Book Fair at the Castle

 I went straight from tea and scones at the Swan, after my trip out to Arthur's Stone, to change from my jeans into a skirt for the booksellers' reception at the Cinema Bookshop.  

The weather was just about good enough for us to hold it outside, and there was a mix of booksellers who had travelled to Hay for the book fair, and local booksellers - most of whom knew each other to some degree.  I ended up talking to some very interesting people.  One chap had come down from York, where he's renovating a historic building to be a bookshop (while running his business from another shop, so he can take the time to do the job properly).  A lady, the partner of another bookseller, was about to fly off to Bangladesh to look round factories for a clothing business.  There was a lot of checking of phones to see what the latest cricket scores were at Old Trafford, and quite a bit of discussion about the inner workings of the book fairs - with everyone in the group regretting the loss of the Bristol Book Fair because the building they held it in had been sold.

Greg, the manager, had got two of his grandchildren, and two other young teenagers who I assume were their friends, to act as waiters, in white shirts and black trousers or skirts, to take the trays of canapes around.  The snacks were being assembled at a table in the garage, by a couple who are chefs locally, and they were delicious!  Derek Addyman, one of our local booksellers, is a vegan, so they put together a special little tray just for him.

The wine flowed freely.

The following morning the Book Fair opened at 10am, so the booksellers had been there early to set up.  There were 18 of them, with the thought that, if the fair went well, they might come back and book enough space for 30 stalls.  Some of the big book fairs, like York, are in enormous halls, with 200 or so exhibitors.  

I went up there with Mary Fellowes, from Broad Street Books.  I'd thought that this was the first time a PBFA book fair had been to Hay, but she remembered the one in 1974*!  Derek Addyman had been to that one, too, as well as Greg from the Cinema and a couple of other people who are still around in Hay.

[*Edited to add: Should be 1984 - I saw Mary Fellowes, and she told me she had mis-remembered the date]

We chatted to the chap from Green Ink Books, who was one of the organisers, and he was very enthusiastic.  There were some lovely books on display, including one by April Ashley (signed!), and several others of local interest, including one by WET Morgan, who was once the vicar of Llanigon, and an active member of the Woolhope Club.