Booklovers turn out despite weather

INK AND PRESS: Jill Rose, of Spellbinding bookbinding, has a go at an Adana table-top platen press from Cobblestones Museum, on demonstration at St Teresa's School during the Featherston Booktown event.PHOTO/ANDREW BONALLACK

Wild winds and torrential rain lashed Featherston over the weekend but Booktown events carried on.

The three-day festival celebrated all things books throughout the town.

Chairman of the Featherston Booktown Trust, Lincoln Gould, said he was very happy with the turnout. He thought about 2000 people would turn up but said there must have been upwards of 4000.

Marquees were not put out as planned and booksellers were moved into Anzac Hall because of the weather, Mr Gould said.

Athena bookbinder Robyn Ramsden ran bookbinding demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday at St Teresa's School and saw many people roll into Featherston.

"Town was chocka," Mrs Ramsden said.

The weather was "wild and woolly", but "hundreds and hundreds" still came to town. "It didn't slow people down at all," she said.

Many came from Wellington, with one stallholder saying the train had plenty of booklovers.

Mrs Ramsden said it was "really good" for Featherston to have the event and attract so many.

Spellbinding bookbinder Jill Rose ran a stall in the Library. She said she saw about 100 people come through on Saturday but there were significantly less on Sunday.

Mr Gould said they made a good start with Booktown and look to get the whole town involved by introducing more bookshops over the next year. He said they have a lot to think about before taking the next step.

"I think we have established something really good," Mr Gould said.

"I'm looking forward to next year already," Mrs Ramsden said.