The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee

She welcomed them as equals and the children's space was well-thought out with a sweet little hidey-hole for those who'd rather sit and read without distractions. Personality – rather than brand – is the priority, enabling the two sister bookshops to have grown to suit their respective communities.ĭuring our visit we saw a larger number of children in this second bookshop, and it was clear Louise has an enthusiasm for encouraging younger readers. There were obviously some similarities in this younger bookshop, but these were more of a nod to the original than a copy.

While both bear the same name and smart blue and gold signage outside, their ingredients differ. I've often thought booksellers – aka bookshop heroes – are the secret ingredient to making each bookshop unique, and it was never more obvious than in a comparison of The Yellow-Lighted Bookshops. Louise the bookseller greeted us like old friends and her energy and enthusiasm were evident for all to see. Where Tetbury was refined and calm, Nailsworth was bright and bubbly. Instead (after subtly posing for a photo with the cape) we continued with day one of our bookshop crawl, which included stop three: The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop in Nailsworth (we'll come back to stop two another day).

I'm certain we could've both happily stayed here all day. It was a pleasant, informative conversation, punctuated by the odd customer query and accompanied by the gentle buzz of browsers in a busy bookshop. We covered a remarkable selection of topics that gave me a feel for the area, the bookshop, books and bookselling – after years of writing this blog I'm still amazed by how much I continue to learn about this enviable but tough career choice. The selection met the approval of both of us, with warm wooden shelves and tasteful decoration perfectly pitched to make the browser comfortable without being a distraction.Ĭonversation with Hereward was pleasant and relaxed in an understated, calm way. The bookshop was as good as I'd remembered and I soon lost my boyfriend to the bookshelves, which is his way of paying a bookshop a compliment. I wandered around blindly for a few moments, reacquainted myself with the different sections, admired the choice of books and then collapsed in a heap on the comfy leather sofa in the snug children's area.

Hereward's brief distraction getting the drinks also gave me a few minutes to regain some composure after the drive. I obviously can't have been in my right mind because I declined the bun, but the tea and coffee he bought my boyfriend and I from the independent cafe across the road were just what was needed to recover from a couple of hundred miles in a car. Those nerves were swiftly banished by Hereward the bookshop owner, who greeted us and offered us coffee and a bun as soon as he saw us.

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee