August 2020

 I am sorry that it has been a while since my last blog but after I reopened the shop on Etsy in June it was quite busy, then I decided to take a break to enjoy my birthday and (possibly) the last sunny weather we may get. After catching up with my admin and now having listed all the Folio Society books I currently have available, I have reopened the shop and am trying to find time to write up this blog. It was easier during lockdown when my Etsy Shops were closed and we weren't doing much! I still have some non-Folio Society books to add (but not many) and also some postcards and bookmarks.

Although we were promised storms and rain this week we have actually had a couple of days when it has been quite warm with a short shower and a few rumbles of thunder. I must now restrict myself to weekends in the garden and a break at the end of the day, if I want to get everything listed and available for sale. Despite covid-19 outbreaks in nearby Swindon, the South west remains a relatively safe place to be at the moment and I will continue to ship items ought by Hermes until further notice. (As we had a warm day yesterday (Thursday) I immediately broke my own rule and spent the day in the garden, mainly reading and sorting out the summer house - it will be a place to sit when the weather gets inclement.)

I have been continuing with my Book Circle reading and August's choice was a book which I suggested - 'Once Upon a River' by Diane Setterfield. it is her third novel and she won the Historical Writers Assocation Golden Crown Award for it. The setting for the story isn't far from here - Buscot and Radcot on the River Thames, just over the border from us in Oxfordshire. On the Monday after my birthday we decided to visit and, as Buscot House and the estate are owned by the National Trust, thought we would have to book but not in this case. We started with a walk down from Buscot village car park to Buscot Weir and Lock - as it was a hot day the water at the Weir was very popular and I haven't seen so many young people gathered in one place for some time. A boat was just going through the lock so we stopped to watch before continuing along the three mile Red Route along the Thames Path and back through some farmer's fields. A Second World War bunker was among the surprise sights along the river bank on our journey out. We had a picnic lunch in the grounds of Buscot House then a walk around the gardens and down to the Great Lake and the Water Gardens. There were a few people there but there was no queuing and social distancing was easy to observe. We felt very adventurous as we bought a lolly on the way out and then went to have a cold drink at The Swan at Radcot in the Beer Garden which was surprisingly busy for a Monday - but maybe people were participating in #eatouttohelpout. Much of the action of 'Once Upon a Time' takes place at The Swan. Along with my email report on the book the next day, and introduction to the author, I was able to include some photos!



These are pictures of the book with the author's first novel which was dramatised for television a couple of Christmases ago with Olivia Coleman, amongst a cast of many. I met Diane at last year's Burford Festival and she very kindly signed both books which were on sale courtesy of Burford's MadHatter Bookshop. She read the first few pages of the book out loud to the assembled audience, with a wet and windy day outside, snugly contained in The Friends' Meeting House - very atmospheric.

Here are some pictures from our trip:






I have also started reading the shortlist from this year's Walter Scott's Prize for Historical Fiction and have so far read the winner 'The Narrow Land' by Christine Dwyer Hickey and which describes the relationship between the American artist, Edward Hopper, and his wife, and is set in Cape Cod. I did enjoy it. Today we have experienced the edge of storm Ellen with some heavy rain and strong winds but so far it only lasted about 30 minutes. We also had our weekly veggie box(es) delivery which is now all cleaned  and put away. I try to eat fresh food mostly during the week so there is plenty to be going on with!

We are not finding much to interest us on the television - I have downloaded the film version of Jane Austen's 'Love and Friendship' to watch and we did quite enjoy the Perry Mason series taken from the books of Erle Stanley Gardner, but we do have Netflix to fall back on - it's just that setting it up to watch on the tv from the laptop is a bit of a palava!

Stay safe and enjoy your staycation, if you're having one, (or being brave and venturing abroad!) 

Best wishes,

Julie


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