The Aardvark Blog
Valentine's Day is upon us
Valentine's Day is upon us
The Valentine's Day event has just opened and the first visitors are arriving. Sarah Rogers has a wonderful chocolate display, and Bronte Woodruff is greeting visitors with a wonderful display of her cards and small art pieces.
With Gareth's guitar music to come, Aardvark is the place to be today if you have a romantic bone in your body.
As per my previous emails the application process for our bookshop job is now closed , and we will be letting people know next week. Big thanks to all those who applied, and I am only sorry that we cannot employ all of you.
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Latest Posts
Why buy books on art?
Why I Love Batsford
I'm Back ... Not From Outer Space
Blog Writers Block, Getting Ready for the Sale, April event
Click-Bait End of Year Listicles
Archive
2026
2025
Click-Bait End of Year Listicles
Christmas Thoughts 2025
Life's a Grind (2), venturing into unwise territory, Frankfurt (2)
Life's a Grind, Christmas comes early at Aardvark Books, the Return of Dutch Lewis
Two events this week and random thought on the countryside and the right to roam
Remembering two customers, Phil Rogers Exhibition, Autumn update
Michel Gondry 'Brutalist Video', Wonder of Phil Rogers Part Two, Presteigne Festival & Presteigne Open Studios
The wonder of Phil Rogers, Exciting Presteigne Festival, New sale items every day
Can We Trust?
A couple of days in Stratford upon Avon
Second May Car Boot, Stephen Cox at Houghton Hall, Teaser for summer sale
Hot days in Brampton Bryan
Easter 2025 is upon us
Don't Sweat the How Stuff
London Book Fair 2025, Spring is here, Easter Event bookings
Damn you, Constable!
Thoughts about 2025 continued
Sad news for January, Borderlines Film Festival, Fleamarkets 2025, and more
January Snow, 2025 - The Year Ahead, Christmas Reading
2024
Christmas Fair Hurrah, Podcast you may like, purchasing experiences, EXTRA SHOPPING DAY
A trip to London to meet old friends
You can go back
Frankfurt state of mind
Why We Do What We Do
The Voynich Effect
Road Repairs, Scarecrow Sunday, Infantilism, Bank Holiday Vide Grenier,
The Rain it Raineth ,,,
Book Archaeology, A New Way of thinking about Bookshops, There is no I in Team
Bookshop Podcast Aardvark Edition, Folio Society, Looking towards the booksale
May madness
The Bad, The Good and the Ugly
Easter 2024
Never Explain, Never Apologise
What If?
The impossibility of there being too many books ...
Denial is not a river in Egypt
20 Years On
2023
Aardvark Christmas Fair opens in three minutes
Ch, Ch, Changes - Turn and Face the Strain
Why Richard Osman is Our Greatest Living Writer
Wanting to Be Liked
Vagaries of Summer
August is here, Scarecrows in Brampton Bryan, Book Sale, Vide Grenier
Everyday bookselling conversation
Jenny Beard, Thank Q's all round, Sci-Fi etc
Frieda Hughes event, small house clearance, Aardvark Sale and Car Boot
When All The Fierce Passions Cease
All the Fun of the Fair, May Car Boot
Judge Not, That You Be Not Judged
Endings
Have a Heart
The brilliance of independent shops!
Second blog of the year, plans for 2023, Reta Cowley etc
New Year greetings, arrivals and departures, books. books, books
2022
Thank Yous Galore
After 2 1/2 years it was bound to happen ...
Back from travels and about to go on holiday!
Aardvark Car Boot 16th October, Alison Weir 19th October, Christmas Fair 4th December
The Queen's Passing
Fantastic Vide Grenier, Herefordshire Art Week, Ludlow Food Festival
Civil War Commences
Sumer is icumen in
Book sale starts, Academic History titles, the proper start of summer
Thanks for 'Presence of Absence' , More Books, Aardvark Books Sale
Busy Week, Tickets for Presence of Absence, June and staying in the area
Morning of the Car Boot Upon Us. Poetry event and extra exhibition, fantastic books
May Car Boot Saturday 28th, Remembering Tony Good, Belfast, Tidal wave of books (3), Poetry Day 12th June
Revenge is a Dish ....
