Comfortably Numb

I’m tired, so very, very tired. It has been a long and exhausting but brilliant weekend in Birmingham at the Bookcrossing Unconvention 2005

I travelled down on Friday morning by myself, with a suitcase filled with 30 books and some clothes. I met 4 fellow bookcrossers at New Street, one of whom I’d met before, and we went shopping in the Bullring. I’m still not used to the new Birmingham city centre, it still doesn’t feel right. I’ve been reading "Where did it all go right? Growing up normal in the 70s" by Andrew Collins and that went some way to explaining how I felt. I think it’s some nostalgia thing more than anything. The changes have happened and I now can’t go back and capture my teenage years exactly like they used to be. I could launch into some symbolism paragraph here but, frankly, I’m too tired. Anyway, we went shopping which was really just wandering round Selfridges food hall (Green and Blacks chocolate on special offer) and playing with Lego in the Lego store. We didn’t buy a single book between us, although we did release a few in the chocolate section in Selfridges.

After shopping and checking into the hotel, we made our way to a nearby coffee shop for an impromptu Birmingham meet, meeting some more new faces and getting to know people. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon. Following an hour spent at the hotel reading, we gathered even more new faces and headed out into the drizzle to find somewhere to eat. We were a large group so split off for a couple of hours according to everyone’s tastes before meeting up and wandering back to the hotel. Some of the group went on the Birmingham Eye but a few of us wandered off to find an off licence (most bookcrossing meets are fuelled by alcohol or chocolate and sometimes both and this was no exception) where we bought nasty rose wine (we didn’t know it was nasty at the time but the price should have been a clue) and went back to the hotel to watch Big Brother. Duncan arrived just as Saskia was being booed by the crowds (and us) and after watching the interview, we went to bed, mindful of the long day ahead.

We had a lazy Saturday morning. Duncan watched some of the Lions match before breakfast and then we relaxed before packing the books off and heading to the Unconvention venue round the corner. We arrived at 11:30 and already the table was stacked high with books. We managed to find a seat, where Duncan settled himself in to watch the cricket (only for the bar to constantly switch between Live8 and the tennis) and I wandered round catching up with old friends and making even more. I was much more restrained than last year and managed to restrict my book rummaging. I thought I’d done quite well, picking up a couple of books for a fellow bookcrosser in Newcastle who couldn’t make it and getting Duncan some as well but I still came away with 26 (which included the 6 in my goodie bag, which I was very happy with). The whole day was a huge success. I was disappointed not to be able to hear the author Kate Harrison talk, there was a lot of residual noise from the bar and no sound system for her to use either, which was a shame.

After the main event, I went back to the hotel and saw a bit of Live8 before meeting up with some people and going for a drink. We were planning on going back to the bar we’d been in all day but the bouncer wouldn’t let Duncan in, said he was too casual. How a short-sleeved shirt, jeans and Doc Martins are too casual when everyone else was in jeans, trainers and t-shirts is beyond me, but we all walked straight back out. It was just rude frankly, we’d spent all day in there, given them a lot of money and then told we couldn’t go back in and spend even more money. Their loss.

We found another bar and had a couple of drinks before me and Duncan left for a curry on our own. I had a gorgeous balti, as one should in Birmingham. Curry houses up and down the country may try making a balti but they just can’t do it like they do in Birmingham. I don’t know why. After dinner we walked back to the hotel, stopping to look at some stunning photographs as part of the Earth from the Air exhibit on display round Centenary Square. They were truly stunning and I aim to buy the books when I have some money. We left everyone to their games of Cranium (which apparently went on until the wee small hours) and went to bed. I would loved to have joined in but just didn’t have the stamina.

On Sunday I said my goodbyes to people and me and Duncan went for a wander round Birmingham’s shops before getting the train home. I am shattered this morning but happy. I was very nervous before going. I don’t do well in large crowds and have a tendency to be very shy with people I don’t really know. There were moments when I felt utterly overwhelmed by it all (and if I felt overwhelmed, God knows how Duncan felt) but it was worth going and I’ll definitely be back again next year.

Until there is a next time…

xx