David Melling and Hugless Douglas: Saturday 23rd June @ 11am

Acclaimed author and illustrator (and Mostly Books regular), David Melling, will be in the shop with

the real life Hugless Douglas for an event on Saturday 23rd June at 11am.

Children will hear from David and get to see him creating some of his wonderful illustrations right in front of their eyes!  Tickets are £2, £1 of which will be redeemable against any David Melling title bought on the day.  

Contact the team to reserve your spot today!

Learning loss, reading sabbaticals and no shoes - it's the 'Back to School' special

Around this time in August, every year for the last ten years, we prepare a big 'back to school' display in the shop. Usually it's a mix of 'first day back at school' titles along with a variety of dictionaries and books to help with handwriting, maths and spelling.

This year, we want to do something a bit different.

OK, OK, so my writing skills are a little rusty...
See below for more about FowlLanguage

If you are a parent - possibly a grandparent, and indeed anyone who's been looking after children for the summer - I'm sure the start of the holiday began with ambitious plans. Plenty of activities interspersed with regular writing, reading and maths exercises to keep that schoolwork fresh in the mind and ticking over.

So how did that go? That good, huh?

Teachers refer to the hiatus in schoolwork over the Summer as 'Summer Learning Loss'. Yep, it's a thing (it even has its own Wikipedia page). But before moral panic sets in about what you might or might not have done better over the holidays, here are the Mostly Books top tips to make sure the start of school is a positive experience for everyone (including you).

1. Don't panic

There is still at least a whole week left - and possibly longer - before school starts, and to be honest schools are well aware of the situation and tend to ease children back into the whole learning thing. Don't beat yourself up about it.

"Atomic weights?
Isn't this graduate stuff???"

At the same time, don't pass the buck completely to the school. There are definitely things you can do now that will have a huge impact on the start of school. Remember, this isn't just about the start of school, this is about getting into the swing of good study habits for the first few weeks of the year.

Here are a few (small) ideas from the shop that we reckon can make a (big) difference over the coming weeks. And of course, you can always come in and ask for our advice as well!

2. Starting school - get excited

You may have had a blast when you were at school - or hated every minute of it. But there's often little you can do to control your own children's reaction to starting school, but the best thing is get excited with a child ahead of school starting.

And a book can help.

Along with a few of our favourites such Usborne's 'First Experiences' series, or 'Topsy and Tim Start School', we love Sam Lloyd's 'First Day at Bug School', Sam was the creative force behind 'Calm Down Boris' and this a funny' delightful books about a bug's first day at school down the bottom of the garden is both a fun story, but creates a space to discuss any anxieties your child might be having ahead of the big day.

A few weeks ago, we had a special visit from Hugless Douglas, and you can bet he has a whole load of ideas of how to survive little school. As well as a brand new Hugless Douglas 'Numbers' book, we recommend taking a look at 'Hugless Douglas Goes to Little School'.

3. Maths and Writing Skills

There are some imaginative and fun activity books to help children with their reading and writing. We've got a big range of early reading and writing books for little ones, including the Letts animal-themed series 'Wild About' which includes books on counting, writing, reading for ages 3 up to 8.

But we have been particularly impressed with Scholastic, who took characters from the Star Wars universe and created a whole series of workbooks for KS1 and KS2. Whether its lightsaber poems, Yoda's wisdom on verbs or learning along with the young Ewoks, this might just be a great way of channeling your child's obsession with Star Wars ahead of school!

All of these titles tend to be around the £5 mark, so our suggestion on how to boost excitement? Give your little one a budget to come in and choose a book for starting school from our table...

4. Book v Gadget - getting that reading back on track

Whether you have a bookwork or a reluctant reader, there is easily enough time between now and the start of school to read a whole book. Don't think so? We can help.

"The best minds of my generation are
thinking about how to make [children]
click ads" - Jeff Hammerbacher

Years ago, reading was often something that children did when they got bored. That doesn't really happen nowadays. There is always something they can turn to - often a phone, gadget or game - and reading does require a lot more effort.

You need to create some space and give a story the chance to put hooks into the imagination.

Over the past few years, we've banged the drum for starting a reading group with whoever lives in your house.

Here's our cut out and keep 5 step plan to starting a family reading group.

We think you should do this anyway throughout the year, but for this coming week, how to pull your kids off the gadgets and get them giving a book a try?

Firstly, try 'no electronics' periods. Get everyone to stack their devices in one place for at least one hour whilst reading takes place (this works great for mealtime too - we tried it recently at a restaurant, and the effect was nothing short of revolutionary, as it's often adults who are the worst offenders with checking their mobile phones!).

