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ISSUE

WINTER 2021

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7 16

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WINTER 2021

The new rural economy in a changed countryside

An Equitable Culture?

AuthorSHARE pays authors for second-hand sales p39

Growing Unicorns in Somerset

Modwenna Rees Mogg on how to feed, train and love them p36

Darwin’s Granddaughter

her journal of a 1938 trek across Nazi Germany to find rugs in Persia p43

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Contact Contact Modwenna Modwenna Rees Mogg Rees Mogg 07736 676 07736 212 676 | modwenna@thepluralists.club 212 | modwenna@thepluralists.club | www.thepluralists.club | www.thepluralists.club

ISSUE

WINTER 2021 W W W.BOOKBARN.UK

6 4Ð The Bookbarn Manifesto William Pryor, Chairman of Bookbarn, discusses the point of Bookbarn

ÐRural

6Ð A 21st Century Blacksmith Alex Pole’s revival of an ancient craft making beautiful ironware for the home 12ÐSoil Not Oil Yeo Valley Organics the largest organic dairy in the UK whose future lies in the soil 14ÐThe Tatara Furniture Workshop Freddie Dodson’s art of Kanna or Japanese wood-shaving 19ÐCoal Mines, Cordwainers, Press Barons & Books How coal mining in Somerset led to shoe factories which led – briefly – to Somerset being a major European book producer

32 ÐBusiness

24ÐBookbarn HQ Where books, rugs and rural enterprise meet 28ÐRug Art Of The East Oriental Rugs of Bath: the handmade excellence of homely heirlooms from the Orient 32 PukkaÐProfits Herbal, organic, pukka health unstresses the world one cup of tea at a time 36 Building Unicorns Could a startup company worth more than a billion dollars be built in Somerset 39ÐAn Equitable Culture? AuthorSHARE, paying writers a commission on the sales of second-hand copies of their books – a world first 41ÐThe Sustainability Journey Former CEO of Bookbarn, Future Leap’s General Manager, Fenna Leake talks sustainability, circular business and B Corps

14 ÐCulture

43ÐTrek To Persia In 1938 PART ONE Charles Darwin’s granddaughter, Gwen Raverat, travelled by train across Nazi Germany and Communist Russia to explore rug-making in Persia 48ÐReWilding Returning an environment to its natural state, a Graphic Poem by Hannah Berry

Ð ÐBooks

50ÐJuggling The Books Diane Newland tells how Bookbarn has been selling yards of books through the Pandemic 52ÐSomerset Seasons Book Reviews Somerset-related book reviews by freelance proof-reader and book blogger Rebecca Foster, an American transplant to England

56ÐKids’ Charities Emma Bilsborough, Bookbarn’s Supply Manager, on how Bookbarn works with and for kids raising money for their projects 57ÐPreserving Antiquarian Treasure Paul Taylor, a professional book binder and restorer, describes his ancient craft 59ÐThe Richard Gere Of Books Diane Newland, Manager of the Bookbarn Bookshop, fantasizes about an ideal customer 61ÐToo Clever By Half – The Bookbarn Crossword Sandy Balfour, author, supporter of Bookbarn’s AuthorSHARE scheme and crossword compiler for the Guardian, explains cryptic crosswords and sets a puzzle for Bookbarn Magazine readers

19 Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 3

Welcome…

EDITORIAL The Bookbarn Manifesto

THE BOOKBARN MAGAZINE is about rural, green, sustainable, earth-friendly circular business and life. As we pick our way out of the fog of Covid and restriction we begin to notice that a great deal has changed, and much of it to the good. We are discovering that we can, and indeed have, re-invented how we tread our path through the mesh of pandemic, environmental crisis and related circumstance. The Magazine is intended to reflect the concerns, changes and stories we find ourselves going through in the 2020’s. “Purpose” is a word less used when describing social and sustainable businesses, but that’s what they have: an intent, objective or aim to be more than a profitmaking business. Busyness, the state of being busy through our passage of time, is obviously at the root of it all. A work-life balance is more important than ever. Diving even deeper, a purposeful business is one that gives its practitioners and customers meaning in a way that mere money cannot. The word is from the 14th Century meninge, “that which is intended to

William Pryor, Bookbarn’s Founder and Editor of the Magazine

be expressed”. At Bookbarn we intend to express our (and our customers’) love of books, thus our love of communication. But the converse is also true, without financial profits any deeper meaning is unlikely; profit and purpose are a symbiotic partnership. The purpose in and of Bookbarn is varied: 1) to make money, 2) to provide a service that gives individuals access to hundreds of thousands of second-hand books, 3) to catalogue, store, advertise and sell those books, and 4) to contribute to the wellness of everyone involved in the busyness.

Working with its customers, staff and supporters, Bookbarn tries its darnedest to tread a sustainable path through the current mesh of pandemic, environmental and social crises 4 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Consecteur ”Book dolor sit LOREM Reading by AMET the Sea” by Lucy Raverat www LucyRaverat.com

None of this is new: in 1979 Ecover started selling phosphate-free cleaning products from Belgium. Nine years later, in 1988, Seventh Generation1, based in Vermont, started selling plant-based cleaning products. Both businesses were sold to multinationals, Ecover to SC Johnson in 2017 and Seventh Generation to the Anglo Dutch conglomerate Unilever2 in 2016 for $700 million. They created more than 70 new products and managed to have many regulations of their industry changed for the betterment of the environment. In 2005 Steve Jobs said: When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation... It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along. It was idealistic and overflowing with neat tools and great notions. Inspired by The Whole Earth Catalog, in the 1980s I started The Whole Thing catalogue which morphed into The Green Catalogue, a paper-based mail-order business selling everything green, from low-energy light bulbs to organic cotton sheets. After four years trading we reached a turnover of £1M+, but always underfinanced, were forced to close the business. But there is nothing new: as mentioned in my article about the history of book production in Somerset, my great great great grandfather, Josiah Wedgwood could be said to be the inventor of mail-order and selling direct to the consumer as ways of creating an enormous database of loyal customers of his pottery. As the French have it: Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. A purposeful business gives its employees the ground in which to develop their purpose and meaning. Joseph Campbell, the philosopher of myth and storytelling wrote: Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer. Bookbarn’s purpose is to create an environment in which we all – readers, employees, customers & partners – can express our own meanings amidst an ever more-healthy ecosystem.

