Stitch n Bitch and a New Face at the Castle

Stitch n Bitch met for the first session of the autumn in the Wool and Willow shop this evening.
One of the regulars, Tracy, had some news for us - she's giving up her job with Addyman's Bookshop and becoming Richard Booth's PA.
My first reaction was: "Are you mad?"
Ann Brichto, Tracy's boss, actually told me this first. She was a bit upset about it - but it was pointed out that Richard has a Castle, and that's something that Derek and Ann can't offer! Tracy is really looking forward to it. She has three more days at Addyman's Annexe, a short holiday, and then starts at the Castle on the 24th - and on the 27th, she's responsible for holding a book launch at the Castle for Phil Rickman, whose latest Merrily Watkins book is coming out. Tracy has been lucky enough to get an advance copy, which she's reading avidly now, but she didn't give anything away.
Joyce had news for us too - she and Heather are looking for a new owner for the business. Joyce is on the waiting list for a hip replacement now, and that will mean ten days in hospital followed by at least six weeks not driving, so she won't be able to get to Hay to man the shop; Heather and Myra live even further away than she does, so it's just not practical to keep it on. They're looking for a local buyer, someone they can help out when Joyce gets back on her feet, because she does have a huge amount of knowledge about the wool producers in Wales.
The Wool and Willow shop isn't the only business in Hay about to change hands. The Wine Vaults is for sale, and so is Kilvert's again. The Globe Gallery has just been sold, and Andy Cooke has reportedly bought the Sensible Bookshop - the business, not the building, which is up for sale with the flat above it (once lived in by April Ashley, one of the first people to have a sex change, and once the Queen of Hay). Where this leaves Julie of the Fairtrade committee, I don't know.

And finally, I saw the first potato trailer of the year last night!
There's a big collection depot at Dorstone, and at this time of year tractors towing trailers full of potatoes converge on it from miles around. Quite a few of them come through Hay.
It's not the only agricultural machinery I've seen in Hay recently, either - I've also seen three combine harvesters and a muck spreader in the last week or so.