Bookworms burrow in at Lions' grand sale

Barbara Ferguson, left, convenor of the Dannevirke Lions book sale, and Lilian Russell, organiser of the special children's sale, take a rest during the weekend's mayhem. Photo / Christine McKay

Nothing was going to deter Cheryl Hunter from searching through more than 20,000 books at the Dannevirke Lions book sale - not even an operation on both wrists.,

Ms Hunter had carpal tunnel surgery last Thursday and, despite two bandaged wrists, was one of the hundreds of bookworms at the Dannevirke Town Hall on Friday for the opening of the three-day sale.

"I'm a real bookworm and have a room full of books at home and nothing was going to stop me coming to this sale," she told the Dannevirke News.

With husband Ian hauling a bulging bag of books and friend Lyn McConchie holding up possible titles, Ms Hunter was making the most of the $1 bargains on offer.

"Ian does read, but he doesn't mind me reading to him, especially Clive Cussler or a Lee Child," she said. "I'm lucky I've a lovely understanding husband prepared to lug the books around here for me. Mind you, I would have pouted if he'd said no."

She was searching out science fiction and fantasy books for herself.

And for Ms McConchie and the throngs who made this year's sale another booming success, there was just one word to describe the sale: "bliss".

Barbara Ferguson, convenor of the book sale for the Dannevirke Lions said the sale had been fabulous.

"At 8am on Friday we had keen buyers already lined up outside the town hall. It was freezing, so I let them into the foyer to wait and more than 100 of them raced through the doors at 9am. We had people from Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Wellington in the first wave of buyers.

"This has been hard work, but it's worth it and we've surpassed last year's record sales," Mrs Ferguson said.

Having an operation on two wrists just a day before the book sale didn't deter Cheryl Hunter from searching out books, with husband Ian carrying the load.

And despite the hard work, Mrs Ferguson said the sale was also great fun.

"We had people finding books they'd been looking for for years and even at the end of the sale on Sunday there were still 50 buyers hunting bargains."

Thursday afternoon's specialist children's sale was a great opportunity for families to purchase top-quality books at a bargain price, with a group of 12-year-old boys from Huia Range School impressing Lions Club members with their excellent behaviour.