Lions Bookshop to close unless new premises can be found

The Stour Valley Lions nearly new bookshop, which has served as Shipston’s only book store for over ten years, is set to close in September. The landlord of the Coach House needs the building for other purposes, prompting the bookshop’s closure.

Lions are now urgently seeking alternative premises in the town in order to keep a bookshop in Shipston. As well as providing a fantastic source of reading material for residents, profits from sales of the books are donated to Lions charities. In recent years, this has amounted to approximately £7,500 per annum.

Thanks to generous donations, the Lions bookshop has grown from a stock of just a few fiction books, to a selection of around 2,000. In addition to paper and hardback fiction books, the store also offers a range of non fiction, hobby and special interest literature as well as children’s books. In addition to the Shipston store, the Lions also sell books online via Amazon.

David Squires from Stour Valley Lions, said: “We are very sad indeed at the prospect of losing our bookstore as it will impact so many residents as well as the charities we support. We strongly urge anyone who knows of any premises available in the town that might be suitable to come forward as soon as possible.

“We have been offered the opportunity of a few shelves in the new tourist information centre but we really need a larger building to be able to continue the diverse range our residents have become used to.” David added.

Anyone with suggestions for possible locations should contact Lion David Squires urgently by email on ds@pinnegards.com. 

The Lions would like to record their thanks to the landlord of the Coach House for allowing the bookstore to remain on the site up to now.