Happy Saturday everyone, this weekend we’re celebrating the fact that I found a new bookshop near me!
The Reading Tree is a second hand bookshop in part of an old military depot that’s been converted into workspaces for local businesses – some are offices or workshops, others are shops. It’s not as big as Bookends/Bookcase in Carlisle (but honestly what is) but it’s probably the biggest second hand selection I’ve found near me.
As you can see it’s a really interesting building from the inside – the bookshop in in the upstairs (there are antiques and vintage shops downstairs in this building) and it’s got big windows and loads of light. It was a depot for ordnance, so if I was a betting person I would say that the roof looks so light and flimsy (relative to the rest of it) because of the risk of explosion – like buildings that store or manufacture fireworks: light roof so if there’s an explosion it goes up not out.
Anyway, what you can’t see here is that there’s a cafe too so that you can sit and read your new purchases. In terms of the stock it’s a real mix of relatively recent releases in lightly used condition and older books. It’s got a mix of fiction and non-fiction – it’s probably 40% of the space to the fiction, but given that fiction books are often smaller than non-fiction ones (especially cook books and military history ) it’s probably aout 50/50 split overall.
We wandered in here as part of a walk along the canal, so for once I didn’t buy any books because I had to walk another couple of miles back to the car carrying anything I bought and I only had a tiny bag (with no space for anything else), but I endorse this flow chart and I will be back…
Verity Reads Books (lots of them) 
That definitely looks like a place you need to return to. I would love to browse the vintage and antique part too.
I find Vintage places a bit patchy – but I do love a good rummage and sometimes you can come up with some treasure.
Clearly, Verity, you need to pack a permanently available squash-into-a-small-space-such-as-a-side-pocket-in-a-purse-or-mobile-phone-or-other-permanently-carried-item-at-hand EMERGENCY bag.
Big enough to carry several books at least a shortish distance, and strong enough.
Like Clark Kent and the ubiquitous phone booth, ready at a moment’s notice to spring into action, books-for-the-carrying-of.
Yes, I’m sure you’re right about the light roof to allow an accidental explosion to vent up.
I assume the walls are massively thick. But that is another story …
Good luck when you return, bags at hand, ready to explore!!
I like the blackboard flow-chart about Have you bought a book today?