Yarborough House, Books Books Books (2), May Car Boot, Poetry Day 'The Presence of Abscence'
Tony Good: Some Memories
Tractor Alert, Easter Thanks, May Car Boot, Bank Holiday Mondays, Book Madness
London Bookfair, Easter Event, Latest Bookshop.org list
Kingsland Church, Easter Saturday, Civil War Re-Enactment etc
Strange Times
Knighton Ukraine Van, New Art Books
Oh no now Shirley Hughes has left us
Some light amongst the gloom
Planning for the rest of the year
Back from Spring Fair, Radio Fame, New Stock
More Random Thoughts; Donna Leon; Dune; Reacher on Amazon TV
Back from Mental Spring Cleaning and raring to go
A New Year and sooo much to do; 17th-21st January Bookshop closed
2021
So long 2021, and hello 2022
A quick thought
Christmas greetings and some sad news
Thinking about Christmas
John Challis Re-Remembered, Christmas Presents, thoughts on 2022
Independent Bookshop Day, Car Boot Sunday 24th October, books and thanks
John Challis
Wow weekend, lots of books and even comics
Cultural prejudices are no different from any other
Patience (how we all have less than we think we have)
Aardvark Thoughts from Summer 2021
Cecily Book Launch - visions of the before time
The Gentle Pleasures of Re-Reading, Job Applications
The book tower of Brampton Bryan
Nothing like a week's holiday
This week at Aardvark the Three Ps: Pevsner, Penguin and Pots
Bank Holiday Happiness, All UK online book orders now sent tracked, sad colleague news
Car Boot fully booked, looks like a glorious weekend
Aardvark May Car Boot Now Fully Booked, Open Bank Holiday Monday
12 Steps to Moving to the Country (Revised Post Pandemic Edition)
Anyone feeling like some love to warm this cold climate?
We are open today ( and yes I have seen the forecast AGAIN
We are open this Bank Holiday Monday ( and yes I have seen the forecast)
New inspiration is on its way
We are open all weekend - new cake supplies arriving
This week of opening has been a real joy
We are now officially open
We're Back - Aardvark Books Re-opens 12th April
Alison Lurie the best contemporary writer on marriage has left us
March 2020:-March 2021: The year the whole world jumped the shark
Good day sunshine Good day sunshine Good day sunshine I need to laugh, and when the sun is out I've got something I can laugh about
Three cheers for Donna Leon!
Sorrows and Joys - the human condition
What Makes for Perfect Romantic Fiction
The first full week of lockdown ends with hope at last
I blame myself
Reasons to be hopeful for 2021: Part One
2020
You are still always a child until your last parent dies
It was two weeks before Christmas and right through the bookshop
New Aardvark Bookshop.org lists for Christmas
Small business saturday is soo necessary this year
Come celebrate the real spirit of Christmas at Aardvark Books
An appreciation for Fela Kuti is just one thing I learnt from my wife
Robert Frost was a great poet but not always right
Random Thoughts from the New Lockdown 1
Success is a letter in the New Yorker in New York City
It's easy like a Sunday morning
Look to my coming at first light on the 5th day
Don't despair we will still be here, and bookshop.org is here now too!
People say I'm a dreamer
Lockdown is definitely coming - people are buying games and sex books
Yes Santa Claus is coming and you better make sure you have been good!
We have sooooo many books in the shop!
Little Women is great and Greta Gerwig is fab
We will endure, our testament is written in stone
Fanshaw Books and a bit of nostalgia
Back to the Between Time, Christmas
Wow what a ride!
