Westbury’s last remaining book shop is to stop selling books as it transforms into an arts and crafts centre.
Wessex Books, Prints and Framing will stop stocking books after Christmas, to concentrate on the arts, crafts and framing side of the business.
The downstairs area that currently displays books will make way for a larger display of paintings, textiles and jewellery from local artists and designers.
Rob and Lisa Saunders, who run the shop, are also hoping to start running craft workshops and demonstrations from local artists in the upstairs rooms of the premises which will be freed up by the reshuffle.
The tea room in the rear of the shop will remain as before.
The name of the shop will be changed to reflect the fact that books will no longer be sold, but Rob and Lisa haven’t settled on a new name yet.
Rob said, “We’ll have downstairs as an arts and crafts area, with jewellery, painting, and textiles. The framing side of the business will continue, with our hand finished frames, that’s well established.
“It is sad, but book selling is a changed market, with supermarkets and the internet. Unfortunately the smaller shops don’t get the same discount from the suppliers.
“It’s been a book shop for 26 years. All our books are now half price, and there are a lot of titles you can’t get in places like Waterstones because they are individual.”
Lisa said, “It’s going to be nice to be using the space a lot more. We’ve got a plan now and we’re going to go for it.
“It is sad that the books side of things is coming to an end, I don’t want local bookshops to be a thing of the past, but as Rob says we just can’t compete with the larger shops and the internet.
“There are some great bargains to be had as we’re clearing our stock and we sell a lot of specialist books, on gardening for example.”
Rob and Lisa are keen to hear from any local artists and designers who would be interested in running workshops and demonstrations from the store.
For more information call the store on 01373 823 071.
Pictured: Rob and Lisa Saunders outside Wessex Books, Prints and Framing, soon to be renamed.