We also recommend Noel Janis-Norton's advice for getting co-operation with your children on any new task - and we really recommend you read 'Calmer Easier Happier Screen-Time' for a great plan to turn electronic devices from a battleground into a positive experience for everyone.

5. Keep it short

Next, find a book that is going to have the best possible chance of getting finished. It's no use giving them a 'classic' of 400 pages if they are out of the habit of reading. Again, give them a budget and bring them in to choose their own book - but allow them a lot of leeway in terms of the book they choose - we often recommend Barrington Stoke titles which are fabulous, page-turning stories by some of our best writers, but are short and help build momentum in getting reading back on track.

Some of our favourite new titles: 'The OMG Blog by Karen McCombie' and 'Monster Slayer' by Brian Patten and illustrated by Chris Riddell. But come in and have a look at the range.

6. Tap into their interests

Is your child into something like cars or cooking? Find a story that appeals! We love 'The Secret Cooking Club' by Laurel Remington.

Scarlett has no life - she fears that her Mum will ridicule anything she says or does on her blog, but when the old lady next door has a fall she discovers that sometimes being a friend is more important. As her secret cooking club grows so does her circle of friends. It's a lovely story about friends and family and what holds them together.

Would your child rather be shooting zombies than reading about baking? Don't worry - there's a book for that. Curtis Jobling's 'Monster Hunter' features Max Helsing, descended from a long line of monster hunters, who does a pretty good job of keeping up a schoolwork by day, whilst keeping his town safe from demons, ghouls and the occasional mummy by night.

That is, until he turns thirteen and discovers he's been cursed by an ancient vampire who wants him dead - at any cost. To save the world - and his life - Max must rely on his wise-cracking best friend, cantankerous mentor, computer genius neighbour, and brand-new puppy...

Here's a few ideas - we have many, many more. Whether it's revision guides, dictionaries, reading lists for school or universiity - we're here to help. Come on in to the shop and let's get to work!

(And that cartoon at the start? It's from the brilliant Fowl Language comic strip, possibly the funniest comic about the realities of 21st century parenting we know from Brian Gordon. There's a collection of his comics now available in the shop, and trust us - you'll laugh out loud :-)

Come and Meet Hugless Douglas!

On Tuesday 2 August, we're inviting you to come along and meet the big bear with the big heart - Hugless Douglas!

The last time Douglas visited Mostly Books we had a fantastic time, with scorching weather and hot hugs in the garden.

For anyone who came along and had fun with The Gruffalo a few weeks ago, Douglas isn't scary at all, and there will definitely be hugs all round...

This time round, Douglas gets involved with some baking, and as usual, things don't got entirely to plan.

In 'Hugless Douglas and the Great Cake Bake' the sheep are baking cakes and Douglas can't wait to try them. However, he's sure that food without honey just isn't yummy. Can he ever be tempted to try something new?

There will be cupcake-making activities from the beginning of August - and on the day itself, Hugless will be making a special guest appearance. There will also be a book signing from award-winning author and illustrator (and creator of Hugless Douglas) David Melling.

We'd really love you to come along and transform our window with some brightly decorated cupcakes. There will be activities all week, and special prizes to win on the day itself. And there may even be the odd yummy treat to try if we're really lucky...

There is no need to book - but if you'd like more details of the event, including more details on timings closer to the day, please email us.

David Melling is an author who is an incredible talent of whom Abingdon can be particularly proud. Over ten years, David has taught children how to draw Hugless Douglas, told us about his writing life, produced masterpieces live over the Internet sat as a 'live window display' while he has worked and hosted a goblins party in Abingdon Library.

We'd love to see you on August 2 in our courtyard garden - and celebrate one of most endearing picture book characters!

World Book Day 2014 - David Melling at Mostly Books

It's World Book Day this Thursday (March 6) and we will be joining in the celebrations about books and reading for children that are taking place across the country.

Publishers produce special books that sell for just £1. Many children get a World Book Day voucher for £1. And booksellers give everyone £1 off a children's book if they have a voucher.

Result - happy children and the opportunity to get a free book. What could be better?

Well, how about meeting the author of one of the books on World Book Day itself?

This Thursday, our very exciting news is that author David Melling will be in the shop for anyone wanting to meet the creator of 'Hugless Douglas'.

