IMG_0742That’s what was on offer at this year’s Vintage and Secondhand Book Sale in Cushendun Old Church on the European Heritage Open Days Weekend of 13 and 14 September.

Now in its third year, the Cushendun Vintage and Secondhand Book Sale has become a popular stop for Heritage Weekenders ‘doing’ North Antrim and the Causeway Coast, as well as for locals in the know.   Between 300 – 400 visitors came over the two days attracted by the great range of bargain hardbacks and paperbacks – everything from fiction, crime and biography to travel, cookery and children’s reading – as well as our traditionally rather good tea and buns supplied by local home bakers.

For anyone unable to decide which book was for them, this year we launched our inaugural ‘Literary Lucky Dip’.  A number of books were neatly wrapped in brown paper and hidden inside one of them was a £20 Amazon Gift Certificate.  This proved to be a huge success and something we will do again at our next Vintage Book Sale.

IMG_0743Of course the Book Sale also offers an opportunity to visit the Old Church, a lovely 1840’s country church in the picturesque National Trust Village of  Cushendun which is open as part of the European Heritage Open House Weekend (EHOD).  This year we are pleased to announce that we raised close to £900 over the course of the weekend and this money will be put to good use for the general upkeep of the Old Church until such times as were are in a position to complete the restoration.  We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who brought books, bought books, baked or helped out in any number of other ways.

IMG_0750As well as organising the Big Arts Weekend in May, and the Book Sale in September we have been busy putting together our Stage One application to the Heritage Lottery Fund and an application to Ulster Garden Villages. This is a very exciting, although nail-biting, time for the Cushendun Building Preservation Trust and we will update everyone as soon as we know the outcome.

We are starting to plan ahead for the next Big Arts Weekend 1-4  May 2015. If you have any suggestions, would like to be involved or help out at any of the event drop us an e-mail (info@cushendunbpt.org).

Once again  THANK YOU for your continued support!