A Walking Book Crawl by Medway Author and Comedian Zahra Barri

Medway Book Crawl: A Full and Comprehensive Guide

By Zahra Barri Comedian and Author of Daughters of the Nile

Part 3

This time it’s taking a stroll to peruse the bookish delights that Chatham has to offer. All this talk on the Rochester leg of this tour about Charles Dickens, makes you quite naturally want to check out his dwellings, doesn’t it?

“Your Wish is My Command My Bookish Vagabonds!” said Mr. Bumble in Bumbles Books (he got a spin off show after Oliver).

So, from the Rochester High Street (and the Intra High Street), just before you get onto the Chatham High Street, take a slight detour off the beaten course. Hike up the demanding gradient steep toll on the abs that is Nag’s Head Lane, over New Road and onto Jacksons Fields. There you can spot the dedicated tennis players bashing it out and perhaps even join them for a game or two? Or if Chess is more your bag, there’s an actual Chess Table by the playground. Chess is good for the mind just like reading!

Body and mind invigorated, hike up the gloriously green fields and the brown cobbled intertwining paths that lead into Victoria Gardens. There you can take in the mesmerising view of Medway’s gems from afar. (Cathedral, Castle and the Great Lines Heritage Park ) before finding oneself a mere vagabond on Ordnance Terrace. Walk to no. 11 with the black door and take in the blue plaque that proves where the great literary legend once resided: “Charles Dickens lived here from 1817-1821”. Soak up his genius. I always touch the black steel gate and imagine via some sort of literary osmosis I absorb half his talent for words. Then head up Boundary Road and on to our next book treat….

Blenheim Avenue, ME4 Book/Postbox

This book post-box outside number 27 is a BONUS to the book crawl. As its not technically a bookshop but a secret book-hideaway for only the most remarkable of readers. If you make it here, you can collect 5 stars and as many books. I snuck a free copy of Daughters of the Nile in, be the first to go get it and hey, if you like it, why not leave me a review on GoodReads?

If you’re not the first to get to Blenheim Avenue Book/PostBox you can peruse my novel Daughters of the Nile on the waterstone website.

Then it’s a short, skip and a jump, via Chatham Railway station -why not stop for a quick coffee at the station café to spot the Thomas Waghorn statue who always has a cone over his head. Whilst in the station you can read the tribute plaque honouring Asquith Xavier. Xavier was a pioneer for black equality. He successfully broke the racist ‘colour bar’ at Euston station over 50 years ago. I met his granddaughter recently at a book launch celebrating creatives in Medway, who told me the amazing story. His granddaughter, Camealia Xavier-Chihota now runs Medway Culture Club which aims to promote racial harmony in Medway. Proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…you can check out Medway Culture Club’s black history tours around the area and the great work they do on their website.

Now head down to Chatham High Street and onto the DON of all Bookshops:

Waterstones, Chatham High Street:

One of my favourite places to be on the Chatham High Street (second favourite Chockers Shoes-best shoes in Medway but that’s another article). At Waterstones, Chatham, Neave and Wal and the team are absolutely fabulous. As with all Waterstones, they are consistent and reliable in sourcing a broad spectrum of classics to current. Best book I bought here was in the self-help section (what?): Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Was with my mum at the time, (hence why I had meandered into the self-help) who guffawed and said, ‘but you’re not interested in motorcycles, you fell off a moped in Crete!’, to which I retorted IT’S A METAPHOR MUM!

Their favourite books are, Hope by Tom Parker (Neave) and Excession by Iain M. Banks (Wal). I instantly put both books on my reading list and was further convinced of their great taste when they asked me to come in to do a book signing for Daughters of the Nile. I had a ball speaking to readers and signing books.

Neave from Waterstones, Chatham

Now take a walk onto Chatham’s riverside, breathe in that fabulous river air and perhaps have a little picnic like it’s the first scene in Alice in Wonderland, before heading into….

Chatham Library:

This library is slightly more open plan than the previous library in Rochester, it’s quite an epic space, rather than the cosy reading snugs of the ME1 one. Despite the differences in design and layout, the feng shui emotes the same serenity. Plus, it has all the range and diversity and facilities and friendliness of Rochester Library but with a river view! Blessed with all the mod cons-internet/computer access, and the same rotating staff as Rochester. This means you might be able to spot Sylvia too!

That’s it for now bookish types! Stay tuned next month for the final leg of the tour-the Gillingham and Rainham Book Crawl!

While you wait for the next instalment of the tour why not make it your mission to donate to one of the Chatham charity shops, they all have a fantastic selection of books. You read and humanity is saved. What’s not to like?

Happy Reading and happy Crawling, guys.