Langton’s Bookshop in Twickenham, my local independent and where I used to be a weekend bookseller, finally closed its doors on 30th June 2012. Quite understandably my friend Mary Leonard could no longer afford to keep covering the losses.
Thirteen months on I see Sneller’s are still looking for tenants—a missed opportunity somewhere there, I think.
The Lighthouse by the Sea 
Hi Mark, it must have felt bleak seeing Langton’s close…. I almost made it there when I tried to find it once and drop by and surprise you. Unfortunately I didn’t have the name then, and ended up on some island off the river. It was great day, though…. I remember walking along the Thames past White Lodge – all the way up to Kingston. Regarding bookshops closing, I hope Waterstones working with Amazon selling Kindle through their stores is not just buying time – ie delaying their demise, but proving to be a healthy partnership where supplier, shop vendor and writer(s) all thrive. WH Smiths are selling Kobi tablets for ebook readers…. There has to be a way for small bookshops to find a partner that can benefit from their retail facility. Maybe not tablets – as that’s being done by the big chain stores, but something else that’s a complimentary service or product. In certain stores, Superdrug has an independent perfume concessions sharing their shop floor. Complimentary partnerships cutting costs, I guess. Hopefully something will rise to the surface…. some inspiration Bye for now. Samanthax
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:05:31 +0000 To: samantha_gaelyga@hotmail.com