Eventing

One of our flea markets in full swing

We never wanted to be 'just' a bookshop. We always planned to do events that attracted different people and boosted our income as well as creating a feeling of being a hub in the community where people might meet each other and do interesting things. Lots of people particularly mentioned to us how much they loved the flea markets that Aardvark used to run, so we knew we had to consider doing those, and that perhaps we would do them more often than the occasional bank holiday in order to draw people in. We also had our own ideas about other things that interested us, including book groups and supper clubs. It was in the business plan and part of our vision so it was always just a matter of time before we dipped our toe into programming waters.

We have had a lot to do just getting the bookshop up and running but we knew that we needed to set out our stall, as it were, by starting with events as soon as we could, so we bit the bullet and committed to holding our first flea market at 10am on the late spring bank holiday in May, just six weeks after opening. In the run up we were feeling nervous but hopeful. We were pleased with the number of stallholders who booked in, lots of whom had be Aardvark stalwarts, we booked the fields with the farmer, ordered extra cake and some bacon for baps, the weather forecast looked forgiving and we advertised and put out signs and posters - it all looked... good!

We turned up at 7am on the Sunday morning to find that not just one but several stallholders were not just already at the shop but had actually fully set up in our car park. I mean, not just parked but tables up and complete stalls with everything laid out. It was... a surprise, to say the least, like turning up at your house to find that people had started their own garden party in your driveway. Anyway, we rolled with it, and set up around them, putting out our own stuff, setting up the car parking signs, turning on the tea urn and fielding a number of people who turned up to start browsing the stalls by 7.45am. But it starts at 10am! we tried to tell them. You don't know what you are doing, was the answer. You will lose the dealers who only ever shop very early in the morning. But not all of the stallholders are here yet! Doesn't matter! Let us in! Some of the stallholders behind us muttered darkly about denying them vital sales as we tried to stick to our guns. It was a somewhat tense standoff that ended when we folded and let the (handful of) people in very early. A culture clash between completely different tribes and something to be pondered for next time.

The market in the end was a great success, the weather was kind, most of the stallholders made good sales, we sold out of bacon baps and a lot of people who wouldn't normally come to us walked through our doors to see the new regime, browse the books and eat millionaire's shortbread. Financially for us it was completely worthwhile, but we were exhausted.

But the unpleasantness on the gate lingered in our minds and we strongly considered not doing the flea markets again. In the end business (money) won out and we decided to give it another go, this time on a Sunday, not a bank holiday. This time we were more prepared, had informed all of the stallholders on booking that they were not welcome before 7am and that the event started at 10am, but that early shoppers could pay £5 to come from 9am if they really wanted to so word spread that we were serious about the start time. The weather once again was kind, we sold more bacon baps, made some money on the early bird tickets, stallholder numbers were good and most sold something, and we had far fewer arguments on the gate. We were getting the hang of it. The one outstanding complaint - they used to have live music before - will be handled at the next one, which is tomorrow. Live music at lunchtime! We have learnt some lessons and are settling into the routine. Time to move onto the next thing.

We launched our first book group in June, and were delighted when 16 people showed up. 16! That is an amazing number for a first one, as the local library manager confirmed. It was so many that for this month's group we are trying two different books as we have space for people to split up into different groups for the discussion, choosing books from our warehouse shelves that are old but still decent in order to use some up as well as introduce books that are not what everyone else is reading. We are thrilled at how the first group went, so fingers crossed that it continues in the same vein.

Next up, time for a supper club. We pondered a theme, but it wasn't until we were having a nostalgic conversation about the 1990s, triggered by Anthony Stewart Head (ah Giles) dying, that we realised we had our theme. We dug out all of the cookbooks on our shelves from the 1990s and realised that we had so many options for a really delicious menu, so many great chefs that we still love today just starting out. Come the evening, and we had eight people, eight actual fee-paying strangers, booked in. We set the communal table, poured the cocktails, plated up the canapes (thanks Delia for those recipes) and the evening kicked off. The food seemed to go down well, and there was a beautiful moment, once the main course was served, when Polly and I sat out on a bench outside the front door, listening to the laughter and conversation inside, and looking out over our very pretty surroundings, that we realised that this event too would be ok. Better than ok. On their way out, I heard some of the customers inviting others to coffee if they were ever in the neighbourhood, which thrilled me to bits. Phew! We had pulled it off. Supper club: check.

After these early experiences, we are feeling a bit more confident, and have been planning the summer, including weekly Dungeons and Dragon role-playing evenings, craft activities and a book swap for kids, and our first author event with Anne Keer of the lovely Welsh-women-led Honno press. I am excited. Books are lovely, but for me they are not quite as good as people (shh, don't tell the Bookseller's Association). People coming together to meet each other, spend time in each other's company, discover something new and go home feeling that their lives are richer for the experience - that's what I live for. Events will always be stressful; will people come? Have we got everything we need? Will we accidentally poison someone or set fire to something or invalidate our insurance? All of these questions run through my head every time. And yet, when they go well, they really are magic. And we have a perfect space for some magic here.

Rachel

The table laid for supper club