In Part Two of our riverine excursion guided by the first book in Ben Aaronovitch’s cult series, we start away from the river at Covent Garden, where the hero of the novel – Peter Grant – meets his first ghost and performs a necromantic ritual. We hang out at the ‘Actor’s Church’ then go inContinue reading “Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London Part Two”
Author Archives: timwright1964
Ben Aaronovitch’s River of London Part One
We’re using the first novel in this cult series to navigate a route along the Thames tracking down various locations where detective Peter Grant encounters river nymphs, trolls and Old Father Thames. We start at the alleged source of the Thames, take in an ancient and important site at Runnymede, fail to swim in theContinue reading “Ben Aaronovitch’s River of London Part One”
Peter Ackroyd’s Hawksmoor Part Two
In part two of our adventure with Peter Ackroyd’s HAWKSMOOR, we finish our circuit of Nicholas Hawksmoor’s churches, completing a sigil on the face of London which, according to Tim’s design, will force Lloyd to reveal his real Satanic nature. We also discover the likely location for the fictional church of St Hugh’s, which nowContinue reading “Peter Ackroyd’s Hawksmoor Part Two”
Peter Ackroyd’s Hawksmoor Part One
After NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman, we’re back with another book that manifests London in mysterious and unsettling ways. Peter Ackroyd’s HAWKSMOOR tells the tale of Nicholas Dyer, a fictional architect of the early 18th century who has been charged with building seven new churches but has his own sinister, not to say Satanic purposes. InContinue reading “Peter Ackroyd’s Hawksmoor Part One”
Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere Part Two
In Neil Gaiman’s ‘Neverwhere’, a key character – the Marquis de Carabas – lies dead atop London Wall. But where is London Wall? We not only find it, but we find a second bit of it, unknown to most people, in an underground car park. We have a grim talk about suicide and masonic murderContinue reading “Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere Part Two”
Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere Part One
Neil Gaiman’s famous London fantasy novel provides us with an unusual route across London. We start at Albert Bridge, the supposed entrance to the mythical ‘Knight’s Bridge’. We grab a coffee at Harrods, home of a Neverwhere market. Tim surprises Lloyd with the Down Street underground station – and Tim surprises himself by discovering thatContinue reading “Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere Part One”
The Mayor of Casterbridge Part Two
In part two of our adventure with The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy we walk out of Dorchester over two bridges and down to a weir, where Michael Henchard can be found considering ending it all and seeing what appears to be a body floating down the Frome. Behind him and up on aContinue reading “The Mayor of Casterbridge Part Two”
The Mayor of Casterbridge Part One
We’ve reached the 15th book of our second series of The Curiously Specific Book Club, and it’s one of the most famous books in English publishing history: Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge. Set in the fictional town of Casterbridge in the just-as-fictional county of Wessex, it’s a finely-wrought depiction of real people in realContinue reading “The Mayor of Casterbridge Part One”
Rebecca Part Two
We’re halfway through a walk around the edge of the Menabilly estate in Cornwall, where Daphne Du Maurier lived for many years. We’re trying to work out how closely Menabilly aligns with the fictional house of Manderley, as featured in ‘Rebecca’ We find a gatehouse and driveway on the west side, then repair to theContinue reading “Rebecca Part Two”
Life After Life Part Two
We start Part Two in one of the ritziest parts of London – Holland Park – where both Ursula and her charismatic aunt Izzie from Kate Atkinson’s ‘Life After Life’ are meant to live (alongside Michael Powell and Michael Winner it seems). We scurry off quickly to Soho in search of pubs and clubs featuredContinue reading “Life After Life Part Two”
The Curiously Specific Book Club 