Book Fair
If your memory of lockdown is of reading every book you owned and then having to buy more online you’ll have thrilled to the prospect of a book fair. In the weeks leading up to the sale books poured in – novels, histories, biographies, science, travel, gardening, cooking – every category was well represented. And all saleable – some of them at very good prices. The churchyard fairly buzzed with eager browsers and buyers. And cake-eaters – did I mention the coffee and home-made cake stall? Always a draw. You stop for a coffee and before you know it you’ve bought 5 books. There was a whole children’s section, with books to buy and books to make – and oranges (the healthy option!)
Inside – more books. Books on every available surface. CDs, DVDs – music and film. I almost bought The Deathly Hallows Part II having despaired of ITV every screening it (actually it was on last night, so I was spared another purchase and, OK, yes, I did come to Harry Potter a bit late).
It was a mammoth task organising so many books and Sheena’s team spent every afternoon of the preceding week sorting them into categories, lining them up (thank goodness for banana boxes – they could have been made for books not bananas), labelling and pricing and setting out the stalls whilst the forecourt was adorned with gazebos and bunting guaranteed to draw the curious that little bit further down Church Row.
An added attraction at midday was an engaging talk from JP Flintoff on the art of speaking and writing, helped by a few cautious volunteers.
There were plenty of books left for the congregation to browse through on Sunday and enough to make a decent donation to Oxfam in a week or two.