David Melling and Hugless Douglas is a firm Mostly Books favourite, and this year he is one of the World Book Day authors. Loveable Hugless Douglas features in his own £1 adventure, 'Hello Hugless Douglas'.

We're delighted that David will be calling into Mostly Books from 2.45pm - and that if you use your voucher at Mostly Books on Thursday, we'll let you 'double-up' - use your voucher to get a copy of 'Hello Hugless Douglas' and still get another WBD title, or £1 off as well.

At 2pm, we are also inviting pre-schoolers to join us in Mostly Books at a special World Book Day storytime. No need to book - just turn up.

From 2.45pm, children can meet David, and get any books signed.

We love Hugless Douglas. They are great stories to share and read aloud about slightly clumsy Douglas, whose friendliness and enthusiasm sometimes get him into scrapes - but his friends are always around to help him out.

And...win an exclusive piece of David Melling artwork!

What book will you buy with your voucher? Will you try a new author? Or have you been saving up for a favourite book?

Until the end of March, if you tell us you what you think about a children's book you have bought at Mostly Books (it can be a couple of lines, or a full review) you will be in with a chance of winning an exclusive piece of David Melling artwork drawn specially for us on World Book Day.

Sound exciting? Then we hope to see you here on Thursday for what we hope will be a smashing, hug-filled day!

Want to know more about World Book Day? Mark talked about World Book Day on the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub this week. He also discusses books by Tracey Corderoy, Jo Cotterill and Christiane Dorion. Fast forward to 1 hour and 6 minutes...

Hot hugs in the garden: Hugless Douglas at Mostly Books

We had a very special guest this weekend - Hugless Douglas...we'll let the pictures tell the whole story...

Mark welcomes Douglas to Mostly Books. It was sweltering in the back garden, and Douglas has a lot of fur...

Initially some of his young fans were a bit wary...

 ...but they soon queued up to meet him, with the help of Douglas' creator David Melling...

...who met fans and signed books. Douglas was up for photos...

...and of course hugs for young and old fans!

Finally, Douglas posed with a smaller version of himself. The smaller bear is up for grabs as part of Abingdon's 'Where's Douglas' hunt around town, which continues until the end of this week for anyone who was away for half-term!

We also have signed copies of Hugless Douglas - including the new edition with audio - read by the marvellous Alan Davies!

Thanks to everyone who came along to meet him (we even have a family turn up from Kent!). Douglas felt very welcome in Abingdon, and after a honey snack (and about 2 litres of water) off he went into the sunset...

We love you Hugless Douglas!

3 4 Friday - it's all happening in Abingdon!

Lots happening in Abingdon this week - so for today's '3 4 Friday' #FridayReads three books related to events happening this week at Mostly Books - and around town.

We've had *a lot* of children take part in our Hugless Douglas hunt around Abingdon, and this Saturday we have a very special visitor at Mostly Books (well, TWO special visitors actually). Yes, Hugless Douglas - the loveable bear in need of a hug - will be appearing at Mostly Books IN PERSON - and his creator David Melling will also be appearing to sign books and make sure that Douglas behaves himself...

Douglas will be here at 2pm - and if you haven't yet taken part in our Hugless Douglas bear hunt around town, come in and pick up a sheet and start hunting. The hunt runs for another week after half-term in case you have been away, and there are prizes to be won, including a chance to win your own giant Hugless Douglas (currently welcoming visitors to the shop).

The following week we are delighted to be welcoming local author Prit Buttar to Mostly Books to talk about his latest book 'Between Giants'. Prit's first book 'Battleground Prussia' has become a classic in the military history genre, garnering widespread critical praise, and shining new light on the last days of the second world war on the eastern front.

Prit studied medicine at Oxford and London before joining the British Army as a doctor. After leaving the army, he has worked as a GP, first near Bristol and now in Abingdon. He is extensively involved in medical politics, both at local and national level, and serves on the GPs’ Committee of the British Medical Association.

'Between Giants' is his second book - and looks at how the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - have been shaped by the fortunes, and misfortunes, of war. Based on the same mix of original research, interviews and analysis that made his first book so widely praised, Prit is an excellent speaker, and will talk about the stories he uncovered in the book - and the response he has had since publishing the book. 

The event takes place at Mostly Books on Thursday, June 6 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £3 (includes a glass of wine - and redeemable against a copy of the book on the evening). Space is limited, but tickets are still available - so do email to reserve a ticket if you would like to join us on the evening.

Finally, it's Usborne's 40th birthday celebrations this year, and we are doing the biggest 3-for-2 we've ever done on Usborne books in the shop - come in and take a look at our impressive display...and spot the keen new readers sitting in our shop window!

