Forum Topic

Book shop in Acton

I was with my 5 years old in Chiswick High street last week. When he saw Waterston’s, he exclaimed “waohhh! What a great shop; I want to live here” .This just reminded me of how much I missed having a book shop in the high street in the last 3 years ,ever since I moved to Acton.My family and I find it quite appalling that we have to go to Ealing, Chiswick or even Westfield to buy books and stationery.Wouldn’t it be nice to have fewer useless one pound shops and more interesting (education, art, ...) retail shops in our streets?

Kenza Waddington ● 5908d37 Comments

Back in the day - OK about 20 years ago - there was a boodshop in Churchfield Road officially known as the red & green bookshop but known locally as the lesbian bookshop because of the number of Virago volumes on the shelves.Only problem wea that it's stock was tiny - I reckoned to have more than they did.it's not really feasible is it now - what with Amazon etc..But there's always Ellie's stall at teh market - huge range of second hand books including children's and she now does Friday as well as Saturday. DO try her.

Sara Nathan ● 5908d

I must admit I prefer the old fashioned way of brousing around bookshops and love Waterstones in Chiswick High Rd. It is such a shame that we do not have something similiar in Acton.

Tony Crumpton ● 5908d

i agree. We need a book shop

Emma Daniels ● 5908d

We may "need" a bookshop but Waterstones et al have doubtless established that there's not enough demand to be siphoned off from Chiswick, Ealing and Westfield to support oneActon gets pound shops because the local demographic profile supports pound shops. Chiswick gets bookshops because the local demographic profile supports bookshops.

Roy Gillett ● 5907d

"Acton gets pound shops because the local demographic profile supports pound shops. Chiswick gets bookshops because the local demographic profile supports bookshops"One bookshop - plus as many phone shops and coffee shops as we have pound and betting shops - more actually.Agreed we won't get a bookshop though

Sara Nathan ● 5907d

Personally I like Pitshanger Bookshop in Pitshanger Lane - an independent bookshop who regularily get things in for me within 24 hours.

Jill Williams ● 5906d

Shops also determine the demographic profile.For example,following the Brixton riots , Brixton council subsidised Marks & Spencer to remain as they new that loosing them would be a slippery slope.As the Prime minister recently said :“The Big Society is about a huge culture change, where people, in their everyday lives, in their homes, in their neighbourhoods, in their workplace, don’t always turn to officials, local authorities or central government for answers to the problems they face but instead feel both free and powerful enough to help themselves and their own communities." 

Kenza Waddington ● 5906d

Hey! if you could get M & S to come to Acton, that would be a serious mitzvah - a good deed!

Sara Nathan ● 5906d

Now that would be a result.........If only

Ellie Rose ● 5906d

... so how to do it?  get everyone to write to Waterstones?  Get local residents associations to write to Councillors in support.  Ask Ealing Council if they have a shop that they will be willing to let at a reduced rent for such a venture?  Is there someone with the expertise to run it?  May be someone/a group would are presently unemployed. Possibly on a franchise.    And so on.

Dee Cook ● 5905d

I'm sorry to bang on about this, but Waterstones is a large retail chain that almost certainly knows its business,  its clientele and the market. If it thought it could make money with an outlet in Acton, then an outlet in Acton it would have. It's not a charity providing a service. Look at the Market St/High St corner. How many bookies are there? I could be wrong, after all, I'm not actually a sociologist, but it seems to me that a customer base that supports four bookmakers is not the sort of customer base that's receptive to a bookshop

Roy Gillett ● 5903d

Oh, I remember Red and Green. They got an obscure book for me when I couldn't find it anywhere else. Twenty years ago if it was a day

Roy Gillett ● 5903d

Lovely but wholly impractical even before the advent of Amazon.Talking of which - what is the lowest amount one can possibly pay for "the Third Man". Really want to read it and just as much don't want to subsidise that nice Peter Mandelson.

