“CONGRATULATIONS, you’ve won a £5 book token, welcome to the Tweeddale Peace Group’s (TPG) Second-hand Book Sale!”

Max Volino’s smile beams out at the lucky 500th customer as warmly as it did when the doors opened six hours earlier.

He needs to smile frequently; greeting more than 1,300 people across two days.

Mr Volino and his family have been doing this for years.

They are part of the huge group of people who collect and sort the books, and gather them once a year to sell them.

It’s a simple idea.

The money earned, about £6,000, goes to peace and justice charities. Every penny, after the hall hire costs and insurance.

Last year the charities included: Action Aid, Amnesty, BTSELM, Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mines Action Group, Practical Action, Prison Phoenix Trust, Scottish CND, Trident Ploughshares and Free Tibet.

The sale was set up by Peter Norris in 1994 and has run every year except when COVID stopped play.

“It’s been a really great opportunity to get out and meet people and do something different,” said Juniper, aged 17, who enjoyed helping so much last year that she travelled with her parents from Findhorn to help load and unload the book boxes.

TPG chair Lesley Morrison said: “We are so grateful that the Peebles High School students are here again this year.

“We want to involve even more young people next year.”

More than a book sale, it’s a community event, a networking place and a good place to be on a wet Saturday and Sunday in October.

The recently renovated Burgh Hall in Peebles was buzzing for two days as people met neighbours, and chatted and caught up with friends they hadn’t seen for a year.

“I can’t tell you how many books we sell,” said Andy Davey, one of the organisers. “I’d guess around 10,000.”

There’s live music from the Banned Books Band.

There is a café, warm and welcoming and, regularly over the background chatter, Julian Goodacre rings a bell and reminds people why they are raising money.

He also tells them that the soup is ready, or the next batch of scones has come out of the oven.

A book dealer from the west coast said: “This is by far my favourite sale, it has a lovely atmosphere.”

He leaves, heaving an impossibly heavy bag over his shoulders, happy with the treasures revealed by two days’ careful sifting, for a 150-mile return journey.

At 4pm on Sunday, the book sorters heave a sigh of relief, and prepare to start collecting another 10,000 books for next year.

Books are collected on Fridays, between 10 am and 4pm, in the sorting room in School Brae, though collecting stops from November 24 till March.

If you are unable to bring books at those times, please call Andy Davey on 01721 720984 or 07774 115732 and he will arrange to collect them.

For more information email patgoodacre@gmail.com.