Well settling back in today and catching up on emails and posts and downloading pictures and generally taking it easy. Wimbledon is on at the moment, of course, and looking forward to spending most of the next ten days glued to the box. One advantage, now I have digital which is still a novelty, is the fact that I can press a button and carry on watching long after the broadcast has finished. Last night there was a simply terrific mixed doubles on with Jamie Murray featuring and this went to three sets and the rat a tat tat of incredibly close shots backwards and forwards across the net, was huge fun and exciting to watch. It did not finish until 9.45pm and I was able to see it all. Wonderful.
I will be writing about Hay on Wye over the next few days but here is a picture of my spoils. I am currently tracking down the novels of D E Stevenson. Both Bloomsbury and Persephone have recently reprinted two of her titles and I do hope the consider doing some more. All her books are out of print and difficult to find, but I managed to find two and was pleased with that until my sister, Judith, and I ended up at Addyman Books.
Now I am going to be honest here and say that some of the bookshops in Hay were a disappointment. We were given a leaflet with details of all the locations of the stores and we marked up 22 which sounded interesting and then prioritized down to 17. That is still a hell of a lot of bookshops to get through and we doubted even if we only allowed half an hour in each one if we would cover them all (and we have to have a pit stop every now and then for rest and refreshment). However, we positively zapped through the first half a dozen. For me, a second hand book shop, means OLD second hand books, but most of those we first called on were NEW secondhand books, shelves of stuff that I could find in any charity shop or market stall anywhere in the country. I found a lot of PG Wodehouse, all of which I seized upon but then left when I saw the prices. A tatty second hand paperback at £3.50 or £4.00 is not a bargain or a find when for an extra £1 I could order a new copy of the title from Amazon, so these went back on the shelves.
One bookshop had nobody in charge at all - it was a small room lined with shelves of books and a sign 'Hardback 50p, paperbacks 30p - please put money in the box'. And people did. I was rummaging around a high shelf and found a book lurking at the back which I pulled out and it turned out to be an old battered copy of The Jasmine Farm by Elizabeth von Arnim. I already have this but was not going to leave it behind and have duly passed this onto a friend who has just started reading this author.
OK, so back to Addyman Books where I struck gold. My sister was rummaging and she said 'Elaine, what's the name of that author you were looking for?' 'D E Stevenson' 'Oh well there are a few here'.... I swept the entire shelf into my bag.....
Then upstairs to a simply glorious room wall to wall, floor to ceiling with hundreds of books I would have bought if I had the money and the space and a sofa to recline on while you are contemplating your purchases. Lots of Richmal Crompton (fortunately, I had all these titles so my credit card was safe for a bit); some Delafield (one went into my bag); a very good copy of Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter, my original copy went missing years ago; and then my sister spotted three hard back first editions of some more D E Stevenson. I really yearned for these but as I had already reached the end of my budget (even with a discount the bookseller gave me) I regretfully told Jude I could not afford them and put them back. It was either them or the EM Delafield which was expensive, and so I was totally delighted when Judith said she hadn't given me a birthday present this year so she would buy these three titles for me. Big hug and I was thrilled to bits.
The bookseller then asked who else I was interested in and I reeled off some names and he immediately honed in on Angela thirkell. 'Oh I have got a box of hers out the back ready to be priced. Do you want to take a look?' NO!! I shrieked I simply daren't and despite his urgings I resisted. I left him my card and said he could email me the details when I was at a distance and could resist a bit more, but when I checked my emails the next day, the list had been sent to me almost straight away...he was obviously hoping to catch me before I left and I can only admire his salesmanship. I have not yet looked at the list....
Oh and I came across a copy of the Making of a Marchioness for only £2. Look at this lovely title page and illustration. Yes, I know I already have two copies but could not leave this behind. It was dusty and unloved and had obviously been there (in the Hay Cinema Bookshop) for some time, so home it came with me.
Anyway, more another day and more pictures too.
