I went to the York National Book Fair yesterday, the largest second hand and antiquarian book fair in Europe. Despite my arrival on the second day of this two-day PFA event, there were still plenty of customers around and many beautiful maps, prints, printed books and manuscripts.

There were so many highlights it would be impossible to mention them all; however a few which  stood out for me were several huge, bound Parisienne manuscripts and a tiny vellum-bound manuscript with the most delicate painting of a courting couple on the cover. A third, not a book at all, was an intricate and beautiful woodblock engraving which was attributed to Thomas Bewick but with an added note that it was more likely to be from his studio. Handling the tiny, intricately detailed engraving of two birds, carved into a small piece of boxwood less than an inch and a half square was a real privilege.