We like the impressive optimism of a book on Summer - but come in to discover titles from spotting things on the beach to stickering every king and queen of England!

So what else is happening in Abingdon this weekend? We think the annual 'Fun in the Park' event should definitely be on your list - pop along after you've met Douglas!

3 (for 2) for Friday - A Bear, A Boy and His Sister

It’s time to celebrate this week, because we have three jolly exciting events to tell you about for this week's 3 4 Friday #fridayreads. There are prizes, competitions and an eagerly awaited new book. All of them are worth finding out about, we hope you agree...

Dan Brown’s new book might have got people pretty excited on Tuesday, but next Tuesday is the one we’ve been eagerly awaiting – the new book from ‘The Kite Runner’ author Khaled Hosseini. We were very lucky to be able to read an advance copy of ‘And The Mountains Echoed’ hence the anticipation. It is another masterfully told story, spanning generations but still firmly rooted in Hosseini’s familiar themes of the bonds that tie families together in often extreme circumstances. The story of Abdullah and his sister Pari looks set to become another classic, and we would be delighted to reserve you a copy for £15.99 (£3 off the recommended price).

This year it is Usborne’s 40th anniversary, a very British publishing success story that now sees its books in over 150 countries worldwide. To celebrate, we have transformed our window – come and take a look at the group of very different readers with their noses in some great books. We also have a fabulous 3-for-2 on Usborne’s range of ‘see inside’ lift-the-flap books on topics as diverse as The Body, Ancient Rome and (our favourite) Outer Space - we think astronaut superstar Commander Hadfield would approve...

Perfect for inquisitive minds, and normally sold for £9.99, we think these books make wonderful gifts.

And finally – a very special visitor comes to Mostly Books on Saturday, June 1st at 2pm. Yes, Hugless Douglas – the loveable bear on the search for a hug – will be appearing IN PERSON at the end of half-term week – and his creator David Melling has very kindly agreed to be here to sign books.

So to celebrate we are staging a half-term ‘Where’s Douglas?’ hunt around Abingdon. Find Douglas in the shops and buildings around Abingdon and you could be in with a chance of winning a GIANT Hugless Douglas. The hunt starts next week so come and collect your sheets and start hunting!

More information here...

3 4 Friday: A Quiz, a Comp and a Hunt

We hope you’re feeling competitive this Friday as we’ve got three competitions to tell you about.

Firstly, throughout the Easter holidays we will be challenging children to ‘find the egg’ (what bluff old traditionalists we are, eh?).

Any child who manages to find an egg in amongst the books will be presented with an immediate prize egg (chocolate, we hasten to add) and also be invited to take part in a prize draw with a goodie bag of Usborne books on offer.

Happy hunting!

As part of our continuing celebration of all things Hugless Douglas, you have until March 30 to draw us a picture of the thing or person you most like to hug for the chance to win a fantastic David Melling signed print.  Send us your pictures or bring them in – tell us who the picture is of and let us know your contact details.

Entry forms can be found in the shop...and the best of luck!

Finally, just a reminder that you have just a month to go to get your team together and limbered up for our Mostly Bookbrains Literary Quiz on April 19 at 7.30pm.

This year the quiz is being supported by The Pelvic Partnership, which helps women with pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) to find treatment and manage birth with PGP. PGP is common, affecting about one in five pregnant women. The charity is based locally and run by volunteers - more information about the charity and the quiz can be found here.

. . . and a reminder that Mar 24 is the last day to spend your World Book Day tokens if you have any left!

Half term events and competitions

We are celebrating all that’s great about Lego by hosting a Lego activity party in half term. There will be some minifigure-based fun, and a Lego-build competition (design a Ninja palace) and we’ve got some great activity goodie bags to keep the fun going at home too.

We will be holding a party on the Tuesday morning at 11am and the Wednesday afternoon (2pm) of half-term. Tickets are £5, just give us a call or send us an email to book your place. We need names and ages of the children please.

We have launched a new regular story time, every Tuesday at 2pm and this will be carrying on through half-term as we take the chance to read and share some of the best new books as well as firm favourites and classics.

Win a Hugless signed print by drawing a hug

To celebrate our new story time, we are offering a totally fabulous chance to win a Hugless Douglas signed print by David Melling.

We need your drawings! 

Draw us a picture of who you like to hug – it could be a parent, a brother or sister or a favourite toy. 

