Wednesday 9 April 2014

Today I shall buy books!!

Today I shall buy books.

Not such as a surprise, surely?

But our lovely independent bookshop has been closed for three weeks. The owner retired, though he hung on for long enough to make sure it was taken over by someone who would keep it as a bookshop. So it closed, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and bitten nails as we wait for the-look shop. A skip appeared outside, and four men and one woman lugged stuff out and threw it away. Then lorries arrived, and four men and one woman lugged more stuff in.

Everyday people would peer through the doorway - watching the far end of the shop was opened up; as ceiling and walls were painted; as shelves filled, as if by magic, with books.

And today a woman who works there waved me in, so I could have a quick look. Oh how wonderful it is. Lighter, brighter, and extended to give more shelf-space. Still a place for children to sit on the floor and read. And that lovely smell of new paper.

What's more, it's still independent. No profits disappearing into corporate coffers. A local independent bookshop to respond to local reading needs. They'll still do good deals for local book groups (they give a 10% discount off our book group books); they'll still find anything, order anything; and get to know their customers by name.

So - what am I doing today? I'm off to the White Horse Bookshop, in Marlborough High Street.

I might be a little while.

7 comments:

  1. How lovely to have that kind of shop nearby. I feel I'm reading all the same stuff these days because I'm sent them to review. I'd love a shop like that to browse through. I do go into Glasgow but it's mosty the big corporate shopes there but it's still lovely to have time to look.

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    1. Thank you, Anne - and what a lovely time I had!

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  2. Oh how, lovely, Jo! It's just great when you find a treasure trove like that right on your doorstep. We do have a few here too, but sadly for me, they rarely stock English books, and while I quite enjoy the challenge of reading in Dutch, for real relaxation, I want to browse through books in English. I miss that.

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  3. Oooh, I love bookshops. I'm so glad you have an indie one. There's several indie bookshops where I live in Brisbane and at the beach. I never go into the chains!

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  4. Wow, what a leap of faith to open a new bookshop. My heart fell when you said it was closed but I'm glad someone is continuing it. It was a bit of old Marlborough - I remember it from when my parents lived in the town in the early 80s, along with Ducks toyshop, Head's outfitters etc. Guess I am rather sorry that they are closing, I have always bought things there whenever possible. Are they going to continue with the art materials?

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    1. Oh it is truly wonderful! Still the art materials, in the basement now, and the top floor all nooks and crannies with books (biographies, history etc) and downstairs extended at the back. But the front looks the same - still the broken shelves for second-hand books beneath the windows. And next Saturday Jacqueline Wilson is coming to the official opening!

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    2. ps - There is now a lovely toyshop called Ducklings, which is also wonderful - in the courtyard behind Waitrose!

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