•

1 Seventh Generation because the Great Law of the Iroquois states: “in our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” 2 Interesting that Pukka Herbs was also sold to Unilever in 2017. Also worth noting that that quintessentially hippie ice cream brand, Ben & Jerry’s was acquired by Unilever in 2000.

Change has speeded up through lockdown and isolation. The world is, in significant ways, changed from what it was in 2019. We don’t expect to work in a shop, office or factory. We have often not seen family and friends for many months. Many of us prefer to live and work in the countryside rather than in the city. We are on the edge of an environmental precipice. The Bookbarn Magazine responds to these changes head on.

Published by Bookbarn International Group Ltd 01761 451765 www.bookbarn.uk @Bookbarn_BBI www.facebook.com/Bookbarninternational www.instagram.com/bookbarnbbi www.pinterest.co.uk/bookbarnint Editor William Pryor Editorial assistant Diane Newland Designer Nick McKay Printed in the UK by The Manson Group, a subscriber to the Forestry Stewardship Council FSC® and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes PEFC® which promotes responsible management of the world’s forests. The Manson Group has reduced its landfill waste by over 80% through waste segregation, responsible recycling, and energy-saving materials and processes.

Advertising sales To place display or listings advertising please call 01761 451765 or Bookbarn@Bookbarn.uk The publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, including photocopies and information retrieval systems. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this journal, the publisher cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information or opinions printed herein, or any consequences arising from it. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the opinion of either The Bookbarn Magazine or Bookbarn International Ltd.

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 5

Rural /

A 21st Century Blacksmith 6 Yeo Valley Organic 12 Tatara Furniture Workshop 14 Coal Mines & Books 19

6 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

21st Century Blacksmith

/ RURAL

alex pole BLACK SMITH Alex Pole’s revival of an ancient craft making beautiful ironware for the home WORDS Catherine PHOTOGRAPHY Neil

Courtenay White, Tim Booth and Maria Bell

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 7

W RURAL

/ 21st Century Blacksmith

HEN ASKED why he set up his smithy in the countryside, Alex Pole replies: “We make an awful lot of noise”. So, a town centre site could be tricky. An industrial estate is easier but, he admits, working alongside a 75acre orchard really does have its benefits. To take a wander through the trees, mug of tea in hand, perhaps cook something on the outdoor wood oven, offers Alex and his team some respite from the forge environment. At around 53 degrees Celsius, the forge is, he says, “an unpleasant environment to work in, unless you’re hardened to it”. Alex Pole Ironwork operates from two workshops in a former Showerings’ cider yard at Over Stratton, Somerset. It specialises in hand-forged kitchenware and utensils. After years of making anything and

8 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

21st Century Blacksmith

/ RURAL

BUT THEN, LATE ONE EVENING AND AFTER TOO MUCH WINE, HE BOUGHT A BOOK ON EBAY. IN THE BACK WAS A TINY ADVERT FOR A COURSE RUN BY FREDRIK THELIN AT THE WORLDRENOWNED SWEDISH AXE-MAKING CENTRE, GRANSFORS BRUKS 3

1Ð Frying pans made at the Forge come in a range of sizes and are individually hand-crafted

2Ð Copper is hand beaten to

create the bowl part of the kitchen utensils

3Ð The Forge Kitchenware range

looks stunning and every item is made to last

everything, Alex is now forging what he and his team enjoy making. “It was a very conscious decision to set up the kitchenware,” he says. “And I love cooking!” Alex has been creating items from metal for 30 years. He studied jewellery at art college, then worked as a jeweller and silversmith for 18 years before deciding to specialise in iron work. The 49-year-old’s fascination with metals goes back to his childhood in London. “I suspect it comes from my mother being a jeweller. She had a workbench in our kitchen and I would sit and watch her as she made things. Really from about the age of four I was doing stuff with metal - from casting lead soldiers to making jewellery.” At one time in his career things were tough, both financially, “I didn’t have two coins to rub together”, and because he’d also lost heart in his work. Previous years had been spent travelling to various countries, finding jobs in workshops as he went – all accompanied by plenty of partying. His ‘lost years’ he calls them. But then, late one evening and after too much wine, he bought a book on eBay. In the back was a tiny advert for a course run by Fredrik Thelin at the world-renowned Swedish axe-making centre, Gransfors Bruks. “At the time I was pretty burnt out and close to quitting blacksmithing, so I decided to take a week off and go back to school. It was the best thing I ever did and totally changed everything.” He adds: “Sometimes in life you meet certain people and they change you. Maybe they don’t even do anything but by being around them they allow change. Fredrik is one of these people and meeting him, and

4Ð The range includes these

‘black’ stainless steel pinch pots, perfect for seasonings like salt and pepper

4 Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 9

RURAL

/ 21st Century Blacksmith

him becoming my (informal) master, is one of the reasons I do what I do today.” Alex went on to teach others himself and ran regular workshops until recently. Business has grown so much in the last six months that teaching is on hold and more blacksmiths have been employed, simply to keep up with demand. This surge in sales, a quarter of which are going to the US, followed the launch of an online shop, in May last year. (2020) “I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Alex. “It’s the rise of social media. Seventy five per cent of our sales come through Instagram alone.” The internet has made the products accessible to many more people, and it’s also fed a thirst for the craft itself. “There’s a kind of re-discovery of stuff that has been around for hundreds of years, but social media has allowed that knowledge to spread.” Alex can communicate with any blacksmith anywhere in the world, at any time. “At the touch of a button I can ask a

