Thanks to Aileen for an update on Mostly Books events.

Celebrating Pride Month, Mostly Books are hosting a Queer Writers’ Panel in the shop, chaired by author Laura Kay (Wild Things). On the panel are Jiaming Tang (Cinema Love), Luke Turner (Men at War), and Neil Blackmore (Radical Love).

Debut author Claire Daverley will be joining them in the shop to discuss her novel, Talking at Night. It’s a beautiful and heartfelt love story perfect for fans of One Day and Normal People.

Saturday 22nd June – Reverend Richard Coles at the Amey Theatre – 7pm, £16 ticket / £28 ticket and book. To round off the Independent Bookshop Week there is an evening with Reverend Richard Coles in conversation with author Joanna Cannon, discussing the third book in the Canon Clement Mystery series, Murder at the Monastery, and more besides.

See https://mostly-books.co.uk/events/

All of Abingdon Library has been closed since Thursday because of flooding from the flat roof after the heavy rains, but it will re-open on Wednesday, 9th November, at 9am.

There will be Rhyme Time at 9:30 and 11:00

Fans of the bestselling spy thriller Slough House series will meet the author Mick Herron on Thursday, 10th November.

I am not sure about going upstairs at the library yet. The upstairs (non-fiction) library has been closed for longer. That means Abingdon has had to survive on fiction and children’s books for over a fortnight. If we carry on much longer, I don’t know what will happen.

There will be a River & Riverbank clean-up on May 22nd.

They are offering a prize (a reusable coffee cup) for the wackiest piece of rubbish.

There is also a Zero-waste coffee event on 29th May with free coffee for people who bring a reusable coffee cup.

Here is what wasteful coffee event looks like – as seen today by the River Thames near Abingdon.

Helen sent a poster to remind people of the next litter pick by the River Thames on Saturday 13th April. That should make things tidy for the big Sunday 14th April, featuring: Abingdon Head of the River Rowing, The Thames at War 1940s Day at the Lock, and the Eighth Abingdon Cycle Festival.

Abingdon library had recycling wheels when I was in last Friday. They make it easier for people to check which bin waste items should go in which bin.

There is also a smartphone app called Binzone to tells people which bin to put out and what to put in what bin. The recycling wheel and app are intended to improve recycling rates and have been created by the South and Vale councils.