Clerk B Goes To A Book Swap

From this...

 I'd never been to a book swap before, so I was wondering whether I'd be sitting in the cafe on my own for an hour and a half, before sheepishly packing up my four contributions to take them home again....

...but after ten minutes of feeling like a billy-no-mates (having bagged the biggest table in the place, I felt slightly conspicuous), I was delighted as a slow but steady trickle of Friends started to come through the door. With books.

Lots of books.

...to this.

Oddly enough, I seemed to be the only person who was happy to go home with more books than I'd brought - so I spent a very happy hour going through the pile, while everyone else sighed and averted their faces like people on a diet trying to resist cake. But I am glad to say that hardly anyone left entirely empty-handed. At the end, though, it seemed that I was the main beneficiary (unless you count guilt-free decluttering as a benefit, which maybe we should) - apart from Oxfam, who received the leftover spoils.

I am now looking forward to being a Great Spiritual Authority. Well, once I've actually read all my new books, anyway!

But my overall favourite moment of the day was when a Friend said (and I quote): 'I just don't know how I've managed to get to my age without having read any Teilhard de Chardin.' I know exactly how you feel, Lorraine. ;)