Sara Nathan ● 5903d

I wouldnt bother . Better to stick with the original.

David Archer ● 5903d

Currently £11.14 post free from Amazon. Personally I shan't be bothering  -  we all had to live through that nauseatingly corrupt, self-indulgent and treacherous Nulabour era and surely know the essence of what went on.

Chris Veasey ● 5903d

I don't know a huge amount about the book business, but I have a feeling that royalties are paid per book shifted rather than as a percentage of the gross. So the PoD will get the same amount whatever you pay for it.Some years ago I used to use a book price comparison site, but I can't remember what it was. But here's another onehttp://www.books.co.uk/

Roy Gillett ● 5903d

I don't imagine that Waterstones would ever open in Acton, but an Oxfam bookshop would probably do quite well.

Vivienne Duggan ● 5903d

Oxfam bookshop is a great idea, I love the branch in Portobello. It would really fit in on Churchfield road.

Lisa Jennings ● 5902d

Sara - borrow it from the library.

Chris Hurley ● 5902d

could do - i wonder if Acton Library have a copy...might do some online research and see if I can find one under a tenner.Wouldn't an Oxfam bookshop put Ellie out of business? Now that would be a shame.

Sara Nathan ● 5902d

No Sara. It woulden't put me out of business. I would still do the market 2 days a week. I have regular customers now and ones that place orders for specific titles. Not there tomorrow though as i have a hospital appt for my broken finger/snapped tendon. Will be there Saturday as normal.A lot of charity shops won't take in books anymore for some reason and a lot of my customers have said how expensive they have become. Had a lady last week that paid £2.00 for a novel in a charity shop....i was selling the same one for 50p !!Am still on the lookout for your BB book....not been able to lift crates & boxes this week.

Ellie Rose ● 5902d

Don't worry - found it - though other book club members would probably be grateful - she is having a post-mortem sales surge and not availble in many book shops.Find me Mandelson for under a tenner and I will be chuffed!

Sara Nathan ● 5902d

"I'm sorry to bang on about this, but Waterstones is a large retail chain that almost certainly knows its business,  its clientele and the market. "... agreed...Waterstone's HQ is by Chiswick roundabout, about 300m from Acton, so their management will be familiar with the local area...

Michael Robinson ● 5901d

Ellie I was a bit surprised that you do not accept old books from people. I will take mine to the Oxfam shop in Chiswick.

Tony Crumpton ● 5901d

Is that what she said?I didn't take it that way

Sara Nathan ● 5901d

Tony. If i accepted old books from all people that offer them to me, i would need another warehouse to keep them all in. As much as i appreciate the many many offers, i simply cannot store any more books but those that do offer, i often direct to the Scope charity shop on the high street, although last i heard, they were not accepting them anymore...So pleased you have found a charity shop to take them to. I shall indeed now direct those people to the Oxfam shop in Chiswick......Thank you for the tip !!....:)

Ellie Rose ● 5901d

Ellie,I was not having a go at you. I am just surprised that with how much it costs to buy a book in main line book shops it seems impossible to offer used books to a good home at reasonable prices.

Tony Crumpton ● 5901d

Ellie - just to let you know there is also a branch of the Oxfam book shop in Ealing, just past the Post Office.

Gill Hothersall ● 5900d

It would be great if they could open a Book shop in Acton High Street. The empty shop next to Subway would be an ideal location. As it stands like a sore thump opposite the lovely George and Dragon.

Tony Crumpton ● 5900d

I have emailed Oxfam to ask what their criteria is and assure them Acton would be a great location.  If I hear anything, I'll post it.

