I enjoyed a pleasant chat the other day with Ted Dewan, who writes children's books and lives in North Oxford.

I was on my best behaviour after inviting myself round to his house to discuss his latest book, One True Bear, which is partly illustrated by pupils from one of the local primary schools.

Ted offered me a cup of tea and a bagel, which of course I accepted, but I can't talk and eat at the same time, so my interviewing technique improved once I had abandoned the bagel.

The artist kindly signed a copy of the picture book for my lads and the story kept them pretty busy until it was time for football practice.

After leaving Ted to get on with his work, I contemplated a trip to Blackwell's to check out their military history section as I am still trying to find out more about the Second World War.

But put off by the parking charges, I stopped for free outside the shops in Summertown and jogged along to the Oxfam shop in Banbury Road, where I invested £3.99 on Anglican Hymns Old and New, the 2008 words edition edited by Kevin Mayhew.

I haven't had a chance to look through the 850 hymns in the book but it seems quite comprehensive and the songs of praise are presented in handsome blue boards.

Sometimes it's nice to kick back a bit and I chanced upon the engaging but relatively unchallenging book of reportage by Andrew Mueller, called I Wouldn't Start from Here (or something similar).

Titles I am keen to get my hands on at the moment include The Angel's Game, the Carlos Ruiz Zafon follow-up to The Shadow of the Wind, which I loved.

An enthusiastic publicity manager at Orion Books promised to send me a copy of the prequel, which she informs me will be part of a Barcelona-based tetralogy.

A similar pledge was made by staff at Profile Books when I requested a copy of Churchill's Bunker, a new book by Richard Holmes about the Cabinet War Rooms. The publisher has run out of proof copies but I shall soldier on until there are finished copies.

Finally, a trawl of the Internet, abebooks to be precise, has revealed the availability of a signed copy of the Rev WR Matthews 1946 title, St Paul's in Wartime. If I can get the book dealer on the blower, I shall brandish my debit card.