CAR BOOT NOW FULL
CAR BOOT NOW FULL
Musings for the Between Time 5
Car Boot, Car Boot, Car Boot
Death of Roger Emmerson, English Civil War Society
Musings for the Between Time 4
A coda to my earlier exchange of letters on the bookshop
Musings for the Between Time 3
An email from an unhappy customer and my response
Musings for the Between Time 2
Musings from the Between Time 1 Coda
Musings from the Between Time 1
Random Thoughts from Lockdown - Final Edition
Random Thoughts from Lockdown 6
Random Thoughts from Lockdown 5
Random Thoughts from Lockdown 4
Random Thoughts from Lockdown 3
Random Thoughts from Lockdown 2
Random Thoughts from Lockdown
Tough times for the book trade, Amadeus Quartet, Lee Miller Documentary
Our New Website, more musings, Titian or Titien , books and more
Good Friday Blog
Back to the new normal
Aardvark News: dispatches from behind the lines
A llittle kindness goes a long way
Oh Boy not what I expected 2020 to bring
Cathy Nardiello, the Coming of Spring, London Bookfair, lots more books
Lots and lots of new titles
A New Year dawns
2019
Country Life, Winter Event, books and yet more books
A wintry day but its warm inside
Brocante open for business despite the torrential rain
Big thank yous, and looking towards the rest of the year
Wow autumn is really busy
Summer returns
The Re-enactment is definitely on
Delayed Thank Yous, looking ahead to the rest of the summer
Death of Gene Wolfe; some random thoughts
Two sad pieces of news, and some good news!
More books, upcoming events
It Never Entered My Mind
Sunny Saturday, getting ready for Easter
Website, 'The Flower Garden', Easter Garden Event, lots and lots of books
Even more art books, planning for Easter
Spring Music Event, Website, Graham Arnold, 'The Flower Garden'
White Crow, London Bookfair etc
Borderlines Begins with a Flourish, London Book Fair, New Aardvarkistas
Rachel Podger, Arcadia Music Programme
Eventful week in mostly sunshine
Books, books and more books
Beautiful Winter Morning, Non-stop phone calls, plans for the year
Speeding into 2019
Hurrah its a New Year and I for one am glad of it
2018
End of year thoughts
Thanks for the Christmas Fair, Poetry Breakfast, 2019
Where does the time go?
A return to normality?
Autumn Brocante
Back from Frankfurt, Brocante on Sunday, Winter Event
Autumn returns
Long time no blog
Bank Holiday Monday - Vide Grenier hoorah!
Vide Grenier on Monday, J L Carr Day on 1st September, H.Art opens on the 8th of September
Art Books, Angelfest Kingsland, Vide Grenier, Carr Celebration, H.Art
Brilliant Scarecrow Sunday, lots of books, looking forward to J L Carr, H.Art and Ludlow Food Festival, sad goodbye
Scarecrow Sunday, Applications for Café position, Idle Thoughts of a musical & vinous bent
Art Opening - Summer Sextet, Scarecrow Sunday, Radio Fame, Pop-Ups, lots and lots of books
Meetings with Remarkable Books, Summer Sextet, Scarecrow Sunday
So much has happened, and so much is coming up
Fabulous May Brocante about to open !
Don't Forget - Bank Holiday Brocante
Bank Holiday Weekend, Out of the Hills
Art of the Print, Blue Haze Quartet, new cake selection, looking forward to the Brocante and beyond
Bookfair books all stowed away, Art of the Print, Out of the Hills etc
Aardvarks Back from Norfolk, Art of the Print, Point to Point, hard pounding
What a week its been
Busy week in the bookshop, 'Art of the Print', 'Out of the Hills' and Much More
Big thanks to all who made Easter so fantastic!
