By Edward Trower-
Two staff members of Thameslink and Bedford residents Anna Pugh and Rachel Hodgson have teamed up to create a free book exchange at the station for both passengers and staff.
The idea is for a number of books to be left at the station for passengers to pick up and swap with a book of their own. This means presenting
Anna and Rachel Hodgson initiated the scheme which is being launched this Friday at 9:30 am by Bedfords best-selling author, Ruth Hogan. Hogan’s debut work, The Keeper Of Lost Things, sold over half a million copies in over 30 countries.
The bookcases will be placed close to the ticket gates. Passengers are allowed to pick up a book, as long as they replace it with one of their own.
Rachel said: “I’ve seen book exchanges at a number of other stations and through what a great thing that would be for Bedford. The station staff jumped at the idea.”
The proposal is being put into action by platform supervisor Trudy Habgood, who has been ‘full-steam’ putting the proposal into action ever since. She’s sourced three bookcases and given them a lick of paint and collected still more books from other staff and some of the regulars who travel through the station. Thameslink Lost Property has really come up trumps with unclaimed good reads left behind on trains.
Trudy said: “I have long thought it would be a good idea to set up a book exchange for our passengers. Rachel’s suggestion made perfect sense.”
