Can I Help You?
I sing with a small choir and before a recent concert our conductor suggested we rest our voices for a day or two and tried to talk as little as possible. How, I wondered, was I going to do that when talking to customers is a large part of my job! I really enjoy chatting to the many people who visit or phone Rose's Books. I ignored his advice and carried on as normal!
As well as dealing with book related queries I seem to spend some time (particularly in summer) giving Tourist Information. We do have an excellent Tourist Information Centre in Hay at the top of the main car park which is the other side of town from us. I can usually answer questions about where to go for coffee/lunch/tea/ice cream, (I admit to being a little biased here as one of my daughter's works in Shepherds where they sell the most scrumptious sheep's milk ice-cream in a wide variety of flavours), where to get milk or bread and how to get to other book shops. I find it useful to give out the map of Hay Booksellers which shows where each shop is and what they specialise in.
Delivery people are known to come in to ask for directions – it's one way of finding out what businesses operate in Hay. The building numbering in Broad Street seems to be a bit confusing, not helped by the fact that Broad Street ends after our shop and becomes Belmont Road. The numbering then actually carries on on the opposite side of the road. It is also difficult to direct people when they are in the wrong town! There is a Broad Street in Hereford and the post code for Hay and for Hereford begins HR - and there the similarity ends. It has taken a lot of effort on my part and some scepticism on their part to persuade them that their SATNAVs are wrong and I am right!
I enjoy going home and telling my family that I am about to become a media star! At first they were very impressed but now they simply ask 'which country is it this time?' I have been interviewed for South African Radio and Japanese television and had my photo taken for various foreign magazines. The most recent interview was for Japanese Airline's inflight magazine but I managed to keep out of the photographs! However I think the best moment was when photography students from Hereford College asked if they could take pictures of Holly, the shop dog, for their project on characters in Hay bookshops! She was certainly more photogenic than me.
Talking of students I seem to be on their list of people who will spare a few minutes to take part in a survey usually for their geography projects. I feel a certain sympathy with them as it could be one of my daughters asking the questions and I would hope they would be treated kindly too. The questions vary from 'how many book shops are there in Hay?' to 'why do you like visiting Hay?' (there was no box for someone who works in the town but lives elsewhere!) to 'how do you think Hay could be improved?' A while ago I had some children in from the local primary school. Aged about 7 to 8 they were doing a project on local shops. I was interviewed by a small group who wanted to know important things like how many books we have, which was the most expensive book and what was my favourite! Now that is a challenging question as I can never decide on one favourite.
We have our fair share of authors and illustrators as well as other celebrities visit the shop especially during the Hay Festival. Jacqueline Wilson usually pops in when she is in town. Malorie Blackman was interviewed here – much to the delight of a young admirer who was in the shop at the time. Colin West kindly signed some of his books, as did Kathie Layfield who illustrated some of the later Ladybird titles. Sue Perkins bought some Ladybird books and the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy called in too. Francesca Simon was filmed here for a Hay Festival Bookshop challenge when she had to find a special second hand book for £10. I was seen taking the money.
I enjoy hearing about connections with authors or illustrators. The family of an elderly gentleman bought a copy of Enid Blyton's 'Silver and Gold' illustrated by Ethel F. Everett for his birthday as he remembered meeting the illustrator. Another lady's mother had been one of the models for The Flower Fairies. A couple knew Enid Blyton and told me that she wrote her books to get children reading. Given the number of people who buy Blyton books from us I would say that she succeeded! Recently a young man told me he was buying a copy of 'Puffin's Pleasure' as his grandmother (Jill Mcdonald) had done the cover.
There are some customers who enjoy a chat on the phone, when ordering their books. Sometimes I seem to get their life history and I wonder if they live alone and don't see or talk to many people. One person I chat to often tells me in great detail about how he mends household items such as his cooker, or television or his bike, using whatever is to hand. Sometimes he has to buy new 'bits' which he manages to fit himself. He mends his shoes and clothes and only buys new when he absolutely has to. All this so he has more money to buy books!
'I have a strange request' said a customer recently. Wondering what on earth was coming next I was relieved to hear that he wanted a copy of our local newspaper, 'The Brecon & Radnor Express'. We had used some pages to protect the books he had ordered and he said he enjoys reading local papers!
So many people say letters are a thing of the past but we do receive some lovely letters and cards. One of my regular correspondents writes chatty letters to which I try to respond. We share a love of books - children's especially and cats. I tell her about the escapades of my cats and she tells me about the books she has read, her garden and her cat. I often wonder if we should publish the correspondence - a Stella and Rose's version of 84 Charing Cross Road?
So please don't be shy I am happy to chat and to listen - never mind what the choirmaster says!
Contributed by Catriona
(Published on 15th Sep 2014 )
