Organisers' joy at fair success (From Gazette Series)

Organisers' joy at fair success

ORGANISERS of a charity book fair first on Sunday were staggered by the support shown by the public.

Around 600 people visited the TwoCanDo event at Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel - and helped raise a mammoth £2,262.

This was well beyond even the most optimistic expectations.

There were an estimated 10,000 paperbacks, softbacks and hardbacks on sale at giveaway prices ranging from 10p to £1. Many people went away clutching armfuls.

Throughout the past six weeks hundreds of donations of books had been dropped off by the public at a number of locations throughout the Gazette area.

Four Pillars Hotels and the Gazette had set up the Twocando appeal earlier this year with the aim of funding new books for schools with the proceeds of the second-hand book fair.

Thornbury Lions Club immediately lent enthusiastic support and spent the week before the sale sifting and sorting volumes, while members provided the bulk of stewards at the sale.

Lion Bob Chaskin and Four Pillars sales and marketing director Vicky Begley said they were thrilled at the success of the event, while Gazette editor David Cullimore thanked everyone who had given and bought books.

He said: "Some people, as they were leaving, were already asking if we would be doing it again. This is certainly something the Twocando appeal will have to look at.

"We are hopeful that the final amount raised will be even more as thousands of unsold books will be passed on to another outlet.

"We shall be inviting schools shortly to put in bids for new books they would like."

Every visitor was entered in a free draw. Sarah Ford, of Dursley, won Sunday lunch for four at the hotel, while Jan tucker, also from Dursley, won dinner or meal for two.