Snow again, busy week, April book bonanza, Easter and sculpture, Jazz amongst the bookshelves
Snow no more, Borderlines Sponsored Film, even more books
Opening Hours 3rd of March
Closing Early 2nd March
Valentine's event is finally here
Spring Fair, Epic victory in Kingsland Quiz, 'The Bookshop' performance at Courtyard, Valentine's Event
And so the new year turns
Roadworks, new philosophy library and lots of CDs
New Year and lots of books
2017
New Year Resolutions 2
New Year's resolutions 1
Nothings gives pleasure more than a good book, a beautiful music and a wonderful view
Christmas Fair cancelled, Christmas opening etc
Christmas Fair, Aardvark Christmas opening, 2017 Thanks
Winter Event - Bill Sewell, Jobs at Aardvark
Winter Event, False Lights Review, Aardvark in 2018
Employment at Aardvark Books
October Brocante, Frankfurt update, Winter Event
Back from Frankfurt, Brocante Sunday, much more to come
Syrinx and Harp Arcadia at Aardvark, Frankfurt Bookfair, October Brocante, Weekend helper required
'Syrinx and Harp', October Brocante, new titles in store
False Lights, Tickets for Arcadia Music, Stall bookings for October Brocante
Ludlow Food Festival, False Lights Book Launch, Syrinx and Harp
Why Buy Art?
Health updates, Vide Grenier news, H.Art, Literary Ludlow, Book Launch: False Lights
Only two days to the Vide Grenier
Civil War Weekend continues, H.Art, Literary Ludlow, Launch of 'False Lights'
Civil War Weekend Awaits
Thank you for best wishes, Re-enactment, History books galore
Aardvarks back in the saddle, Jazz Brunch and Sale, Forward to the Re-enactment and the autumn
Aardvark is Cyclist heaven, Solstice Exhibition, Changes to Jazz Brunch line up
Last weekend of Shropshire Hills Art Exhibition, and opening next week of 'The Solstice'
And Humour
Books, Music and Art: The answer to all life's problems
Mad May Bank Holiday, Shropshire Hills Art Week, Even More Books
Catch up, books and forthcoming exhibitions
Map exhibition opening, Bank Holiday weekend
Last weekend of Fire and Earth Ceramics exhibit, excitement ahead of 'Maps and Mansions', big house clearance
An incredible 3 years
CDs, Fire + Earth Ceramics exhibition
Clwyd Art Fund, Shropshire Books, Map Exhibition, Fire and Earth, Stuart Davies
London Book Fair, Building a Library-'Quartet for the End of Time', Books Books Books!
In memoriam Paul Williams,London Bookfair
Blow Up, Borderlines Film Festival, Blow-Up Part 1
Beautiful bright day, Peter May, Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts
Richard Strauss, Rodrigo on Building a Library, Valentine's Day, Peter Reynolds Musicologist, Art of France
Valentine's Saturday
Who would have known it - books are back in fashion
Busy week at Aardvark Books!
Hope
Bright clear morning, and exciting events to come
New Year 2017
2016
New Year's Eve 2016
Five reasons to be cheerful for 2017!
Christmas Eve 2016
CHRISTMAS FAIR 2016
Xmas Fair on Sunday, Greg Lake, Abstract Expressionism at the Royal Academy
Grey Sunday morning, but ice free
Barbara Strozzi on Building a Library, nearly at the end of Frankfurt Books, plans for Christmas Fair
Winter Event, plans for 2017
Wigmore Abbey, Poobahs, Leonard Cohen
Summer sun, Wi-fi in Café, working through Frankfurt books, next year's programme
Slight wi-fi delay
Post Frankfurt, Show tunes, new staff member, the coming of wi-fi to Aardvark Café
9 days of problems, followed by a period of sanity
Arcadia continues, Brocante next Sunday, yet more books
Arcadia at Aardvark; Arcadia weekend; more book
Last day of H.Art, that's it for exhibitions for 2016
Good news on Aardvark H.Art; new books in stock; October Brocante; Arcadia Music
Jobs at Aardvark Books; H.Art, Autumn programme
H.Art & Ludlow Food Fair
Vide Grenier day and the weather is fantastic!
