I recently went for a walk around in Lyme Regis, no real reason
other than i had a very rare work & child free day. It was lovely out,
sunny but not too hot.
I enjoy finding unique shops to browse when visiting different towns and although I've been to Lyme many times over the years (with the children usually) i had never come across this bookshop before! It is in the Town Square, just opposite the Town Clock, it has ‘bookshop’ in great big gold letters outside the front so how on earth I missed it before I really don’t know!
Book shops are one of the things i always look out for being a 'book-aholic' but somehow i had passed it every time!
When i stepped inside i was instantly hit with books, piles & piles of books! There were bookshelves reaching the roof jam packed with books of all ages, there was art and knick-knacks all over the place. Then i realised that it wasn't just one room. The shop went on and on, there were little side rooms, a basement and every little space was filled with books or some other fascinating item. There were maps, old documents, vinyl and so much more. It was truly mesmerizing, i think i must have been wondering around the place for at least 30 minutes before even picking up a book.
I enjoy finding unique shops to browse when visiting different towns and although I've been to Lyme many times over the years (with the children usually) i had never come across this bookshop before! It is in the Town Square, just opposite the Town Clock, it has ‘bookshop’ in great big gold letters outside the front so how on earth I missed it before I really don’t know!
Book shops are one of the things i always look out for being a 'book-aholic' but somehow i had passed it every time!
When i stepped inside i was instantly hit with books, piles & piles of books! There were bookshelves reaching the roof jam packed with books of all ages, there was art and knick-knacks all over the place. Then i realised that it wasn't just one room. The shop went on and on, there were little side rooms, a basement and every little space was filled with books or some other fascinating item. There were maps, old documents, vinyl and so much more. It was truly mesmerizing, i think i must have been wondering around the place for at least 30 minutes before even picking up a book.
If I had had time I would have stayed in for much longer and made a point of finding some of the books on my ‘wish list’ but unfortunately, I didn’t have time on the car! I have made a mental note to go back though, I can’t wait to take a proper look at the crime fiction books & anything flower related next time!
When I got home I decided to do a little research on the place, just out of interest really to find out how long they had been there and what the idea was behind creating such a place. According to their website they are 21 years old! They go on to mention “We are on fourfloors. The uppermost two are our Booklovers B & B guest rooms. You canbook to stay here on a daily or weekly basis.” – Yes you read that right, they have a book lovers B & B above the shop! How amazing is that!
That isn’t the best bit though, they even offer the chance for you to ‘run the bookshop’ stating:
“Maybe you are nearing retirement perhaps, or fed up with the office job, or your name is Juana and you live in New York and have a week's vacation coming up, or... you just fancy a change in lifestyle? Another possibility is you have some experience, but want to move up from market trading and boot fairs? Well..our idea is this. It's simple. Why not run a bookshop (our bookshop) in Lyme Regis for a day, a weekend, or even a week..? We will be on hand to help 24/7. Youcan even live in our B & B premises above the shop should you wish.”
The concept is fantastic and the website is really worth a read, they go more into detail about the details of running a high street shop and I found the honesty very refreshing. As a shop owner myself (arts & crafts though, not books, not yet) in a much smaller seaside town I know the struggles of day-to-day management. Maybe i should start offering a similar scheme - Who wants to run my arts & crafts center for a day?!
All in all I think I came across a real find, a magical and mesmerizing place that is well worth a visit, or 3!
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