Vivienne Duggan ● 5898d

I think you'll find that Oxfam only open bookshops in the more affluent areas and with one in Chiswick and Ealing, i feel that Acton my get bypassed..Hope i'm wrong though.Oxfam also operate several online bookstores, (and other stores, particularly on eBay, which have several several now) as they have cottoned on to the value of some of the donated books and other goods.Saw a copy of Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens on the Oxfam booksite today c1800's going for £60.00 !!!....I have several of these Dickens books....different titles, and would be lucky to get £10.00 each for them.....sold one last week at the market (pre-ordered by a regular) for £8.00.I would open a bookshop in Acton in a heartbeat and have thought of doing so for a long time now but rent rates electric insurance telephone and other running costs just don't make it viable....but who knows.......if the right shop at an affordable cost come along...never say never.

Ellie Rose ● 5897d

Dickens novels are ten a penny. Not literally, but due to the enormous numbers printed. Abebooks.com lists 19th century editions of Dombey & Son as selling for anywhere between $5 and $11,000 (!) depending on condition and rarity.Have you thought of running an online shop?

Ian M Green ● 5897d

Hi Ian.I always tend to look at the Abe UK site for guidance (not the .com site) along with other sites too and yes, i agree condition is very important when pricing.The reason i mentioned the Dickens book on Oxfam was that for the price, it was exteremely overpriced, in my opinion, for the condition seen in the picture....extreme sunning/fading to the front cover/spine, and that's without looking at the internal condition.I have and do sometimes sell online but don't enjoy it. Sitting behind a computer for several hours a day, listing, watching, answering questions is not really up my street that's why i would prefer to have a shop where i can meet and talk to people face to face...That's why i enjoy the market although the amount of stock i take there is very limited....i keep my antiquarian/collectables at home.....just not the same online.I did sell a book a couple of years back to a man living in the USA that was written by his grandfather during WW2. He had been looking for this book for many many years and was so happy to have found it......and we still keep in touch !

Ellie Rose ● 5897d

I don't know, I used to wish Acton had a bookshop/cafe but I just see positive ventures costing a lot of money and becoming a target for thieves (want one for under a tenner Sara, I'll get someone onto it).I've started using the library again, and they will get any book that is in stock of about 20 libraries around London for you, I think they may order one if you pay for postage (not sure about that). I said to them "are Hounslow on the list"? (of boroughs that share books) they say "No" and explain that it has become a bit like a social enterprise and you have to live in Chiswick to have any chance, anyway it's getting late and I have much to do in the dreams.

John Pollastrini ● 5895d

For what it's worth (not a lot), I have been waiting about 25 years for electronic ink to become a reality. In about 5-10 years' time, it'll be there. Convenient electronic books, with accurate text, and original fonts and layout. Then, as the population gradually dies, there will be a great throwing out of obsolete paper books, many of which will end up in second hand bookshops, much as vinyl LPs do today.I wouldn't recommend a bookshop venture to anyone under 50.Sweet dreams.

Ian M Green ● 5895d

Quite right Mr Green! I have started this thread about book shops in Acton and after reading, day after day, the comments some of which are positive and concrete I have, today, decided to download the Ibooks  application . Until the arrival of electronics books I will continue going to the bookshops of leafy Chiswick , and savour a cappuccino in a nice cafe while reading my purchase.Right now, there are more important matters that need to be dealt with in Acton streets: in the last 2 weeks there have been 3 stabbings in our neighbourhood and 3 burglaries in our street only.Question 1: Why does Acton high street look so grim compared to Ealing ‘s ,Chiswick’s or even Shepherd’s bush? Question2: Would fine and attractive retail shops, cafes, restaurants, bookshops(!) help to improve the local demography profile and attract  an educated populace?  Would a large bookstore help to decrease crime? 

Kenza Waddington ● 5895d

Is it grimmer than Shepherd's Bush - I was there earlier this week and it feels nastier and scarier - except in Westfield.Maybe the new police presence both as our community sergeant and probably more importantly, as borough commander, will help energise crime prevention methods.Book shop past praying for - but a redeveloped town hall and more small businesses must help (if either were to happen)

Sara Nathan ● 5894d