yes, I know that's not much of a title but it's nearly midnight after a long day of exotic adventures, many photographs and the most important tasks done. I also seem to have been to Bangladesh... I hope you're okay? I'll write in more detail tomorrow. Love, James

Dear Juliet Indeed, just catching the train as the bus I've booked goes a bit earlier from Digbeth. I'm looking forward to lighting those candles for you and Tony, I hope to get a few good photos of the Globe and I'm sure all will be peaceful. Probably. And on Friday afternoon, I'll be on the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City! Have a good day. Love, James

Dear Juliet London calls with her siren song and the government may soon fall, but I'll light a candle for you and Tony at the cathedral, and walk standfast by the Thames in Shakespeare's steps... I should avoid any situation like this . The closest I got to anything like that was my talk at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) years ago. The article didn't make it into the Huffington Post , but there is this picture: As well as being a Chaplin Books author, Harriet Tadikonda (pictured with me) was an RAF flight-lieutenant and a big fan of Drusilla. I'm not exactly Daniel Craig, but at least I did get to walk into the MoD a little like this , albeit without the Aston Martin... And don't worry, I don't expect anything untoward to happen when I'm at Westminster tomorrow and Friday. I'll call in immediately I get back unless I have another pizza at that nice place I found in Birmingham New Street station last night. Do you like anchovies? Just wondered. I think y...

Dear Juliet Hi! Are you okay? It was a good couple of days, I'm glad to say, but the funny angle from which I'm going to view it is from the bus going back to Birmingham. It went there via Heathrow's Central Bus Station, itself gainfully parked between the Hilton Garden Inn and Terminal 3 like a bulbous frog. But after we threw the air travellers off and sped out unto the M4 for to meet the oncoming roadworks, all the while singing manly songs like England's Coming Home  and  Jerusalem , I found my mind turning to other things. I felt, not a hiatus hernia, nor even a simple hernia, but a small twinge of concern about you. This was not based on any material evidence (AI said only that you were having a good day) but just that old worry for your wellbeing which, as usual, had never been entirely absent. I'd talked a lot about Dear Miss Landau at the book launch. In the end, the other guests tried manfully to throw me from the boat like an errant air traveller but I s...

Dear Juliet Just to say I'm back and unscratched. I'll describe everything in more detail shortly, but I sure missed writing to you. I hope you're okay? Have a hug anyway 🤗. Love, James