We got up early on Saturday morning so that we wouldn’t be too late in getting to the book sale in St Andrew’s and St George’s Church in Edinburgh, the proceeds all go to Christian Aid. It was Linda from Edinburgh who reminded me of the sale, so a big thank you to Linda!
By the time we got to the church it was really chucking it down with rain and the books outside the church all had plastic covers over them and everbody had packed into the church – it was heaving with folks and it made it very difficult to see the books, but I persevered, and we went our separate ways. I ran out of money, had to find Jack, found him in the crowd, waved madly, he didn’t see me, he went in the opposite direction, the woman at the stall seemed to think I was going to nick her books, but in the end it was all sorted out and the upshot was I spent a lot of money and Jack didn’t spend nearly as much, that’s usually the way of it. As you can see from the photo above, by the time we got upstairs the rain had stopped and the crowd had thinned.
I couldn’t resist taking this photo of the newly redecorated church, it has had a lot spent on it recently and the organ has been refurbished.
It was the ceiling which really attracted me though, beautiful, but I’m glad I didn’t have to paint it. Internally the church is really lovely with pale wood, maybe golden oak and the pews all have blue velvet buttoned cushions, I’m sure in my young day that would have been seen as being un-Presbyterian and just too comfy for church-goers. How times
change!
Anyway, to the books, here they are.
The three in the middle are:
The House That Is Our Own by O. Douglas
The Provincial Lady in Wartime by E.M. Delafield
Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford. I’ve read it, but it was over 30 years ago I’m sure and was a library book.I want to read it again.
The other one which can’t be seen very well is:
We Are Still Married by Garrison Keillor. I’ve never read anything by him but I enjoy listening to him on Radio 4 extra on Sunday afternoons whilst cooking the dinner.
Two of the vintage crime Penguins I haven’t even heard of.
The Content Assignment by Holly Roth
Comes the Blind Fury by Douglas Rutherford
The third Penguin is Captain Cut-Throat by John Dickson Carr.
The Things We See is a Penguin book which just screams 1950s at you and is about design. It has some lovely photos and even the endpapers are 1950s design.
Civil To Strangers by Barbara Pym. I’ve read quite a lot of her books but most of them so long ago, I can’t remember if I’ve read this one or not. If so, it’s due a re-read.
Anna Buchan and O.Douglas by Wendy Forrester is a book which I’ve been looking for.
The Prince and the Pilgrim by Mary Stewart is one I’ve been meaning to buy for ages, it’s the last in her Merlin/Arthur series and I’m going to read it for the up and coming Mary Stewart readalong at Gudrun’s Tights.
Oasis of the North by Dawn MacLeod is about Inverewe Gardens in the north west of Scotland.
Scottish Highland Watercolours by Sutton Palmer is a collection of 16 watercolours of the Highlands, all very scenic.
I could have bought a lot more books and this week I’ve been restraining myself from getting on a bus and going back for another look because I really didn’t get a chance to look at the many gardening and craft books which were on sale. But I think I’ll be good and resist the temptaion, particularly as there is another library book sale locally on Saturday. The George Street, Edinburgh book sale continues until the end of the week.
I am so jealous! I knew that blue book was The House That is Our Own! Looks just like mine! I’ve never been to a sale of that size! and in such a beautiful building.
Peggy Ann,
I think the book sale takes place only once every two years and all the books are donated, by locals presumably. You might get a chance to go some time, but I think you would prefer to get to Scotland faster than 2015!
I’m very jealous as well! I’ve never come across The Prince & the Pilgrim – never even heard of it, though I love the Merlin books – so clearly I must track it down!
Lisa,
I just discovered a couple of years ago that Mary Stewart had written two more Merlin books. You should read The Wicked Day before The Prince and the Pilgrim.
this must be the best book sale I’ve seen! Congratulations on your perseverence – the books are great!
Patty,
Thanks, I’m already looking forward to their next sale!
I laughed at your comment about the renovations at the church making it too comfortable. Donegal Presbyterian Church, Mount Joy, PA, where I grew up (and who kicked me out, yes, I had to say that again), was quietly beautiful and unadorned. Over the years, they’ve renovated and one of the renovations produced seat cushions. Many were horrified because you don’t go to church to be comfortable – especially not a Scots-Irish Presbyterian church!
Joan,
No you don’t go to Presbyterian churches for comfort – you go to get a numb bum and have someone shout ‘you are all miserable sinners’ at you!
I’m glad you had a successful shop on Saturday, I was thinking of you when I heard the rain thundering down! You always need to have stamina and determination, especially when everyone is packed inside. Great photographs – the church ceiling is looking absolutely beautiful. Good luck with this Saturday’s book sale.
Linda,
Luckily by the time we went into the town the rain had eased off. I shouldn’t be buying any books this weekend but – if I don’t go I might miss something great!
Wow! What a huge sale! You made some great finds too. What fun!
Stefanie,
It was a good afternoon out, it was actually much bigger than it looks here. I’m looking forward to the next one already!
I really don’t know if I’d be comfortable there – so many books, great- so many people, bad!
But you got a nice haul of books. Good luck with the sale tomorrow.
Margaret,
We got there just after the sale began which is why it was so busy, well that and the rain outside, but as it continues the whole week I imagine it is a lot less crowded later on, and they keep replenishing the books from the boxes underneath the tables. I hope you can get there one year.
What a wonderful book sale at such a great site. The church is so beautiful. I go to a yearly sale that is similar, but not quite as large and certainly in a less picturesque setting. (I always go at least twice.) Lucky you and I am glad you got books you are happy with.
TracyK,
The only problem is that the TBR book queue just keeps getting longer, but I can’t resist book sales, if I don’t go I imagine that I must have missed something that I’ve been looking for.
I’ve sung on that stage beneath the pulpit! Well, not on my own, but with the choir,and a clarsach group . It’s lovely, isn’t it! I didn’t know they did a book sale there! A beautiful place to hold one in. I must remind you in March next year of the local book sale for the Peace Group. It takes place in the Burgh Hall, in Peebles every year, and is amazing. Not as attractive a venue, but the books……!
evee,
It is lovely inside that church and it has lots of war memorials to interest Jack too. It’s a great venuue for a choir. I’ll write March Peace Group booksale at the end of my calendar to transfer it on to the next year – when it comes!