5 6 7

10 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Consecteur dolor sit

/ LOREM AMET

AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON I CAN ASK A QUESTION OF THE BLACKSMITH COMMUNITY, OR I CAN GOOGLE SOMETHING, OR I CAN SEARCH ANCIENT TEXTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT ONLINE

8 5Ð Hand-crafted serving utensils make a big impression at the dinner table

6Ð Crafting knives and axes was

what inspired Alex to develop his range of kitchenware

7Ð Skillets have forged handles and

copper rivets and come in a range of sizes

8Ð This serving ladle has a ‘black’

stainless steel handle with a hand beaten copper bowl

question of the blacksmith community, or I can Google something, or I can search ancient texts that have been put online.” He feels that the blacksmith’s craft is as important to society today as it was 3,000 years ago. Perhaps more so. “Humans have advanced faster than their genetics. We were designed not to eat much and to work physically. You see people come on a course and they’re thrilled, terrified and exhausted… and at the end of the day they can pick up an axe they’ve made and say, ’I did that!’” Alex is not against technology, he runs his business from his iPhone, but he sees his work as an antidote to screen time. “I don’t see why both can’t work side by side.” This blacksmith is welding ancient and modern. But, at the end of day, even if everything fell apart, “We have this set of fundamental skills. We can pick up our hammer and pair of tongs and go anywhere in the world and get a job. We don’t even need electricity!”

•

www.alexpoleironwork.com Blacksmith: Apprentice to Master. Tools and Traditions of an Ancient Craft by Alex Pole is published by Quadrille Publishing Ltd.

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 11

RURAL

/ Soil Not Oil

THE HOME OF Yeo Valley Organic in Blagdon, Somerset is the backdrop and inspiration for what has become the UK’s largest organic brand, and as it happens, is only a 20-minute drive from the Bookbarn. Which is why, for the first edition of the Bookbarn Magazine, we want to take the opportunity to do more in communicating the benefits of organic farming and how critical it is for all our futures. Tim Mead, owner of Yeo Valley Organic, has seen the business grow from a dairy of 30 cows in Blagdon run by his mother and father to become a nationwide brand that uses over 100 million litres of organic milk and makes 350m pots of organic yogurt a year. “I’ve always had this desire to see organic dairy farming reach 10 per cent of the milk market,” he says. He’s halfway there. In the past 27 years Tim has seen the rise of organic dairy farms from single digits when Yeo Valley Organic started to around 400 organic dairy farms today. Ever hopeful of even more dairy farmers converting to organic, “to double that again in five or 10 years, would just be brilliant,” he says. As an ardent defender of the good that the dairy industry can do, it is easy to note the joy that it brings Tim to talk passionately about the benefits of regenerative organic agriculture, “in a way this

WORDS Beth

Save our Soil with regenerative organic agriculture

is returning organic to its grass roots and the fundamental choice of soil not oil, as a basis of producing food,” he says. The soil is the cornerstone of the whole operation at Blagdon. There is a strong belief that if the soil is right, the health of everything else will follow. ‘Nature is a great teacher’, says Tim, and he believes that if we work with nature and not against it, we can support sustainable food production. Tim farms a mix of cows, sheep and crops, a mix that is essential as the manure

Katuszka Valley Organic

PHOTOGRAPHY Yeo

Yeo Valley Organic – the largest organic dairy in the UK whose answer lies in the soil

SOIL NOT OIL

12 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Soil Not Oil

from the animals is the catalyst for soil health, ‘it also helps make organic soils more effective at storing carbon in the long term’, says Tim. Soil health might not seem as easy as you might think, “like all things nature, healthy soil is about balance,” says Tim. “You must spend time ensuring the soil has the right balance of nutrients, air and water – similar to any living thing. We plant different species of grass, clover and herbs in our fields – this helps boost the soil fertility and makes the soil structure more resilient to extreme weather conditions like drought or floods. We keep our fields

Organic soils store more carbon

/ RURAL

covered with crops throughout the year to ensure the elements aren’t lost. This helps to make organic soils more effective at storing carbon in the long term, which is what we need to combat climate change,” says Tim. Mead doesn’t shy away from a challenge and believes it’s a wonderful time to be a farmer. “As a livestock farmer, I feel really excited about being part of the solution. We’re standing on something that can store carbon – the soil. Carbon stored in soils is about three times that in living plants and double that in the atmosphere. Surely our first port of call is to do everything we possibly can to lock up carbon in the very thing that we are harnessing to provide food,” he says. This is why Yeo Valley organic farming takes a lead from nature, working with the seasons to get the very best tasting products. As organic farmers, they see first-hand the incredible things nature can produce. Tim finishes, “ultimately, if we look after nature, then nature will look after us.” Fancy more of a taste of Yeo Valley? Visit their website to pre-book tickets for one of their farm tours, cookery or garden demos. Or a tour of their organic garden that has also inspired this year’s show garden appearing at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in September and for more information on exclusive events happening at their Somerset farm visit www. yeovalley.co.uk

•

You must spend time ensuring the soil has the right balance of nutrients, air and water – similar to any living thing Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 13

RURAL

/ Tatara Furniture Workshop 1Ð Man Alive chair made with

a beech tree that had been inoculated with mycelium, which can be seen in the dark figure running through

2Ð Bamboo bicycle, the project that started it all

3Ð Fred Dodson working with Kanna

4Ð Beech tree table

WORDS Freddie

Dodson Dodson

PHOTOGRAPHY Freddie

Freddie Dodson 2

14 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Discovering the artform of Kanna, the Japanese arboreal stethoscope

