The sun in the heavens was beaming,
The breeze bore an odour of hay
In a way it was a little like an encampment out in the Wild West:- a field betwixt Town & Village, a collection of wagons circling a large tent, some ancillary structures and the gentle sounds of conversation from maybe three hundred souls – all expectant but unsure as to what was going to happen next. The anticipation was not for a rampaging hoard to come charging over the Pingle Field with less than honourable intent, it was for a troop of comedians to come and entertain – we were all gathered last evening for a right old laugh. And the Bicester Comedy Festival, hosted by the genius of Andrew Bird’s Lone Wolf Comedy Club, provided so many belly laughs that the chuckle tears of joy ran freely – not a dry cheek was to be found in that tent!
At the end of the evening, the crowd drifting back across to the field to Town, full of mirth, the gentle chatter now something much more glorious and excited, the streetlights and people making The Causeway and Market Square look and sound like Bicester was the loveliest place in the world at that moment.
It would be fair to say that on the surface our town is a little short of ‘culture’: there’s no formal theatre, no museum, no literary festival. But dive beneath the surface and Bicester is full of secrets, the sort that if you know, you know. Our library is sensational, the amateur dramatic society, the concerts at St Edburg’s, Andrew’s Comedy Club at the Littlebury each month, the Bicester Local History Society, and perhaps even Coles Book Club – the Town keeps its great secrets close, they’re whispered, not shouted.
If Bicester has a character, it could be best described as talented, but shy. As the years roll by and the Town grows, those talents are becoming more noticeable – If you have events, clubs or get-togethers which you’d like to share with the folk of Town, drop us a note – we’d like to expand the bits and bobs we post under our banner of ‘The Bicestrian’ on the Coles website and in the bookshop. It’ll be our way of sharing some of the Town’s secrets, whispered, not shouted.
And finally the Comedy Festival runs throughout the rest of the weekend – if you get chance, try and go, it’ll be a laugh.
‘Missed’ by P.G. Wodehouse
The sun in the heavens was beaming,
The breeze bore an odour of hay,
My flannels were spotless and gleaming,
My heart was unclouded and gay;
The ladies, all gaily apparelled,
Sat round looking on at the match,
In the tree-tops the dicky-birds carolled,
All was peace — till I bungled that catch.
My attention the magic of summer
Had lured from the game – which was wrong.
The bee (that inveterate hummer)
Was droning its favourite song.
I was tenderly dreaming of Clara
(On her not a girl is a patch),
When, ah, horror! there soared through the air a
Decidedly possible catch.
I heard in a stupor the bowler
Emit a self-satisfied ‘Ah!’
The small boys who sat on the roller
Set up an expectant ‘Hurrah!’
The batsman with grief from the wicket
Himself had begun to detach –
And I uttered a groan and turned sick. It
Was over. I’d buttered the catch.
O, ne’er, if I live to a million,
Shall I feel such a terrible pang.
From the seats on the far-off pavilion
A loud yell of ecstasy rang.
By the handful my hair (which is auburn)
I tore with a wrench from my thatch,
And my heart was seared deep with a raw burn
At the thought that I’d foozled that catch.
Ah, the bowler’s low, querulous mutter
Points loud, unforgettable scoff!
Oh, give me my driver and putter!
Henceforward my game shall be golf.
If I’m asked to play cricket hereafter,
I am wholly determined to scratch.
Life’s void of all pleasure and laughter;
I bungled the easiest catch.
We’re all keeping our fingers crossed for sunnier days, with time to bask in the garden and escape into a story! With so many glorious choices in fiction, will it be Rachel Cusk’s experimental journey into motherhood and creation or familiar friends in Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel that keep you company this summer? And in non-fiction, blow your mind with the biggest blunders in history, explore the dark world of antiques, or probe the brain’s eccentricities with neurologist Pria Anand. And for children, two unique interactive books will make story time extra special!
As always, if there’s anything you need, just pop by or reply to this email!
From Sophie
Feeling curious? Click on the book covers below to explore the book.
The full newsletter with links to books – including this week’s Signed Editions – can be found HERE
