Last night, after two very manic weeks, we formally presented our wonderful indie bookshop to the equally wonderful people of Brentwood and beyond. I would like to thank everyone who came along to celebrate and also those who have been wishing us well as we begin our journey.
Chicken and Frog, along with Beautiful Things is, as someone said last night ‘not just a shop, it’s an experience.’
There’s an awful lot going on tomorrow, including all of this:Tamsyn Murray
On Friday 5th October Mr Frog received the keys to our premises 7 Security House, Ongar Road, Brentwood. That evening we went in, walked about a bit and left feeling a little daunted.
Saturday, we cleaned. A lot. We visited the local recycling centre. A lot. We left, feeling a little less daunted. This pattern has continued throughout the week, with quite a lot of purple and green paint thrown in, as well as a plumber who rid us of a large bath and shower unit. Just to clarify, we have not taken over someone’s bathroom, the shop was a fish pedicure salon in its previous life.
Half way through the week, the shop was looking quite colourful, but still very empty. By Thursday Claire’s section looked like this,
But the rest of the shop didn’t look like much of anything if I’m honest. There were lots of very empty shelving units looking sad and lonely.Then, yesterday, this arrived,
A whole stash of gorgeous books, all waiting to be let out! They were not set free until today. Why? Because I was at work and didn’t want to miss out!
So, today, Mr Frog and I did this,
many, many times, until we ended up with a huge amount of books all stacked into appropriate piles of organised chaos. Several hours later, we ended up with this,
and this,
But we didn’t stop there, oh no! We also fitted a jingly bell, just because.
And…
Graphic novels, and a little bit of ‘Beautiful Things’
and finally,
A small selection of spooky titles for Halloween
So, now can you tell what is? I am very proud of the Chicken and Frog team this week. Everyone has worked their socks off, in-between working, looking after kids and trying to just fit in the ‘normal’ stuff, to transform an empty space into a vibrant, exciting children’s bookshop.
With just one week to go, we still have lots of little jobs left on our very long list, but I think that it’s fair to say, we are now confident that all will be well. We are ready to welcome the wonderful community of Brentwood into our haven of book and crafty delights.
The keys were finally handed over on Friday, which is great because we can get in there at last. It’s also a little terrifying, because we can get in there at last!
We keep on saying naive things like ‘Oh it doesn’t need much doing to it,’ to convince ourselves that the two week deadline we now have is not completely crazy. But it is; it’s doable, but slightly unhinged at the same time.
If you happen to find yourselves pootling along the Ongar Road in Brentwood, you may spy a lovely little shop which now sports splashes of purple and green. That’s us. And if you happen to see a tired looking woman with similar splashes of paint in her hair, that’s probably going to be me. I should qualify the ‘tired’ with ‘happy’. Yes, it is exhausting working full time, being a mum to three radishes (four if you include Mr Frog) and starting up a new business, but it’s also totally exhilarating. After years as a dream, we can see Chicken and Frog Bookshop becoming a reality and it feels good.
The shelving should be in and up by Thursday, ready for the books which are due to be delivered on Friday. Our sign is coming early next week, we’ve got loads booked in for our opening day and the painting is almost done.
I don’t mind admitting that I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself right now. I love the fact that all weekend I have heard people making positive comments about a new bookshop as they walk past and see us working away.
The next couple of weeks promise to be crazy busy. I’ll keep you posted.
So, it’s fair to say that I have quite a lot of chutspa, for which I am most grateful. I don’t over use this streak of nerve, but on occasion it comes in handy.
On Tuesday evening I decided to send out a pleading tweet to some of the lovely authors that we follow/follow us on Twitter. I asked (ever so nicely) if anyone wanted to come along on Saturday 20th October, to join us in our grand opening of Chicken and Frog Bookshop. Mr Frog was dubious, but I was blindly optimistic as usual. My glass half full approach worked! We actually got some amazing offers.
And did we get just one author? Nope! Did we get two? Nope! We’ve only gone and got three. How cool is that? The wonderful Julie D Irwin will be with us from around 10 o’clock, reading stories and generally joining in the fun.
Lucy Coats will be with us from midday, reading from her stories
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Tamsyn Murray will also be in-store
during the day,
We may even have Pip and Posy with us to say hello to our younger guests, I am a very happy chicken! We’re very much looking forward to meeting everyone and sharing our dream with you.
The timing of the shop opening couldn’t be better as far as I’m concerned. Not because it’s near half term or because we’ll open before the Christmas rush; I have a far better reason than any of these. It’s almost Halloween, which means that I have an excuse to dress up. Any excuse is good enough for me, so this is perfect!
Throughout the day on the 31st we will be offering spooky stories and crafts (with Claire Mackaness) for the family to enjoy. In the middle of the day, I will be running a Halloween poetry workshop for all those budding Edgar Allan Poes out there. The session is free, but it would be handy if people could book in, just so that I can get organised for the event.
Edgar Allan Poe Museum (Richmond, Virginia) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As if this wasn’t enough, there will then be a Halloween Party in the evening, for older children. It will be themed on Alfred Noyes‘ chilling narrative poem ‘The Highwayman‘, so the children can expect some spooky stories and lots of cake of course!
Fancy dress is optional throughout the day, but it is good fun, so come on, dust off your zombie costumes and join in the ghoulish fun!
*Credit for title: Nicholas Gordon, poemsforfree.com
Tamsyn Murray 
Chicken and Frog Bookshop 
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