Happy New Year everyone; we hope you had a very happy and restful Christmas season and are looking forward to 2025.
FOWL have a packed Winter programme of talks over the coming season. First up, later this month we are very much looking forward to January 17th, when we will be welcoming back Carolyn Kirby, who will be delivering a talk entitled ‘Victorian Scientists and Scandals’. Carolyn’s novel ‘The Conviction of Cora Burns’ was inspired by the origins of psychology as well as by real lives and true stories from 19th century Britain. Her talk gives an insight into the research underlying her fictional narrative and will focus on three controversial Victorians: Arthur Munby, W.T. Stead and Francis Galton. It’s the perfect antidote to a dull January evening, so don’t forget to pick up your tickets from the library for what is sure to be a fascinating evening.
In February, we are delighted to be hosting award-winning local author Hugh Thomson, who will be telling us all about his first foray into the world of fiction with his novel about the life Lord Byron might have had if he had not died so young. Drawing on previously unreleased papers, ‘Viva Byron! ‘ tells the wild and unexpected story of how Lord Byron cut a swathe through Latin America when he went there to help Bolivar liberate it from the Spanish. An evening not to be missed so watch out for when tickets go on sale towards the end of this month. Looking ahead to March, Peter Adamson will be joining us to tell us all about his locally inspired short stories… all in all a lot to look forward to!
FOWL FA. Our fabulous FOWL FA team stepped into the breach on Christmas Fair day with a wonderful Storytime and a chance to add a bauble to Jen Skene’s magical Christmas window, also part of the beautiful Advent Window trail initiative. We are so lucky that Jen shares her enormous talent with us! As I write we are looking forward to a special Christmas Storytime with a very particular visitor…but on to this New Year and Storytime this month is on January 4th and 18th; Rhymetime continues on January 7th and 21st and Lego Club this month will fall on Saturday 25th January.
FOWL CALENDAR 2026: WATLINGTON WALKS. Did you manage to buy a calendar? Thank you to everyone who supported us by buying our calendars and notecards. They are an important fundraising tool for FOWL and help us ensure that we can continue to support our community library. The notecards are available in the library all year round and are very usefu, so do pop in and ask to see the selection.
We have already been asked about the theme for next year’s calendar and this will be Watlington Walks. You can interpret this in any way you choose; what images encapsulate your favourite walk in and around Watlington and its surrounding villages? It is entirely up to you. The competition will not open until later in the year as usual – but knowing the theme as early as possible gives you the chance to get your thinking caps on sooner. The very best of luck! Don’t forget the images need to be in landscape form…
Dr Anna Tilley; Chair FOWL
This lovely image, Wintry Watlington, was taken by Claire Agg and features in our 2025 calendar Watlington Landmarks
Friends of Watlington Library 