Come into the shop and draw, or bring one in from home, it’s up to you. But we would love you to draw a picture for us - and you could win your very own signed print.

3 4 Friday - A Bear, A Chicken and the Teaspoon Lady

Next Tuesday (Jan 22) we are launching a special, regular storytime for under-5s until Easter. It takes place at 2pm each Tuesday afternoon on the storymat in the front of the shop. No need to book, just turn up and sit down...

So to celebrate, we've picked three picture books for today's 3 4 Friday #fridayreads:

'We Love You Hugless Douglas' is the latest picture book from Abingdon's own David Melling. The loveable bear has become a firm pre-school favourite, as he tries to work out some of life's trickier questions and challenges (such as "where to get the perfect hug?"). In his latest adventure, Douglas helps a pal find a missing friend, and after sadly pondering why he doesn't have a 'best friend', events conspire to give him a big - and lovely - surprise.

We shall be reading 'We Love You Hugless Douglas' at storytime on Tuesday...and there will be some Hugless activities and goodies to be won all day!

At the moment we have a buy one get one free on a lovely range of Walker classic picture book - but amongst the more well-known titles (such as 'Dogger' and 'Where The Wild Things Are') there are a few gems that we feel deserve to be rediscovered. Our pick is 'Mrs Pepperpot Learns to Swim' - the stories of Mrs Pepperpot by Norwegian author Alf Proysen were first published in 1956 ('The Teaspoon Lady' in Norwegian apparently!) and the translations by Hilda Offen have been discovered by generations of children in this country since then.

Finally, a brand new picture book that we feel will become a classic.

In Kristyna Litten's 'Chickens Can't See In The Dark'., Little Pippa is told something she thinks is an old hen's tale, and - with the aid of a library and a whole load of carrots - she sets out to dispel the myth about chickens eyesight when the sun goes down.

A lovely, funny tale with a gentle moral at the end of thinking for yourself (and lots of ways to cook carrots!)

3 4 Friday: Join us for storytime, bookgroups...or a journey to the stars

If you have little ones (or know anyone who does!) we will be launching a brand new, weekly Storytime for Under 5s starting on Tuesday 22nd January at 2pm. Lasting for about half an hour, we’ll be picking a mix of classic and brand new picture books to read on the big story mat in the front of the shop.

Storytime will be free – simply drop in and take a seat! More details can be found if you take a look at a rather special bear sitting in our window at the moment. There's a clue here to one of the books we'll be reading from during the first storytime...

If ‘joining a bookgroup’ made it onto your new year resolutions list, we have a few places free for our Wednesday evening bookgroup which takes place at St Ethelwold’s House on the first Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm. There is an annual fee of £25 which covers room-hire costs.

Email us if you are interested and come along to a ‘taster’ on Wednesday, February 6 at 7.30pm – we shall be discussing 'Land of Decoration' by Grace McCleen, and copies are available at Mostly Books (ask for a bookgroup discount if you want to read along).

Finally: did you watch the BBC’s Stargazing Live this week? Have Professor Brian Cox and Dara O’Briain got you yearning to point a telescope at the planets? As some of you will know, Mark is a tiny bit obsessed with space (that's an understatement) but we've put together a selection of astronomy titles (for all ages), for beginner to seasoned telescope-wielding pro.

DK's excellent 'The Practical Astronomer' is a good place to start for the beginner - but come in and have a look at our ‘stellar’ display...

It's beginning to look a lot like Hugless...

When you come into Mostly Books, there are a few 'signature' books, ranges and authors that people have got to know us for over the years. Our Persephone Books have been a feature of the shop since we opened, and favourite authors of the staff tend to do well on the shelves too: Reginald Hill, Neal Stephenson, Brandon Sanderson and a few others we have more than a soft spot for.

Amongst shrines to authors in the children's room, you'll find Catherine Rayner, Julia Donaldson - and local children's author David Melling.

We've known David for many years, and recent events with him have seen a drawing masterclass at the local library, and also a splendid make-your-own-Douglas event that took place in the courtyard garden. But what has been really exciting is to see how 'Douglas' has really taken off and quickly won a place as a modern classic, shortlisted for plenty of awards, even spawning a hugely popular and pioneering smartphone app (itself up for awards).

Douglas has featured rather largely in the shop window for the last few months:

Hodder have done a great job turning Hugless into a very cute plush together with the book. Just look at his little nose and scarf:

David recently came into the shop to kindly sign copies of his books for us, and we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his writing (and drawing) life...