KANNA (PRONOUNCED KAH-NA) is a handplane from Japan used for forming and finishing wood. It consists of a slab of metal, or more precisely two slabs forged together, and the block of wood which holds it. The latter can be made by the craftsman who uses it, giving great freedom. You can control exactly how the tool performs, how it fits into the hand and how the work fits into the tool. It is a silent dialogue. The blade is forged by a skilled blacksmith dedicated to producing a highly refined laminated steel that can be made extremely sharp. Traditionally this starts with a hunt for iron sand in river-beds, as Japan has scarce iron ore. Using a Tatara, a volcano-like furnace

Tatara Furniture Workshop

/ RURAL

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 15

RURAL

/ Tatara Furniture Workshop

Tools act as an extension of hand and mind, enabling him to transform practical intention and aesthetic desire into physical form... Design and execution are inseparable; tools are instruments of both the mind and the hand, particularly at the critical creative junctures that arise in the invention of new forms. W.H. Coaldrake, Way of the carpenter

5 that is destroyed in the process, the iron is smelted to make a steel called Tamahagane, famed for its use in Samurai swords. The metallurgist Cyril Stanley Smith of Massachusetts Institutes of Technology regarded the samurai sword as the ultimate craft object to properly utilise the internal characteristics of steel. Using Kanna it is possible to take shavings thinner than a human blood cell. But it is the quality of finish that distinguishes the Kanna’s work. The character of the tree shines more clearly: the patterns of growth, the stress, the decay, the beauty. And also the character of the artist is left in the form and lines made by the sharp steel moved by the fingertips. Curved surfaces are formed from subtle facets that can be seen up close; line after line after line, the tactile invitation softens and smooths with each hand that is met. This intimate relationship between tools, trees, and technique allows for creation

16 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Tatara Furniture Workshop

/ RURAL

8 7

5Ð A Tatara, a volcano-

like furnace in which iron is smelted to make Tamahagane steel, famed for its use in Samurai swords

6Ð Boards, planks & table base

7Ð Samara chair – Samara is the winged seed of an ash tree, heading towards the unknown

8Ð Splitcenter lowtable

9Ð Chair detail

of new works that reach into and express the majesty of English Oak or the colour and flex of vibrant Yew. My journey to the discovery of Kanna was anything but straight forward. Disillusioned with my studies in psychology, I decided to build a bicycle out of bamboo and travel East. On the road, in Bosnia, I met a man who knew of a cabinet maker in Hawaii. To my amazement, this lead turned out to be my way in. After four months working with wood on the Hawaiian Big Island I was sent an article, Tokunaga and the art of working with no sandpaper.

9 Eight months later I found myself sitting opposite Toshio Tokunaga in his studio in Yokawa, Japan. A craftsman and artist of the highest order, apprentice of Hekigai Takeuchi, a Japanese national treasure and now, through a stroke of good fortune, I was to become his first Western apprentice. Tokunaga believes the objects we use in our daily lives should be made with human hands. He also believes there is a timeless and objective quality to beauty that should be aspired to. He feels Kanna is the best way to attain these standards and was led here with a

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 17

RURAL

/ Tatara Furniture Workshop

Disillusioned with my studies in psychology, I decided to build a bicycle out of bamboo and travel East. On the road, in Bosnia, I met a man who knew of a cabinet maker in Hawaii

serendipitous meeting in 2008 with Ohara Yasuhiko, the blacksmith. This meeting was transformative to Tokunaga’s way of working and allowed him to express himself and the trees he used more freely. I knew this was a man worth learning from, and wholeheartedly threw myself into his way of Kanna. My year-long apprenticeship in Japan was initially funded by a local government agency who supported Tokunaga’s use of their local and famed wood Yoshino Sugi (Cryptomeria Japonica). For 500 years foresters have been planting, thinning and tending the trees to create beautifully straight grained, knotless timber with a red hue. I had found my door into the old craft world, amongst one of the rare and enduring lineages of traditional artists still alive. Tap tap tap, swooosh, swoooosh, swooooosh. That was the music of our daily work. “when you use kanna your mind is in the wood,” Tokunaga would say, his verbal teachings few and poetic. Living with a teacher, lessons are absorbed like a child learning a language. What the teacher practices is more than a job, it is a way of life: the house homemade, the table, the vegetable patch outside the kitchen.

18 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Table with Ironstone base and bronze top

Nearing the end of my stay I ask tentatively, “I feel I could stay longer and learn more from you”. Tokunaga responds, “there is a saying in Japanese, when a man wants to build a house but needs to clear the land of shrub and thicket, he doesn’t go to the sawmill to buy wood, he first uses what he has”. About to enquire what he meant, and the doorbell goes. So it was, after a year immersed in Japanese culture, language and ancient craft, I had been profoundly affected by a foreign perspective. I understood that maybe I had what I needed. Returning to England with my toolbox of Kanna and all I had learned, I embarked on building a studio dedicated to establishing this nascent artform in my home country - working with trees to make objects that endure and inspire; connecting people with the mind in nature. This year my aim is to hold my first exhibition. It will be titled Inside the Artform of Kanna, with existing pieces, new work, photography and poetry, to tell some of this story. If anyone is interested in coming, I would love to see you.

