Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man
What are Town Centres for?
In the case of somewhere like Bicester, and I suspect a number of similar sized towns up and down the land it’s not an easy question to answer. Before the internet came along that answer was clear – you’d pop into town and do the shopping, and there before you along the High Street and the Market Square was pretty much every shop imaginable. It was primarily about the things you needed and wanted:- the weekly groceries from a myriad number of butchers and bakers and greengrocers; new shoes for the kids at the beginning of term; a few screws for that long put-off DIY job; or perhaps just a treat – all those shops were there so you could do all the shopping all in one place and all at the same time – very convenient.
But there’s also another purpose, more subtle and a little less obvious – until it’s not there, and then you notice it. This particular purpose is difficult to replicate online, particularly for mega-corps looking to just sell stuff. A town centre is a place where people come together and become a community – we meet friends for coffee, we bump into neighbours we’ve not seen for a while, the streets are alive with the sound of our chatter. A recent meeting in town about the long-awaited proposal for the ‘smartening-up’ of the Market Square made clear what this less obvious thing is – virtually every suggestion and idea about what the Market Square should be was centred around one thing: People, the citizens of this town. We are the glue which holds it all together, without people town centres have little purpose.
The Market on Fridays is a complete joy, a diminished number of independent shops have stubbornly held on, and as I type these words the sound of chatter from the bookshop drifts up the stairs. Tomorrow the town will be full of hundreds of Bicester folk dressed in red with big bushy white beards – it’s the annual Santa Run – we’re not short of people in this town.
Historian Annie Gray has written a fabulous history of the High St called ‘The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker’ – with a little understanding of where we come from, we might be able to see more clearly where we’re going. We still have some glue in Bicester, let’s make sure the pot doesn’t run dry.
“Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man” by Mother Goose
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man,
Bake me a cake, as fast as you can;
Pat it, prick it, and mark it with B,
Put it in the oven for baby and me.
Christmas is very close, but don’t worry, there’s still time to order books before the big day! Including Sam Taplin’s Twinkly, Twinkly Sleigh Ride, each page is adorned with twinkly Christmas lights and a fantastic story. This is the perfect gift for babies and toddlers. We also have Rick Astley’s long-awaited biography, Never, which we’re selling for the discounted price of £15.00.
If you’re in the mood for some festive fiction, Ally Carter has released The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, this book begins as your classic crime novel and quickly morphs into a romance. Or, if you’re after something darker, Christmas and Other Horrors is a collection of short stories, featuring some stellar horror writers, including Garth Nix, Josh Malerman and Stephen Graham Jones. Local Oxfordian writer, Ann Granger, has released the new installment in her Campbell & Carter series, entitled Death on the Prowl. And, say “the book was better than the film!” with Gregory Maguire’s original story of Wicked.
For non-fiction, Lonely Planet have released Hidden Libraries, which showcase some of the best community libraries around the world, and introduce you to the people who set them up. Monty Don and Derry Moore have published a beautiful coffee-table-book about the most eye-catching gardens that Spain has to offer, in Spanish Gardens. Adams Henson’s Christmas on the Farm is out in paperback, containing all of the wonderful wintery delights on Bemborough Farm. Whilst, Boy from the Valleys by Luke Evans is the tell-all of Wales’ favourite actor and heart-throb.
Finally, for the little astronomer, Usborne’s Stargazing Book is a great, easy-to-understand guide for anyone aged 6+ looking to get into stargazing. Whilst, the fantastic storyteller Kieran Larwood is back with a new series of books for ages 9+. Jed Greenleaf is an incredibly bonkers new fantasy where an unlikely hero must prove himself.
As always, if you want anything ordering in, or you need anything, do let us know!
From Amber
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