Five questions with . . . David Melling's writing life
1.    What are you working on at the moment?
'We love you Douglas' the fourth Douglas book, then I’m taking a break from Douglas. I’m then working on a new character, not entirely sure of his name, but probably called ‘Warren’. It’s going to bit more slapstick humour than Douglas, a bit of a change of pace. The feedback from my publisher in terms of what they like about my work is my characters: they like the pathos, humour and the strength of character – and Warren will focus on all of these elements.

2.    What is the best writing tip you've ever been given?
I think my knee-jerk response to that question is: do a little each day. It’s very important. Kids often ask me ‘how do you do that?’ when I draw, and it all comes down to a little each day. It’s like learning to play a musical instrument or a sport. You don’t pick up your tennis racquet one day and be volleying, hitting winning shots the next. The more you practice the better you get, and that’s the same with drawing and writing.

3.    What's the best and worst thing about being a children's writer?
The best thing is to be able to sit down and write and draw all day long. I’m very lucky, and there is nothing better. The worst aspect is towards the end of a project however, you do long and unusual hours, you neglect your family. That can be tough.

4.    Do you have a writer's survival kit?
Well, I did hear that Andrew Motion finds Lemsip gets him all creative, and Agatha Christie apparently used to bathe in a hot bath with apples, and the aroma inspired her! If I’m stuck, I’ll go for a walk, or drive, in fact – just get moving. I find train journeys are very useful in that regard. I do a lot of work in coffee shops, just doodling when ideas come. I always have a sketchbook on me, and so can always write stuff down.

The cartoonist James Thurber once said the hardest part of his job was convincing his wife that when he was standing and staring out the window he was actually hard at work. And that’s true. When I’m sitting and staring out of the window, having a meditative moment, that’s when ideas come. It links back to the joy of the job, at any point – whatever I’m doing – I can pull back from reality a little, and dip into the writing well.

5.    What was your big breakthrough?
I had two big breakthroughs. The first was in my 20s, when I was introduced to an illustrator who lived a couple of streets away. I was very lucky, and for a year I apprenticed to him, and was able to build up a portfolio. If you have the opportunity to apprentice to someone great, it’s very fortunate, and a wonderful opportunity - but to find someone nearby in the same town was incredibly lucky.

Breakthrough number two was whilst working at an animation studio. I had been building my portfolio up, and realised that my big passion was children’s books. At the time I made this decision and starting to look around, I was introduced to someone who had just set up on her own as an agent, and was looking for clients. It was perfect timing, and although it took almost two years to get published, having guidance within the industry was incredibly useful. I’m happy to say that – nearly twenty years later – she is still my agent!

---

For more insights into David's writing life, visit his rather splendid website here. And if you are a young fan of Douglas, you can vote for him in the Red House Children's Book Awards here. And of course, we have signed copies of Douglas (including rarely signed copies with the plush) in the shop. Just email books@mostly-books.co.uk if we can send you a last minute, rather special Christmas present...

I need a hug! Hugless Douglas at Mostly Books

We've all been getting very excited about Hugless Douglas, the new book by local children's author David Melling, and we wanted to do a really special event when it was launched. So we hatched a rather groovy event for children in the courtyard garden, featuring David, some rather spiffing bear paws, a large cardboard cut-out - and plenty of pens, pencils, brown material...and glue! We ran two sessions in the afternoon last Saturday, and David started each with a storytime, reading aloud the story of the bear who wakes after a long sleep, and really needs a hug... David then gave us a drawing masterclass, teaching everyone how to draw Douglas, and tips for any budding future illustrators: Here are some of the bears that resulted: (That last one looks a bit suspect - drawn with the help of someone a bit older than out target audience methinks). And then came the messy bit. We had - at great effort, and not a little trial and error - created a series of card templates, with velcro (to allow us to do the whole thing twice) that completely covered a large template of Hugless - complete with head and arm holes. The kids had been asked to bring along brown material in a special bag, and we got to work cutting, ripping, sticking and glueing... and then taking each section and building our own bear... And finally, everyone got a chance to put on the Hugless scarf, some fabulous big Hugless Douglas gloves courtesy of Ali, and stick their head and arms through to give us their biggest, smiliest bear impressions. Rrrarggh!

Thanks very much to David (of course, for original story, drawing masterclass and bear template), Ali (for supremo crafting efforts), Ellie (for tireless glue monitoring and bear co-ordination all afternoon), Nicki (templates and velcro-ing), European air traffic control (removing contrail haze and making it such a sunny and warm afternoon), and the budding young bears who came along...