Friday, 3 November 2017

The Really Big Charity Booksale

On the last Saturday in October we usually pop down to the edge of Colchester for the Big NSPCC secondhand book sale. We started going years ago when we were selling secondhand farming and country books at Country shows  and it was difficult to stop going when we stopped selling!
There is always a long queue well before the 9.30 start and I've queued in rain, sun and one year it was sleety snow, this year it was dry but blinkin' cold.
Here's the queue, shivering

And here's everyone rummaging and this is what I came home with................... Some lovely Christmas books, I'm collecting them for the future for the Grandchildren

 And some for me and Col, I spent too much as usual but it's for a good cause (that's my excuse anyway!) and didn't find anything I was actually searching for
 There's an old Derek Tangye there and Doreen Tovey's Donkey Work. Another Mary Wesley and a couple of Virago. Picked up Meadowland to read after reading  Running with Hares last month. "View From the Corner Shop" is to add to my WWII collection. Also above is a book of postcards featuring the Royal Mail Stamps that showed aerial views of the UK coastline, I'll pop that in with some other small things I'm collecting for my friend for Christmas.

Another book I bought, not in the photo, is a massive tome called "England In Particular", a book I borrowed from the library sometime last year, but it's not a book to be read straight through, definitely a reference book to keep.......  "A Celebration of the commonplace, the local, the vernacular and the distinctive." From Abbeys to Zig-Zag Paths, an A-Z of all things English.

Product Details
I think you may well find me quoting from this on all sorts of subjects!

 I picked up the book on the bottom of the heap........The Dolls House by Rumer Godden because the illustrations are by Tasha Tudor but flicking through it reminded me of something? Then I remembered a childrens TV programme Pinny's House? Looked it up...Pinny's House was an Oliver Postgate and Peter Firman animation, but according to one web page it was from a book called Tottie's House By Rumer Godden. Then another web page mentions a TV animation called Tottie . So  were there two TV animations about tiny dolls in a dolls's house? Seems there were. Rumer Godden's book was reprinted later with the name changed to Tottie to match the programme and Pinny's House was completely different, not taken from the book at all.



Back Tomorrow
Sue


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34 comments:

  1. galant3 November 2017 at 08:14

    I love Derek Tangye's books. I have them all with the exception of one, his travel journal which was published during the war (Time Was Mine) and which was at his publishers when it received a direct hit during the Blitz so that there are few copies of that around. However, it was re-published some years ago as part of another book of his. I also have his wife Jeannie's books, but I have tried her novels and failed. However, still I keep them (daft, or what?) as part of my Tangle 'section'. I was hooked Tangye the moment I read A Cat Affair and, after that, found all his previous books 2nd hand (with dust wrappers - I had to have those!) and then bought every new book as it was published. They were all much the same, the life in Cornwall, his love of cats, the struggle to grow potatoes and daffodils, the donkeys, the weather, those who worked with and for the Tangyes, it was all very simplistic and quite different from his previous life. But I won't say more about them, just enjoy this one, Sue.
    I must say I like the look of England in Particular. Also, I have the Elizabeth Taylor and have attempted to read it but without success, the fault no doubt lying with me as everyone but everyone says what a great writer she is.
    Margaret P
    www.margaretpowling.com

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 10:59

      The odd thing about Derek Tangyes books is that I've always known about them because they were always popular in libraries I worked in during the 1970's but back then I wasn't into country books so never actually read one until a few years ago. A Cornwall long gone now!

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  2. Sheila3 November 2017 at 08:30

    I would love to go to a big book sale like that.
    Last time DD went into the town centre she said our big charity bookshop had closed down. Such a shame.
    Hugs-x-

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  3. Anonymous3 November 2017 at 08:34

    I envy you the opportunity of buying old second-hand books like this. When we first moved to Northampton nearly fifty years ago there was a small book shop which sold old books and I bought a few, a couple of which I still have. Sadly it closed.
    I find the book shops today all the same and quite soul-less.
    Enjoy your reading.

