The Bookseller.com

1st December 2008

Simon Key has worked in bookselling since leaving school at 16. Formerly a Waterstone's bookseller, he will open an independent bookshop in Wood Green in 2008, along with his former boss Tim West. He blogs at woodgreenbookshop.blogspot.com.

A bookshop opens, almost

11.02.08

It is six months since Waterstone's closed in Wood Green . . . In only a matter of weeks before there will finally be a bookshop in Wood Green again. Scroll down to read a diary of the past week.

Monday 4th February 2008

Here we go again then. I've just tried to get through to Tim (sometimes, there's no getting through to him), and he's obviously on the phone to our solicitor.

Tim's just phoned me. He was on the phone to our solicitor.

Today is going to be one of those waiting days. This fax will either arrive with the solicitor today or tomorrow (or never, obviously), and then it's up to our bank to release the money.

Tuesday 5th February

The solicitor's still waiting for the fax. Tim chased it up this morning. Here are some of todays claims.
'It was posted on Friday'
3 minutes later
'It was posted on Monday'
Tim; 'but you said you would be faxing it'
'ooh yes, so we did. I'll make sure we do that'

Wednesday 6th February 2008

There's not even any question about it. This fax is GOING to arrive with our solicitor today. Tim phoned up this morning, and it was still absent without leave. He chased it up with the people who were supposed to send it and found out they had the wrong fax number.

Wednesday 6th February 2008

Two and a half hours later . . .
Still nothing.

And now Tim's gone AWOL. If anyone sees him could they let him know the fax hasn't arrived yet.

I found him.

Having chased it up again, it was apparently faxed 3 hours ago. They're faxing it again now, so within a matter of minutes all the pieces of paper should be at all the right places.

3.40pm still no fax.

Wednesday 7th February 2008

It didn't arrive  

Thursday 7th February 2008

9.00am I have a sore head, but a strong heart. Tim told me that if necessary he would take a train to Leeds today to pick up this document, but let's hope we don't have to do that.
We have alternative fax numbers around London to give out.

Thursday 7th February 2008

OK, so the 4 faxes didn't turn up, and the letters that were posted on Friday and Monday are neither here nor there. So let's regroup.

Tim has spoken to the people in Leeds again and they can (they say) fax a copy to a branch of their fine establishment. It so happens that there's a branch immediately next door to our solicitor's office, so Tim's put on two jumpers, filled a thermos and taken two thick books with him up to this branch.

Thursday 7th February 2008

The fax has arrived.

Tim only had to wait about 20 minutes before the fax came through at the branch. He's now taken it to our solicitor (who was with a client), who will now be able to proceed with the next stage. Telling our bank.

Thursday 7th February 2008

I've spoken to our solicitor who (after several feints, shimmies followed by a dummy and a nutmeg) told me that he has/will fax the request to our bank. We've left a message with our business advisor, to let her know, so she can chase it up for us.
We can do no more today.

All we want to do is sell books . . .

Friday 8th February 2008

The fax has definitley gone to our bank. A letter was also posted yesterday by our solicitor to the bank.

Tim has gone to see our business advisor at the bank to sign a piece of paper.

**Update**
The fax has arrived at our bank. They now have everything they need.
Except . . .
they need to verify one detail with our solicitor (I hope they don't just leave a message for him). So as soon as they've done that we've got the dosh.

and then we can buy a shop

and then we can make it into a bookshop . . .

Friday 8th February 2008

The bank have told us they are releasing the money. It should be with our solicitor on Monday (at the latest). Can you guess who we'll be visiting on Monday. (our solicitor) . . . Blimey, we might have a bookshop soon . . .

Monday 11th February 2008

I realised last night that today marked six months since the waterstone's in Wood Green closed its doors for the last time. Half a year . . .

It's been a long old time since the catalyst for the Big Green Bookshop, er catalysed. Longer than we'd hoped, that's for sure. But it's only a matter of weeks before there will finally be a bookshop in Wood Green again.








 

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