As the embryonic Charnowalks emerges into the harsh light of day, I am creating an accompanying Blog for fans and friends to follow his adventures on the mean streets of London. Actually they're not that mean: I've lived here all my life, and I've never found them a problem. London is far more welcoming and friendly than people tend to think. You just have to get below that veneer of reserve adopted by us as a defence mechanism. After all, we tend to think that every moment of our day is spoken for and sometimes begrudge those who seek to break our concentration on the next event on the calendar.

Still, that's what people like me are here for: the guides who keep the secrets and tell the tales, and who take you behind the top-show to reveal a city based on people. History is the story of what people have done, and London has plenty of doings to reveal, many a story for you to hear.

This is my maiden post on this blog, but it won't be the last by a chalk as long as your arm. There'll be all sorts of odds and ends coming up, but for now I want to mention just one thing. On Saturday 20 July at 2:30 I will be having a book reading and signing session at the Sun Inn, Bethnal Green Road:
www.suninnbethnalgreen.co.uk

If you come along, not only will you get the chance to sample one of the best pubs in the East End, you'll also hear me reading snippets from my recently-self-published book 'Death and the City'
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Charnowalks
and a couple of extracts from the new novel, which is going the rounds of the agents as we speak.

If you are interested in guiding btw, and are in striking distance of Shadwell, I am starting a small course about guiding (hopefully the germ of something much bigger) in Tower Hamlets in October, and there is a taster session on 2 August 2013:
http://www.ideastorelearning.eventbrite.co.uk/
(You'll have to go right down to the bottom, which will involve clicking a couple of times on the 'Show more' whatsit.)

Anyway, that's enough for today; I think the sun is affecting me. I must crawl back under my thinking cap and get on with devising fun and interesting walks for the populace.

Love,
Charno