Royal Visit

Last Tuesday we welcomed a very special visitor to Mostly Books. The bunting was up, the shelves had been dusted, the stock had been rigorously checked. Although the council had refused permission to stop traffic from coming down Stert Street for the morning, we had managed to gather together some of our customer's children, form them into a makeshift choir, and - dressed in matching sailor suits - assembled them near the door for a specially-written, literary-reference-strewed version of "My Favourite Things".

And then we waited.

The visit had been meticulously planned. Aside from the official paperwork that is always needed for anything this high profile (mostly involving liaison between the respective embassies in Devon and Oxfordshire) the complications of coordinating all the parties behind the scenes had led to two previous visits falling through. But this was a case of third time lucky.

And at about 11am our patience was rewarded. Her entourage opened the door, the children burst into song - and we welcomed dovegreyreader to Mostly Books.

(OK - some of this might have been exaggerated - but I did sweep the shop that morning specially).
It was particularly delighted to meet Lynne in the flesh (so-to-speak) after two years of virtual communication. She has been a massive supporter of the shop since before we opened, she was as delightful as I imagined she would be, and I can only hope the visit - coming as it did after her stonking appearance at the Oxford Literary Festival - lived up to all her expectations.