It must be seen as significant when an independent shop, one that is both welcoming and friendly and yet at the same time rallies against the thought of conglomerates and big faceless organisations and the aloofness that follows therein, celebrates the milestone of a first birthday. It is not only a celebration, it is the commemoration of industrious spirit and the cornerstone of society, that to place your unique passion out into the open world and fight, almost with the strength, trust and hope personified by the Greek soldiers under the leadership of King Leonidas at Thermopylae, and keep your head in stormy weather, should be marked down in the local calendar as being faithful to the needs of real people with real needs.

For Bob Stone and Sally Anne Tapia Bowes at Write Blend, the first birthday of Waterloo’s South Road is not only marked, it was one that revelled in the appearance of local children’s author and contributor to Doctor Who, Frank Cottrell Boyce and as the birthday cake became an admiring focal point of the day’s proceedings and the local children were joined by keen and avid parents, the author read passages from three of his books, including the outstanding Broccoli Boy and gave the Saturday afternoon a huge lift in the minds of the patrons from Waterloo and beyond.

Birthdays are sacrosanct, they are a major point of existence and in a world that that at times feels as though it is heading for bland indifference and that the lure of golden promises sent out by corporations in their constant need to show profit that seems obscene, to have a local book shop in the area celebrate its first birthday with style, honour and lot of fun, is one that filled the heart of all who attended the afternoon.

The culmination of a series of events in which Write Blend gave local authors time and space in which to inspire book lovers and the local population, was one to savour and the true majesty of the writer made clear in the magnificent reading given by Mr. Cottrell-Boyce, the insight into the world of those who seemingly make magic appear on paper, was one never to forget.

The modern day thought of buying books from Amazon must surely now be over, the cheapness of such words is tempered by the knowledge that it does the artist no favours, in book shops, local, independent and honest, there is hope that the two way street of writers and readers can be restored; it is a pleasure to wish Write Blend a happy first birthday because they stick to that ethic with grace.

Ian D. Hall