    Joan (Devon)

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 11:02

      I haven't been in Waterstones for years, much prefer finding books second-hand now

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  4. Aril3 November 2017 at 08:36

    I would have absolutely loved that. England in Particular is my idea of a perfect book....must resist though!
    Arilx

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 11:03

      Apparently the England book took 20 years to compile! It's Very Large

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  5. Unknown3 November 2017 at 08:40

    What lovely books you chose. I used to teach 5 year olds and the author Nick Butterworth was a favourite withthe hildren and me. I culled some of my Christmas stories but still have a good selection for my grandchildren to enjoy and I kept my copy of Jingle Bells :)

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 11:06

      I shall have to see which Christmas books I have now, they are tucked away for another year or two.

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  6. Rustic Pumpkin3 November 2017 at 08:41

    Good haul ~ it will keep you out of mischief for a while, I'm sure.

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  7. Scarlet3 November 2017 at 09:41

    My elder daughter loved Pinny's House. I mentioned it on the blog last month. I also have a copy of Robin finds Christmas', kept from when my younger sister( now 45) was a small child.

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 11:09

      Now I shall have to go back and read all your posts, must have missed reading that. One web page was completely wrong with details getting Pinny's House and Tottie completely mixed up

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  8. Sue3 November 2017 at 15:44

    A brilliant haul .... your collection must be growing again now :-)

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  9. Simple Living3 November 2017 at 15:44

    Wow that was total heaven for you, that's what you call a book sale.

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 18:46

      It's my favourite book sale- except for the queue!

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  10. justjill3 November 2017 at 16:42

    That brought back some memories. Derek Tangye.....Lovely haul.

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 18:47

      I'm only now reading them even though I always knew about them

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  11. myshabbychicvintagefrugallife3 November 2017 at 16:54

    What a brilliant idea buying christmas books for your grandchildren , That corner shop book looks interesting too xxx

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 18:50

      I've got Christmas books saved from where our lot were small and several new ones too.

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  12. Marosie3 November 2017 at 16:55

    I am jealous of your Rumer Godden's "The Dollhouse". I borrowed that and her "Home is the Sailor" many times from our library as a child. Great find!

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 18:51

      That's what I love about this sort of booksale - never quite know what you will find

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  13. Winters End Rambler3 November 2017 at 17:54

    Glad you found some treasures. x

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  14. Janice3 November 2017 at 17:56

    I love, love, love big book sales like that. We have two different ones here once a year. Other than a bookstore that is 100% for charity and run by volunteers most of the second hand bookstores here have closed. I think one of the major problems is that they charged too much for the books-50% of the retail price.

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 18:55

      Luckily they haven't put the prices up at this sale, most things are a £1 so not too bad

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  15. Bovey Belle3 November 2017 at 18:29

    The Doreen Tovey book is on my bedside trunk. I first read it more than 30 years ago, but a friend sent it and Ire-read it, but she annoyed me because she knew NOTHING about donkeys and that donkey got away with murder! Not liking the noseband of the headcollar on - so they just hung the headcollar round her neck and she galloped out of control everywhere!!!

    I picked up The Ambrose Rock in a pile of books in the Junk Room yesterday - how I loved the Derek Tangye books.

    John Lewis-Stempel lived the other side of Hay Bluff (or the Black Mountains if you want to be specific). I prefer it this side! Good book though.

    You had some good bargains, and the childrens' books will be well received I am sure.

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    1. Sue in Suffolk3 November 2017 at 18:59

      I only started reading Doreen Tovey fairly recently, years ago I wouldn't have bothered with cat books! Looking forward to reading this one

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  16. lynda3 November 2017 at 20:27

    I would have had a field day there!!!!!!! Unfortunately very expensive to ship back to the US.....
    I have quite a lot of Tasha Tudor books....love her illustrations!

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  17. Jackie3 November 2017 at 23:18

    Oh my, I think you did quite well just getting out with what you did. I am afraid I would have been tempted beyond reason by all those lovely books.

    God bless.

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  18. Lisa4 November 2017 at 15:53

    I remember reading the Jingle Bells book with the children.
    I don't think I could part with our stock of Christmas books from when they were younger!
    Lisa x

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  19. Sharon5 November 2017 at 00:14

    I love a good book sale! Looks like you picked up some great reads - for you and the grandchildren.

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