Book designer, former publisher Quentin Wilson reports in from Christchurch

First time back on line and with power (Friday 25th, late evening). Our wonderful old 1881 home (and my office) is a write off.
 I was very lucky to get out unhurt. Secured bookcases came down all around me in my study and over my desk. Chimneys down in all the rooms, upstairs and down, bricks over everything, plaster off all the walls (as in old lathe and plaster which is very heavy and deadly), the house moved 4in one way at the front and the same the other way at the back!

We were camping on the lawn but have tonight been red-stickered as unlivable and are staying with daughter Alice tonight and then at Rachael King's place tomorrow while they are away up in Wellington for ten days. No water but we are just back from having a glorious hot shower at a friend's place close to the other side of town where relatively unscathed.

Extremely shaken, we have spent the days since in a total daze, trying to make sense of it all, gather possessions together, get valuables into the lockup and somehow manage the aftershocks which are just below the city, and even though 4-5 magnitude, just as nerve-wracking.
Wonderful help today from David Elworthy and Ros Henry, while Andrew Tizzard from Nationwide Book Distributors out at Oxford and his father Tony came in with water and fruit and parcels of other food. And such kind emails and calls from so many around the country and the world that we are just this evening picking up.

But we are alive, while we have lost two very close friends who have died in the Canterbury Television building.

Footnote:
Quentin Wilson is a Christchurch based book designer, book packager and publishing consultant.