Vide Grenier Excitement, David Evans, Jill Alford Sale, More changes
Charity Sale Today, Vide Grenier on Monday
History Weekend (Day 2)
History Weekend; H.Art preparations
The Poetry of Ted Hughes
So pleased with our 'Take Five' Exhibition
Fantastic opening for 'Take Five', wonderful summer sunshine
Back from La Belle France to Scarecrows, Art and More Work
Too Many Tears
Books the ultimate consolation
Geoffrey Hilll, Peter Florence,Marking Time, Food and Farming Day
To Friedrich Schiller in profound gratitude from a poor bookseller
An Artist's Life, tragedy in Yorkshire and France, Folio Society Books
Shropshire Hills Art Week Exhibition well and truly open
Brocante well underway!
Opening times over Bank Holiday Weekend and Half Term
Arcadia, Vivaldi, Flea Market, Bank Holidays
Bliss was it in that Dawn to Be Alive
Last day of the map exhibition; thinking about 'An Actor's Life'
Shropshire Hills Art Week, May Brocante, Travel Books
Non-Marches Interloper for last week of map exhibition
Slow morning
Wonderful Carlos Acosta
Maps Exhibition Opened, Awful weather, Cozy Fire
Maps, books, random thoughts
LBF, New York Review of Books, Map Exhibition
Yet more changes at Aardvark, H.Art already, more DVDs and loads of art books
Busy week, peculiar nature of media, Lots going on in April
Easter holidays at Aardvark
Easter Saturday, Sad News - Jill Alford
No claim to infallibility; lots new in
Superb bright Sunday morning; changes to the bookshop
Slow start, busy week coming up
Stop Press - wonderful children's books
Beautiful morning, exciting days and weeks ahead
As You Like It, the return of the sun
Saturday Morning, the wonder of David Sedaris, Carter Dickson
More and more and more books, Lucie starting, 'The Garden'
Stunning sunny day, thoughts on London and being a country mouse
Death of Mary Campbell, CD Review and R3 Schizophrenia, Wes Montgomery and Milt Jackson, fantastic academic library purchase
Great Valentine's Day, Cimarosa, Friday Night Lights, Exciting News of Aardvark Appointment
Valentine's Day is upon us
Any Questions, Valentines Day, Jacques Rivette, James Lee Burke
Two good pieces of news, Valentine's Day, Changes to tax reporting for small businesses and the self-employed, Working at Aardvark,
D is for Doyle, Davis, Dexter, Deaver, Carter Dickson, Dunant, Durbridge, Dodge and Dickens
Extending deadline for job offer, 'The Garden', Sale Tent
Wonderful Royal Ballet, less than wonderful politicians
Last weekend of sale - but don't despair
Quite a busy month
Bookshop and Café Person required
B is for Bludgeon, Beaton, Bentley, Berkeley, Martin Beck and Burke
First day of aardvark sale, job applications, cold weather, thoughts on the year
CVs, Sale and more and more books
More books for 2016
A is for Alibi, Ames, Allingham and Ambler
Change, Change, Change
2016
2015
Post Christmas Thoughts
Japanese Single book bookshop
Busy day
Christmas 2015
Books and opening times update
Flaxman the magnificent; Christmas idea; last chance to see
Fantastic day, beautiful morning
So many art books and all for sale at incredible prices
Only one more Aardvark Event before Christmas!
Winter Event arrives on time
Paris, Culture, What we leave behind
Busy Beavers
A wet day ...
Autumn alert
Frankfurt, Culture and Fleamarkets
Through the fog, poetry and much more beside
Books take centre stage - but art has a last hurrah!
Back to life, back to reality
H.Art, Ludlow Food Fair, Craaaaazy!
Art, Art and a little food too!
Phil Rickman at St James', Wigmore
The pleasures of selling a special book
The pleasures of Spenser
Vide Grenier, H.Art, Non-stop activity
Phew!
Re-enactment under - our biggest ever
Extraordinary evening at Brecon
Summer Lightning
Great opening!
Back from an unsettle France, to a summer of madcap Aardvark Activity
Make Your Summer Count!
Make Your Summer Count!
One door closes ...
