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1979

I was 4, my brother 9. For the country a massive period of upheaval: the Winter of Discontent, power shortages, the 4 day working week, strikes.  Hard times.

In the merry county of Rutland, in the market town of Uppingham, Edward and Maurie Baines opened a second hand and antiquarian bookshop: The Rutland Bookshop.  The bookshop, housed in a tall, skinny building that as a girl I always envisaged Anne Frank’s living quarters not being dissimilar to the top floor, is at the end of the obvious shopping section of High Street West.

Books.  Lots of glorious pre – loved books.  Volumes upon volumes ordered with the logic of academics.  The casual glance might conclude disorder.  The discerning curiosity seeker will know differently.  All tastes catered for (providing you’re not after computing or anything technical in a modern sense).

All visitors, if you happen to coincide with us, are warmly welcomed; conversation and discussion an inevitable bi product of a good browse in the shop.  You won’t have the pleasure of meeting Maurie, but for those who knew her, you’ll have recognised the familiar when you’ve visited without her there.  On Saturdays (11am – 4pm) you are most likely to meet Edward; at other times you’ll meet me (Lucy).

If you haven’t been before, please don’t expect sanitised antiquity.  There will be dust; spiders are happy here – well who wouldn’t be?!

Lucy and Edward
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