•

Video www.vimeo.com/390479683 www.tataraworkshop.com Instagram @tataraworkshop

How coal mining in Somerset led to shoe factories which led – briefly – to Somerset being a major European book producer WORDS William

Pryor

COAL MINES, CORDWAINERS, PRESS BARONS & BOOKS The history of Somerset book manufacture

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 19

RURAL

/ Coal Mines & Books

OU MIGHT SAY there’s gold in them Mendip Hills! Equidistant from the ancient cities of Bath, Bristol and Wells in Somerset, there is a seam of gold in the form of Bookbarn’s treasure trove of books, a seam Bookbarn mines everyday to provide the global book reading public some of the used books it needs. The now dormitory village (really a small town) of Paulton, two miles from the Barn, flourished as a centre of the Somerset Coalfield from the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Centuries. Just because you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean it wasn’t huge - the total tonnage of coal produced in Somerset in one year reached a peak of 1.25 million tons in 1901, when there were 79 separate collieries. That 1.25 million tons would occupy nearly one million cubic metres, a space one kilometre long, 10 metres deep and 100 metres across. And 1901 was just one of the many years the coal field was in production. Subterranean Somerset must be like an enormous underground Emmental cheese, full of holes.

20 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Coal Mines & Books

/ RURAL

3 In 1847, long before the coalfield reached its peak output, the cordwainer (I’m so happy I get to use the word) John Flook began making shoes in Kingswood, Bristol. He expanded to Paulton and built streets of homes for his workers. But such were the rapid changes to the shoe business that he had to close the Paulton factory in the 1860s. In 1839, Charles Dando Purnell, a printer and strict Methodist, set up Purnell & Sons in Paulton. The firm would become one of the largest book and magazine printing and publishing companies in Europe, employing 2,000 people at its peak in the nineteen sixties. As a Methodist Charles Purnell’s main aim in setting up the company was to alleviate the poverty and unemployment caused by the waning mining industry and closure of Flook’s boot factory in Paulton. In other words, Purnell and Sons started life as what is now called a Social Venture, a purpose to which Bookbarn also aspires. In the early sixties Purnell’s rapid expansion meant the company needed to raise more capital for machinery. The owners asked their members of staff for cash loans. This raised £6,000, giving the staff a sense of ownership and ensured loyalty to the firm. An early example of what we now call Crowd Funding! In 1968 the firm merged with other printers to become the British Printing Corporation (BPC), the largest printer of books and publisher of “part works” in Europe. A centuries-old publishing concept, the most renowned author to use the partworks model was Charles Dickens, whose novels were sometimes published weekly, chapter by chapter. In the 20th Century, supported by intense TV advertising, partwork publishing became a global business with individual parts achieving print runs of 400,000 or more. A recent example – Build Your Own R2 D2 Model, released in the UK in 2019 - required the purchase of 100 issues before you could build your R2 D2 – at a total price of £900 – all for a model robot, worth tens of pounds!

4 1Ð The

Writhlington Pit 1920’s

The loans gave the staff a sense of ownership and ensured loyalty to the firm. An early example of what we now call Crowd Funding! Winter 2021

2Ð The long-gone Hallatrow Railway Station, just half a mile from Bookbarn’s present location

3Ð Inside Purnell & Sons some time in the early 20th Century

4Ð A fully

completed R2 D2

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 21

RURAL

/ Coal Mines & Books

5 While the company had big contracts, the introduction of new machinery and overstaffing eventually meant it was losing money. The controversial (and later disgraced) media baron Robert Maxwell stepped in to purchase the company, taking full control in 1982, and told unions the only way to save any jobs was to cut the payroll from 13,000 to 7,000 workers. After losing a war with the unions the Paulton factory closed in 2005, with 400 jobs lost. Two other large book production and publishing companies in Somerset are also both long gone: Butler & Tanner in Frome and The Pitman Press in Bath. Butler & Tanner’s most recent, but short-lived, rescue in 2008 was at the hands of Felix Dennis, an eccentric hippie businessman famous for his involvement in the Oz Magazine Trial in the sixties

22 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

and becoming the “millionaire poet” by publishing computer magazines, the Week and several books of his own poetry. Butler and Tanner pioneered various printing methods, such as the monstrous Dreadnought press of 1910 that could produce seven 32-page sections in a single revolution. Field Marshall Montgomery visited B&T to see his A Concise History of Warfare being bound in 1969; Prime Minister Harold Wilson signed copies of his book for a book club; Delia Smith – for whom B&T printed millions of cookbooks over the years – visiting the factory to officially inaugurate a new large-format colour press 30 years ago. Dennis poured millions into the company that changed its name to Butler, Tanner & Dennis, but in 2014, months after he died, its weak finances meant it had to be closed.

Sir Isaac Pitman attributed his excellent health and his ability to work long hours to his vegetarian diet and abstinence from alcohol

Coal Mines & Books

/ RURAL

8 7 The Pitman Press in Bath grew out of Sir Isaac Pitman’s invention of shorthand. He was a lifelong advocate of rationalising spelling in the English language, producing many pamphlets during his lifetime on spelling reform and first proposing this in his book Stenographic Soundhand in 1837. His motto was “time saved is life gained”. In 1886 Pitman went into partnership with his sons Alfred and Ernest to form Isaac Pitman and Sons. In the same year, the millionth copy of the Phonographic Teacher was sold in Great Britain. Isaac Pitman and Sons was to become one of the world’s leading educational publishers and training businesses with offices in London, Bath, New York City, Melbourne, Johannesburg, Toronto and Tokyo. The publishing division was bought by rival Pearson Plc in 1985. Every day of his life Isaac Pitman would read Emanuel Swedenborg, a 17th Century Swedish mystic; he also devoted much time and energy to educating the world about him. He attributed his excellent health and his ability to work long hours to his vegetarian diet and abstinence from alcohol. We cannot leave out the grandest of all the Somerset social enterprises, the Quaker desert boot cordwainers, the Somerset-based and globallyknown social venture that is Clarks shoes based in Street, near Glastonbury. Founded by Cyrus Clark in 1825, the company developed its trade of fellmongering (dealing in skins and pelts), woolstapling (dealing in wool) and tanning into shoe making, thus becoming cordwainers. The Clark family’s quaker beliefs led them to build a school for their workers’ children so that young men and women could combine working in the factory with continuing their education They also opened

