Bookshop closes after 25 years
NOTTINGHAM city centre's only remaining Christian bookshop – Wesley Owen – is due to cease trading at 5.30pm tonight.
The closure will mean the loss of three jobs at the shop, which has been operating for more than 25 years.
The future of the Caffe Haven coffee shop, a separate business which trades on the shop floor, is uncertain.
Although staff were informed in December that IBS-STL, the charity that owned Wesley Owen's 40 shops nationwide, had gone into administration, they were only told of the Nottingham closure yesterday.
"We're all shell-shocked," said Sue Barrett, branch manager of the Castle Gate shop. "We knew it was going to happen. It's just quicker than we expected. We are devastated.
"My biggest sadness is that there will no longer be a Christian bookshop in Nottingham."
3 Comments
by Leatherland, Notts
Friday, January 08 2010, 11:08PM
“Really sad about the closure of this shop.
It was one of the main reasons I went into Nottingham, it was always well stocked with interesting books and had good staff.”
by Melanie Carroll, Lincoln
Friday, January 08 2010, 10:32PM
“This is incredibly sad news indeed, such a sad end for a fine shop indeed.
Though true there is now no City Centre Christian Bookshop, Nottingham and surrounds is blessed with a number of independent Christian Bookshops further out, all of which I am sure would be most pleased to serve the wider community and would look forward to the engagement. Please support independent and local businesses where you can as they really help support the local economies in a positive way as they are an integral and commited part of that community and economy :0)
Bethel Christian Bookshop
166 Alfreton Road, Nottingham NG7 3NS.
Trinity Books. St. Johns College, Chilwell Lane, Bramcote, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG9 3DS.
Christian Book Centre. 63-65, Chilwell Rd, Beeston, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG9 1EQ.
The Ark. 14, Ashfield Precinct, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG17 7BQ.
The Olive Tree, 523, Mansfield Rd, Sherwood, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG5 2JL.
and if you are ever in the Lincoln area then please look into my own shop:
Unicorn Tree Books, 25-40 Lincoln Central Market, Sincil Street, LN5 7ET.
01522 525557 & unicorntreebooks (at) aol (dot) com
I stock general and religious/christian books as well as a full range of church supplies - mail order and accounts are an integral part of the business. To find out more you can visit our websites:
lincolncentralmarket.co.uk
lincolnbookshop.co.uk
My deepest commiserations go to the staff at WO, I used to work for SPCK/SSG and am aquainted with the pain of the change and closure of a chain of christian bookshops - the way this has been handled for these staff is indeed very very sad.”
by WLBjork, Notts
Friday, January 08 2010, 9:56PM
“There is a Christian bookshop in Mansfield, on Newgate Lane near the junction with Southwell Road.”