Hooray for libraries

Libraries, it's generally agreed, are a Good Thing, and Abingdon Library is no exception. Mercifully spared from the great Oxfordshire library cull, it has benefited from an electronic upgrade which makes checking out your books much faster.

It also makes the entrance area much more welcoming.

It doesn't confine itself to lending books, music and DVDs, either. It provides a meeting place for reading groups and internet taster sessions, Rhymetime for toddlers and coffee and discussion mornings for adults.

Today was our big day: Meet Abingdon Writers.

Considering how many of our number have day jobs to go to, we fielded a good team: Gabby talked about how we started our group, her own romantic novel and the benefits of the Romantic Novelists Association; I spoke about my attempts to write a historical novel; Sally talked about the challenge of being a dyslexic writer; Nicky about children's/Young Adult writing; and Mary about inspiration and her own publishing experiences. Milly spoke briefly about being the cutest and most cheerful 6-month-old baby with a supermum who also writes and organises a writing group!
The audience turned out to be a literate and articulate group, many of whom were writers themselves, and they asked a range of good questions.

All in all, a good morning.