Row erupts after bookshop buyout
A row has broken out over the future of the iconic Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill, after it was bought by a discount store.
The shop in Blenheim Crescent, made famous by the 1999 Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts film, Notting Hill, closed at the end of August after three months on the market.
And despite a campaign to save it by residents and writers, the premises was bought out this week by budget store Book Warehouse.
The shop in Blenheim Crescent, made famous by the 1999 Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts film, Notting Hill, closed at the end of August after three months on the market.
And despite a campaign to save it by residents and writers, the premises was bought out this week by budget store Book Warehouse.
Olivia Cole, a poet and journalist who was leading the campaign to save the shop, said: "The Book Warehouse are claiming they have rescued the Travel Bookshop and responded to the campaign.
"In fact they have not rescued it, they are destroying it. They are turning this special, quirky, spirited independent bookshop into a junk shop."
With the help of fellow poet Simon Barraclough, Ms Cole gained the support of Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, who also starred in the movie, and hundreds of volunteers from around the world, who said they would staff the shop for free if a buyer could be found.
And when family-run Book Warehouse was revealed as the winning bidder for the shop, she launched a bid for ownership of the shop's name, in the hope it could be moved elsewhere.
The poet asked Twitter followers to pledge any amount in an attempt to raise £10,000 to bid for the Travel Bookshop name.
But on Monday (19) it was revealed that European Enterprises, an investment company had won the rights to the name, although their plans are unclear.
The Book Warehouse has said it will try and preserve the memory of the Travel Bookshop at the site in Blenheim Crescent.
Its managing directory, James Malin, said: "We will continue selling books in the same traditional manner as the Travel Bookshop from these famous premises, and will offer not only travel books, but a much larger range of books and gifts from the shop - and at very competitive and reduced prices.
"Sadly bookselling has become an endangered profession, but we are doing our best to preserve the art.
"We hope the Notting Hill community and tourists from around the world will continue to support us."
Due to its location just off Portobello Road, rent for the shop was around £43,000 a year.
The former owner of the Travel Bookshop, Simon Gaul, put it on the market in May after 32 years, as his children were not interested in taking the business on from him when he retires.
"In fact they have not rescued it, they are destroying it. They are turning this special, quirky, spirited independent bookshop into a junk shop."
With the help of fellow poet Simon Barraclough, Ms Cole gained the support of Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, who also starred in the movie, and hundreds of volunteers from around the world, who said they would staff the shop for free if a buyer could be found.
And when family-run Book Warehouse was revealed as the winning bidder for the shop, she launched a bid for ownership of the shop's name, in the hope it could be moved elsewhere.
The poet asked Twitter followers to pledge any amount in an attempt to raise £10,000 to bid for the Travel Bookshop name.
But on Monday (19) it was revealed that European Enterprises, an investment company had won the rights to the name, although their plans are unclear.
The Book Warehouse has said it will try and preserve the memory of the Travel Bookshop at the site in Blenheim Crescent.
Its managing directory, James Malin, said: "We will continue selling books in the same traditional manner as the Travel Bookshop from these famous premises, and will offer not only travel books, but a much larger range of books and gifts from the shop - and at very competitive and reduced prices.
"Sadly bookselling has become an endangered profession, but we are doing our best to preserve the art.
"We hope the Notting Hill community and tourists from around the world will continue to support us."
Due to its location just off Portobello Road, rent for the shop was around £43,000 a year.
The former owner of the Travel Bookshop, Simon Gaul, put it on the market in May after 32 years, as his children were not interested in taking the business on from him when he retires.
Sad of course but so typical. The famous Tattered Cover bookstore in my old home town of Denver managed to stay in business by maintaining a restaurant on the premises (and it helps that the owner owns the bldgs) and I know of several other local indie bookstores who are turning shelf space into ice cream parlors to make rent. I hope this one makes it.
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