5ÐFelix Dennis at the height of his eccentricity

6Ð A “Sewing Room” at a Clark’s factory early 20th Century

7Ð 18th Century cordwainers hard at work

8Ð A typical Pitman publication of the 1920’s

9Ð A Pitman’s children’s picture book

9 a theatre, built a library, alongside an open-air swimming pool and the town hall. Playing fields were established for the benefit of all and low-cost housing was provided by the company for its employees. Clarks has survived recent financial turmoil by selling a majority stake in the business to a Hong Kong based private equity fund. So, nothing is new: crowd-funding, the demise of coal-mining, the rise and fall of business empires, social ventures, crooked media moguls – Somerset has seen them all. The key here is that at some point in the middle of the last century, when Purnell and Sons, The Pitman (Bath) Press and Butler & Tanner were all going full strength that a significant percentage of the English language books published at the time were printed in Somerset. The tendency towards social ventures continues in Somerset. A local listing registers 31 “organic food shops”, 12 organic farms & farmers markets and many organic cafes and restaurants. Bristol and Bath are humming with woke individuals, businesses and co-operatives.

•

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 23

Business LOREM AMET

/ Consecteur dolor sit

Bookbarn HQ 24 Rug Art Of The East 28 Pukka Profits 32 An Equitable Culture? 39 The Sustainability Journey 41

/ Building Unicorns 36 /

Welcome to

HQ BOOKBARN

WORDS William

Pryor Jones

PHOTOGRAPHY Gareth

A barn chock full of books, coffee, cakes and rugs 24 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

BOOKBARN as you might guess is a barn in the Somerset countryside. Built by the government in World War II, to store butter and sugar, today, with over a millon books, coffee and cakes, free car-parking, a huge range of hand-made rugs, Bookbarn is a haven from the cruel world of covid and uncertainty, a visitor attraction that is developing as a centre for Cultural Tourism that works well for all sorts of groups from tourists, to cycling clubs to primary school children. We’ve known people to browse all day in our main bookshop – sometimes people get lost! The average Waterstones stocks 30,000 titles; we stock at least four times that, 120,000. Free car-parking means you can stay as long as you like. Your kids will be enthralled with our children’s bookshop. Our book prices range from £1 to £500 for our rarer antiquarian titles. As if that wasn’t enough, using the terminals in the cafe, visitors to the Barn can search for, and buy, the millions of books we list online. Bookbarn holds regular talks by authors and other musical events, in addition to the famed “Kilo Sales” where books are sold by weight. The Bookbarn Christmas Craft Fair gathers local craftspeople to sell their Christmas handmade items.

Bookbarn HQ

/ BUSINESS

Bookbarn’s Darwin Rare Book Room (our chairman is his great great grandson) is dedicated to antiquarian, rare, interesting, peculiar and beautiful tomes published from the 18th to the 21st Century.

Verdant Futures

Bookbarn was one of the first flush of online used book sellers, that ranged from businesses run from people’s bedrooms to some employing hundreds. William Pryor and Matthew Dodson acquired the business in 2013 and have been re-inventing it ever since, culminating in the merger with several other “green” businesses that is underway. The founders and key shareholders of Milamber Ventures plc and Bookbarn International Group Limited are merging their assets into a new company called Verdant Futures Limited. Verdant Futures will be comprised solely of enterprises that are socially responsible, inclusive, sustainable, ethical, environmentally sound, circular in their use of resources, scalable and profitable. The combination of the latest communication and networking technology with education and sustainability will be shaping Verdant’s future.

Printed Books Are Here To Stay For a while, in the nineties, the invention of the ebook and ebook reader seemed to threaten the ancient technology of the printed book, but people’s love of the physical thing has proved too strong. You can’t read an ebook in the bath; you can’t throw or give one to someone; you can’t smell

ABOVE LEFT

Bookbarn has over 15 miles of book shelves ABOVE

Bookbarn is filled with ideas for presents for Christmas, Birthdays and everyday

them; nor can you sign, scribble in or dog-ear one. Readers should not try this at home!

Online Bookselling

In the year 1994, Jeff Bezos started selling books online under the name Amazon. Most business pundits said he was bonkers. Books were all he sold to start with it wasn’t that he was a bibliophile, but just that books are compact, easy to pack and ship. And, theoretically, they could be made available anywhere in the world. When Amazon made its first profit in 2001 – 7 years after it was launched - ecommerce started to look like a magical new way of making money. The used book market looked like a promising sector: charity shops were paying to have the books they were given taken away – they couldn’t shift them quickly enough through their shops. A new breed of online booksellers were selling books that were either free to them, or even better, they were paid to take away. Amazon, eBay and others now sell space on their international marketplaces. All the new breed of 21st Century booksellers (including Bookbarn) have to do is source millions of books, catalogue them and ship them.

Emarketing Books

In 2020 Bookbarn acquired another online seller, Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 25

BUSINESS

/ Bookbarn HQ

£12-26bn

could be added to the UK economy every year through greater digital adoption in rural areas

Cambridge Rare Books. Together we sell hundreds of thousands of mostly second-hand books through our own websites, our physical shops and through the 15 international internet marketplaces we partner with around the world. Day by day we are sending thousands of books to the far corners of the UK and the world. Our recommerce model (reselling what has already been sold at least once) is an essential ingredient of sustainable business; using the 21st Century technology that is the World Wide Web to put our wares before the avid consumers of one of the oldest of technologies, the printed book.

