07/08/2026
Flowers in memory of our dear colleague Douglas Barnes who died on the 21st July.
Douglas was one of the four co-founders of the bookshop in 1991. As the last ‘book musketeer’ Douglas was determined to keep the bookshop going and with his many years of knowledge and expertise, did that with continued interest.
Douglas was kind, considerate and gentle-natured, keenly observing life’s curiosities, often with a sense of humour. Over the years (decades even) he was a friendly familiar face to those who came in to see him, whether it was literature, fishing - Douglas had been a keen angler since childhood - or anything else they wished to discuss. His absence will be felt by many.
In recent months he spoke of his enjoyment of rediscovering DH Lawrence and was on the look out for interesting editions. But sadly time ran out before any find could be found.
‘It is a fine thing to establish one's own religion in one's heart, not to be dependent on tradition and second-hand ideals. Life will seem to you, later, not a lesser, but a greater thing.’
D.H. Lawrence
Condolences to Douglas’s wife Ulla and his sister Susan, who has been a huge support at the shop. I am grateful to both her and Julia for their help over the past months. Thank you also to friend of the bookshop, Andrew, for the beautiful flowers 🌷 🕊️
