Our friend, Marek, wasn’t happy–in fact he was downright gloomy last Sunday.
With Marek, one of the owners of Primrose Hill Books
He and his wife Jessica run the Primrose Hill Book Shop, near where we used to live in North London.
He told us there are about 2200 high street bookshops left in Britain today compared with 4,000 in 2005.
Five hundred and eighty towns in the UK do not have a bookshop.
According to a recent report by the data company, Experion, the rise of internet retailers, the growing popularity of e-readers such as the Kindle and heavy discounting by supermarkets have forced nearly 2,000 bookshops to close over the last six years.
Marek and Jessica deserve to be one of the survivors–they give a wonderful service.
Order a book from them and they will post it off in double quick time and with a love of books in their hearts.
I was there to sign some books for anyone wanting a signed copy: http://www.primrosehillbooks.com/.
This Saturday, Sept. 17th, 2011 from 2.30 to about 4.00pm I shall be at Waterstone’s bookshop in Truro, Cornwall to sign copies of Delicious Dishes for Diabetics–see you there?!
Robin Ellis 