Books by the yard in all colours of the rainbow

The Rural Economy

The rural economy includes the wide range of businesses that flourish outside towns and cities in the UK’s glorious countryside. The total income from farming in the UK is over £5 billion per annum, with nearly half a million people working in the industry. Only 15 per cent of the rural workforce is employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing and though these activities may shape the rural landscape, they are but a minor component of the contemporary Rural Economy. In 2018/2019 there were 550,000 businesses registered in rural areas accounting for 23% of all registered businesses in England and employing 3.6

million people. Surprisingly, only fifteen percent of those businesses are in agriculture, while professional scientific & technical services make up a further 15%, wholesale and retail 13%, construction 12%, support services 8%, education, health and social work 6%, information and communications 5% and manufacturing 5%. Overall, the gross value-added contribution to the economy from the rural parts of England is around £400 Billion.

Social Enterprise

Social Enterprise is a sector growing in importance, as more and more communities choose to run their own pubs, village shops or other key facilities. Many of these social enterprises are funded by alternative finance systems like crowd-funding. Ð Astara Training Ltd is becoming part of Verdant Ventures. Registered as a Social Enterprise, the company provides apprentice training and placements in the Government Kickstart Scheme that provides young people aged from 16 to 24 six months’ employment funded by Government grants. The Government has committed to supporting rural and social business by enabling them to grow

26 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Bookbarn HQ

/ BUSINESS

Coffee, Cakes, Contemplation Take some time out from some intense browsing in the Café, enjoy sandwiches, tea and barista coffee. and contemplate a book, and anthology or ever a yard of books and diversify by launching the £20m Rural Community Broadband Fund and supporting an initiative to stimulate demand within rural communities. This is on top of the £530m already being spent on superfast broadband. They intend to deliver Green Growth by launching a £15m Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund to help communities meet the upfront cost of developing renewables projects.

The Circular Economy

A circular economy is an economic system that eliminates waste and focuses on the re-use of resources; a model that Verdant Futures seeks to implement in all of its portfolio where practical. A good example is the second-hand book sector. Verdant’s portfolio company, Bookbarn, has been years in the making and has created a Circular Economy business that is sustainable, ethical, environmentally sound, scalable and profitable.

Core Verdant Services

Verdant will provide Rural and Circular Economy businesses with access to funding, cutting edge technologies, digital innovation and socially responsible sales and marketing strategies to gain access to new audiences and markets. New systems, processes, and distribution improvements will be developed. Verdant Futures focuses on: Funding solutions, grants & investment; Technology & digital innovation; and Business growth services.

Come stay for the day, or pop in on a day out. The Bookbarn HQ is in Hallatrow, a village on the A39 in the unitary authority of Bath & North East Somerset Unit 1 Hallatrow Business Park Wells Road Hallatrow Bristol BS39 6EX If you can’t come and visit us, you can still find us on the internet: Bookbarn www.bookbarninternational.com Books By The Yard www.booksbytheyard.co.uk Oriental Rugs of Bath www.orientalrugsofbath.com BRISTOL

• • •

£15bn

estimated annual business turnover growth in rural areas

A37

BATH A39

Wells Shepton Mallet

Glastonbury

Yeovil Weymouth

Directions From Bath (about 30 minutes) Take the A36 out of Bath towards Bristol. At the end of the dual carriageway, take the A39 towards Wells. About ten miles further you go through High Littleton and Hallatrow, still on the A39. One field after Hallatrow you find Bookbarn on your left just before the junction with the A37 road to Wells. Turn into Bookbarn and drive to the huge carpark at the back and park for free. From Bristol (about 25 minutes) Take the A37 out of Bristol towards Wells. Go through Pensford, Chelwood and Clutton. At Hallatrow traffic lights turn left. Bookbarn is a short distance on your right. From Bristol Airport (about 25 minutes) It’s complicated. Take the A38 towards Bristol then immediately right and follow road to Winford, Chew Magna, Clutton and Bookbarn. From Wells (about 25 minutes) Take the A39 out of Wells towards Bristol. At Farrington Park it joins the A37. Stay on the A37 until you reach Hallatrow. Take the right hand lane at the traffic lights and turn right. Bookbarn is a short distance on your right.

•

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 27

BUSINESS

/ Oriental Rugs Of Bath

RUG ART OF THE EAST

Admired for their intricate designs, sumptuous colours and unquestionable craftsmanship, handmade oriental rugs bring comfort and style to homes the world over WORDS Katya

Maiseyeva Jones

PHOTOGRAPHY Gareth

28 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

BACK IN THE 1980S Oriental Rugs of Bath started in a small but pretty shop in Argyle Street, Bath, just over the famous Pulteney Bridge. Pretty and ideally positioned for passing trade though it was, it was clear that the demand for the beautifully handcrafted works of art, that would last for generations if looked after, demanded more space to display them properly. Fast forward to 2013. Between Bath and Bristol where the A37 meets the A39, lies Hallatrow. And here, Bookbarn, with its justified boast of hundreds of

Oriental Rugs Of Bath

/ BUSINESS

1Ð The most attractive and up

market, hand woven Persian silk rugs increase in value over time

2Ð Hand-woven, colourful and

durable runners transform bland corridors into homely spaces

3Ð Feel free to browse and

handle our kilims and pile rugs

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 29

BUSINESS

/ Oriental Rugs Of Bath

4Ð The Oriental Rugs of Bath has an

extraordinary selection of handmade accoutrements for your home

5Ð Inexpensive kilims have been

adorning homes for thousands of years

6Ð Woven from wool and cotton,

flatweave rugs with geometric designs in rich, brilliant colours

7Ð Attractive accessories, original, colourful, hand woven and unique. Foot stools poufs, floor cushions

8Ð As wall decorations or useful fruit baskets, there is always a use for attractive hand-woven baskets