Long days, the Food Fair Camaraderie
History is not Bunk ( it's official)
Fantastic Iceland; Countdown to Food Fair
Iceland is up, and will open tomorrow!
Last weekend of Shropshire Hills Art Week, Food Fair, New Books
Food Fair, New Books, Iceland Exhibition
Fantastic opening to Shropshire Hills Art Week
Bank Holiday Brocante Underway!
Non-stop Aardvark craziness
Great Lecture, Last day of the map exhibition
Quiet days are made for Aardvark Books
The Art of the Personal
Lest any -one should think that there should be any lowering of the cake quality
First week without Catherine; Maps Exhibition bonus; Brocante Update
Last day for Catherine; great trip to London Bookfair; New Books in Stock
Exhibition; George Butterworth; random culture
Sunny Easter Monday; crazy Easter Saturday
You heard it here first
The exhibition is up; fingers crossed for Saturday!
New members of the team; Easter events; Map exhibition
Book Buying, CD Buying, Fantastic Eclipse
Things I forgot
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
RSC 'Much Ado', new books, Welsh and World Book Day
February ending, can Spring be far behind
One down ...
New Books, New Books
Science Fiction; change is afoot
New Carpet, Change, the Year Ahead
Out of the loop
If only we were all Charlie
12 Steps to Moving to the Country
2014
2015 awaits
And at last it is Christmas Eve
An endless river of books, a dreck day, a warm hearth
Christmas Fair 2015
Christmas is very much upon us
Christmas in the bookshop
Busy Sunday, Wenlock Books Christmas Tree
Flea Market Heaven
More Upbeat Frankfurt; planning for Brocante
Antiquarian Sales, children's books, Frankfurt preparations
A quiet weekend, but some great sales!
H.art sales!
H.art carries on for two weeks
Our H.Art exhibition is now hung and ready to open
H.art is nearly here
Vide Grenier, H.Art and onwards
DVDs and CD's at Aardvark Books
Day two of the history weekend
History Weekend Preparations
Previously in Aardvark Books ...
Huge library purchase; last copies anywhere of Jo Brand Memoir
Food, Food, Food
First purchase for next year's map exhibition
Why does dealing with publishers need to be so frustrating (2)
Why does dealing with publishers need to be so frustrating
Culture Vulture
HIstory and fun this summer
A warm Saturday in June
Great response to the inaugural South Shropshire Art Week
June starts with a bang
Nearly a month on
Driving rain cannot stop us
What a month it has been
Saddest News Imaginable
Busy, Busy, Busy
Quiet before the storm
Thinking about books and bookselling
Age recommendations on children's books
Sunshine and children's books
Theology Books and sunny weather
Under the Hammer
Valentine's Market
All roads lead to Aardvark & Flavours of Hereford Festival
Water, water everywhere ...
Sale expectations
The changing faces of winter
2014 comes with a fast forward button
On tenterhooks with V I Warshawski
Online Bookshop up at last ; acquisition of major literature library
New Year Resolutions
2013
So Long Peter O'Toole
Countdown to Christmas, Buying Books
Website, wind, new books
To upgrade or not to update, David Low
Dorothy l Sayers and the impossible man
Lou Reed and John Tavener
Phew. A bit of a breather
Website, Brocante etc
Frankfurt Bookfair 2
Frankfurt Book Fair (1)
Countdown to shop on website
Back at work and busy making plans
Busy sunday
Food Fairs and yet more books
Books, Books, Books
More Aardvarkiana
Fantastic texile show from Midlands Textile Forum
Books are my bag
Dreadful weather, bags finally arrived
Much too much to do
Can we really be thinking about next year's Food Fair
Michael Rosen on Herefordshire Libraries
Food, Food and More Food
huge pile of new children's fiction
H.Art: Contemporary Textiles show opening
Hanging day for Contemporary Textiles H.Art Exhibition
Busy bank holiday weekend
Flavours of Herefordshire
Aardvark Connection through Courtyard Antiques
Frankfurt Trip
Model Cookery
English Civil War Society
Bookshops in France