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    The North Beach Festival

    San Fran-cisco by the Bay We went to the city today. The driving went OK, but the parking was difficult. I was tempted by the Dim Sum, and reviled by the Turkey Legs, but landed on the Sausage Sandwich with Fresh Cannoli from Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. Pictured below is their Blood Red Cannoli. The juicy…

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    San Fran-cisco by the Bay

    We went to the city today.

    The driving went OK, but the parking was difficult.

    I was tempted by the Dim Sum, and reviled by the Turkey Legs, but landed on the Sausage Sandwich with Fresh Cannoli from Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. Pictured below is their Blood Red Cannoli.

    The juicy creations were served on fresh, chewy rolls with luscious peppers and onions. I snagged a plain cannolo that was anything but plain: Flaky pastry with fresh filling that pleased. Sloshing down the lunch was a lemon Pellegrino water.

    There were many artists and craftspeople, jewelers and other vendors. I was privileged to find a photographer named Emanuel Desousa, who took those vivid glossy images that you see a lot at street fairs, but this guy managed to be a commercial success, and still maintain an outstanding artistic portfolio.

    He can be seen via freshhfotography

    This is the pic I purchased from him: Moody Lake Merritt

    We found a public round table where we got to sit and rest; I went and fetched a Boba Tea from Love Tea at Broadway and Grant Avenue.

    They are said to be permanently closed according to Google, but my Taro Iced Tea was very real, cool and tasty.

    Then, sated with the fine bands like SONA , who did great 1980’s rock covers, we headed to my standard fare, the bookstore.

    We’d paid a lot for parking, a flat rate, and wanted to use up a little more time, so I twisted her arm and we went to City Lights bookstore. It was maybe a little radical for me, but I doubt there was anything in there that was not well written.

    I found a Len Deighton book that looked interesting, which is surprising to me, since I don’t go for espionage other than maybe Ian Fleming or Graham Greene, but Berlin Game seemed very well written. I’d splurged on the artist’s photograph, so I passed on the book.

    We got home safe, some hours later, and here are a few photos of our jaunt:

    My only regret is that we pleased ourselves, but didn’t do anything to help others, although, I did get to compliment the photographer, who was an outstanding dude.

    One response to “The North Beach Festival”

    1. Jim Brown Avatar
      Jim Brown

      Ever heard of a real spy called Bill Fairclough (MI6 codename JJ). He was one of Pemberton’s People in MI6. To date there aren’t any films made about him but there is one hell of an espionage thriller novel released so far about his real life exploits.

      Beyond Enkription is a must read for espionage cognoscenti and the first stand-alone spy thriller in The Burlington Files autobiographical series by Bill Fairclough. It’s a raw and noir matter of fact pacy novel. Len Deighton and Mick Herron could be forgiven for thinking they co-wrote it. Coincidentally, a few critics have nicknamed its protagonist “a posh Harry Palmer.”

      This elusive and enigmatic novel is a true story about a maverick accountant (Edward Burlington in Porter Williams International aka Bill Fairclough in Coopers & Lybrand now PwC in real life). In 1974 in London he began infiltrating organised crime gangs, unwittingly working for MI6. After some frenetic attempts on his life he was relocated to the Caribbean where, “eyes wide open” he was recruited by the CIA and headed for shark infested waters off Haiti.

      If you’re an espionage cognoscente you’ll love this monumental book. In real life Bill was recruited by MI6’s unorthodox Colonel Alan Brooke Pemberton CVO MBE and thereafter they worked together on and off into the 1990s. Pemberton’s People included Roy Astley Richards (Winston Churchill’s bodyguard), Peter Goss an SAS Colonel and even the infamous rogue Major Freddy Mace, who highlighted his cat burgling and silent killing skills in his CV. For more on Pemberton’s People do read this brief intriguing News Article dated 31 October 2022 in TheBurlingtonFiles website

      This epic is so real it made us wonder why bother reading espionage fiction when facts are so much more exhilarating. Atmospherically it’s reminiscent of Ted Lewis’ Get Carter of Michael Caine fame. If anyone ever makes a film based on Beyond Enkription they’ll only have themselves to blame if it doesn’t go down in history as a classic thriller … it’s the stuff memorable films are made of.

      Whether you’re a le Carré connoisseur, a Deighton disciple, a Fleming fanatic, a Herron hireling or a Macintyre marauder, odds on once you are immersed in it you’ll read this titanic production twice. You can find out more about Pemberton’s People in an article dated 31 October 2022 on The Burlington Files website. For more detailed reviews visit the Reviews page on TheBurlingtonFiles website or see other independent reviews on your local Amazon website and check out Bill Fairclough’s background on the web.

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