James Joyce enthusiasts celebrated 'Bloomsday' on Friday in honour of the novel Ulysses.
The action of Ulysses takes place over a single day on June 16, 1904, and Bloomsday - named after protagonist Leopold Bloom - is held every year on that date.
Royston town mayor Lisa Adams, dressed in keeping with the historic setting, joined 'Leopold Bloom' to lead a morning stroll through the town centre, stopping at Kelly's Cakes, the Cave Shop, and Curwen's Solicitors and Art Gallery, with readings from the novel taking place at selected stops.
Cllr Adams said: "I am delighted as mayor to be part of this Bloomsday Celebration.
"In the coming year I want to promote reading and highlight our town centre businesses - those recently arrived and those that are long-established.
"In addition, our stroll is book-ended by two long-established Royston institutions: our town museum and Royston Library.
"I am particularly pleased that two of our readers today are young people, pupils from Royston's King James Academy, both prepared by head of English, Andy Hay."
Museum manager Nicky Paton and a pupil both read extracts from the novel, before the stroll continued to Bow Books, where Melbourn's Eirwen and Peter Karner read. Simon Chambers from Meldreth then read an extract at Dysons Menswear.
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The final stop was at Royston Library, where staff had mounted a Joycean book display.
In the library, as two more famous scenes from the novel were read by a KJAR pupil and Melbourn's Bruce Huett, Leopold Bloom applied to join the library and was accepted - the first time a 100-year-old fictional character has been a member.
The strollers then retraced their steps to Royston Museum for refreshments and a raffle. Bassingbourn resident John Bell won the prize of a copy of Ulysses signed by the mayor.
Bloomsday coordinator Hugh Pollock said: "We integrated a fun colourful event about reading and great literature into Royston's daily life as it went on around us.
"In addition, we highlighted the life-saving work of WaterAid and asked people who felt they could do so, to donate directly to WaterAid at: wateraid.org. Happy Bloomsday!"
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