#BookstoreoftheWeek – Winstone’s of Sherborne and Sidmouth

winstones sidmouth frontwinstones061214

Three year old Winstone’s has already made it’s mark as a must visit for all booklovers in Dorset, Devon and beyond. Owner Wayne Winstone and Helen Stickland, supported by family, bring a wealth of experience in making their bookshops as welcoming and enjoyable as the books inside.

The first Winstone’s bookshop opened in Sherborne and is home to over 9,000 titles covering all the popular genres with a particular strength in children’s books.

Wayne Winstone says, “As a bookseller there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a child engrossed in a book……we want to develop in children a life long love of books and reading.”

We hear you, Wayne!

In two years, Winstone’s has been twice named the South-West Independent Bookseller of the Year at the Bookseller Industry Awards. Last summer, the lucky town of Sidmouth got a Winstone’s to call their own. Both shops enjoy Winstone’s continuous effort to engage with the community through a strong local events programme, support for schools and events with writers and artists. Just this month, the Sherborne shop is hosting an event with the Antiques Roadshow’s, Marc Allum!

Winstone’s is also a venue for book clubs and societies or those who just want to curl up with a good book, a locally-sourced cake and a great cup of coffee.

“Our coffee is a blend of South American Arabica beans from carefully selected farms in Costa Rica and Brazil (which gives the coffee a hint of hazelnut). To these we add some Arabica from Ethiopia which helps give your coffee a fully rounded taste. We also blend in a small amount of the best Robusta beans from Uganda. This gives the coffee a great “crema” as well as an earthy red wine type of flavour.”

We need some now!

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The staff of both stores have a background in book-selling, coming from Waterstones, Blackwells, Booklore and Ottakar. They know a good book when they see one and will be happy to recommend if you find yourself a bit overwhelmed with their wonderful selection! Make sure to take a look at their We Are Currently Loving… on their website. If you have something in mind, you’re sure to find it but if not, they will order it and usually have it to store for you within 24 hours.

Winstone’s – bringing together communities and their favourite books since 2012.

Winstone’s Sherborne

8 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT93PX

01935 816128

winstonebooks1@gmail.com

Winstone’s Sidmouth

10 High Street, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 8EL

01395 579969

winstonebooks2@gmail.com

Twitter @winstoneSid

Opening Times

9.00-5.30 – Monday to Saturday

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To Dublin, with love.

 

To Dublin with love, this week’s #BookstoreOfTheWeek is Hodges Figgis!

Hodges Figgis is the largest and oldest bookstore in Ireland, founded in 1768. It’s noteriety is such that it even got a mention in James Joyce’s Ulysses:

”She, she, she. What she? The virgin at Hodges Figgis’ window on Monday looking in for one of the alphabet books you were going to write.”

If it’s good enough for James Joyce and all that.

The green and gold front is enough to excite any booklover who finds themselves outside it’s beautiful Dawson Street windows. Inside, there is a vast array of books, events and lovely staff who will lead you to your book if you can’t find it amongst the shelves. The store has everything you could ask for (and, if they don’t have it, the staff will usually order what you’re looking for just for you!) Once you visit once you’ll be yearning to visit again so be sure to sign up to the Hodges Figgis loyalty card for super savings! They used to have a coffee shop but closed it to make room for more books. MORE BOOKS. Hodges Figgis are a bookstore after our own heart.

A literary and cultural delight, the three floors are filled with packed bookshelves marked as Gaelige and a wide range of books from Irish authors who they consistently champion. Beyond Dawson Street, the Hodges Figgis Dublin City University store provides literary procrastination (and actual university textbooks) to students including our own Emma (but we’re not biased we swear, see for yourself!)

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56-58 Dawson Street
Dublin 2

+353 (0)1 6774754

Opening Hours:

9am-7pm Mon-Wed, Fri

9am-8pm Thur

9am-6pm Sat

noon-6pm Sun

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hodges-Figgis/381680888618026

https://twitter.com/hodges_figgis