9Ð Unique hand-made wooden

seating and kilim covered twoseater settees

7 5

Dimitra, a TV production buyer, says: The Oriental Rugs of Bath team have been great and really helpful thousands of books, has a large warehouse to catalogue, store and sell its wares. Oriental Rugs of Bath took up residence on the mezzanine floor, where its now substantial collection of hand-made kilims, rugs, fabrics and furniture could be shown to some advantage. This set up works well for everybody: masses of space to see the rugs, kilims and furniture. The massive free parking makes a visit stress-free, while the knowledgeable staff are there to help you chose or to let you browse at your own pace and convenience. Oriental Rugs of Bath provides a cleaning and repair service employing Iranian expert weavers and timehonoured cleaning processes to restore your heirloom rugs and kilims. The stock comes from importers and wholesalers who deal with the Middle and Far East: Afghanistan, Baluchistan, China, India, Iran, Kurdistan, Pakistan and Turkey. With the added space, greater stock variety and colourways, Oriental Rugs of Bath is sought

30 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

4 6

Oriental Rugs Of Bath

/ BUSINESS

out by film, interior, theatre and TV designers, to bring that classic, hand-crafted look. Jane Raven, a prominent interior designer of Russell Sage Studio Ltd says: Oriental Rugs of Bath have been our ‘port of call’ for the finest quality rugs. All our clients have been very happy with our choices and quite often they have wanted us to return time and time again. The staff are always happy to help with difficult decisions. We can’t recommend them enough! Dimitra, a TV production buyer, says: The Oriental Rugs of Bath team have been great and really helpful. We have had amazing customer service and the quality of the rugs has been spectacular! The staff: Chris, James, Joy and Katya, who have between them more than 50 years of experience with the extraordinary craft of hand-made rugs, kilim and other fabrics, are always happy to serve you. We welcome the public every day between 9am and 5pm, but on Sundays we have a later start at 11.00.

•

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 31

PUKKA PROFITS Herbal, organic, pukka health unstresses the world one cup of tea at a time

AS IS MENTIONED in other articles in this the first issue of the Bookbarn Magazine, the UK’s West Country has been the home of several notable social ventures for whom profits have been as much about doing good as they are about financial health. This tradition is – in these times of global, well-being and environmental crisis – very much alive and well. One such business firmly in the forefront of this tradition is Pukka Herbs, based in Bristol and now a global business.

32 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

WORDS William PHOTOGRAPHY Pukka

Pryor Herbs

In Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, Ayurveda means The Science of Life. It stems from the ancient Vedic culture of India and has been taught for thousands of years. It is all about balance and how our crazy lifestyles can be restored to a balance of well-being. At the birth of the 21st Century, Tim Westwell placed an ad in a Bristol magazine offering help to ethical start-up businesses. The only person to answer was Sebastian Pole. Not only did Tim

Pukka Herbs

/ BUSINESS

2 have 10 years’ experience as a business change consultant, he also had a genuine passion for the power of herbs, nutrition and therapy and, perhaps more crucially, a burning desire to make a positive change in the world. Sebastian had been fascinated with plants, conservation and herbalism for many years. When he saw Tim’s advert, he’d already decided that he wanted to work for himself championing the amazing power of herbs and bringing their magic into more people’s lives. Having ended up with a mouthful of dusty flavourings when he tried most herbal teas on the market at that time, Sebastian’s big idea was to give people a delicious cup of herbal tea that symbolised everything he believed in. This wasn’t going to be just any cup of herbal tea, mind you – Sebastian wanted to create an incredible cup of herbal tea that supported people’s health, promoted conservation, and showed off the true brilliance of herbs. And it didn’t stop with tea. Sebastian wanted the brilliance of herbs to be at the heart of effective herbal solutions too. He wanted to create amazing syrups, delicious Aloe vera juices, as well as incredible herbal supplements that would work wonders for people and the planet. He just needed a good dose of business talent to bring this vision to life: Tim was the answer. It didn’t take them long to come up with a name for their

3 1` Tim Westwell

& Sebastian Pole, founders of Pukka Herbs

Sebastian wanted to create an incredible cup of herbal tea that supported people’s health, promoted conservation, and showed off the true brilliance of herbs Winter 2021

2` A set of Pukka herbal teas

3` Mr Ganesh

Gowda, a Pukka Herbs supplier in India, standing in a field of ginger

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 33

BUSINESS

/ Pukka Herbs

venture: Pukka (from the Hindi, meaning literally “ripe”, “fully formed”, “permanent”, “for real” or simply “genuine” and “very good”). Although they had a completely different set of skills, they shared a common thread of values and mutual trust. They spent hours in Tim’s Bristol flat plotting the path ahead, working evenings and weekends trying to turn their vision of a business centred around the holistic principles of Ayurveda, into a real business. But one with a big difference, one where the profits served a purpose. Following a strict and comprehensive list of sustainable, environmental and entirely plant-based principles, Pukka was, by 2016, turning over in excess of £30 million selling its teas and other herbal products around the world. They needed support to keep growing, so, in 2017, controversially to some in the alternative health world, Tim and Sebastian sold the business to Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever. Controversial in that some accused them of “selling out” to the big bad capitalist, but not at all suspect

34 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

4` The fair-wild

harvesting for Pukka of Haritakia, the main ingredient in the Ayurvedic formulation Triphala used for kidney and liver dysfunctions

5` Monish, a fairwild farmer, with freshly harvested turmeric in Karnataka, India

6` Company Day, September 2018

In 2017, controversially to some in the alternative health world, Tim and Sebastian sold the business to Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever

Pukka Herbs

/ BUSINESS

from their point of view. “Choosing Unilever,” said Sebastian, “came down to two fundamentals: scale and sustainability. Unilever is a leader in social and environmental change and they wholeheartedly embrace Pukka’s beliefs. So, there’s a meeting of values. Pukka will remain 100% organic and a champion for fair trading through pioneering schemes like Fair for Life, and will continue to donate 1% of its sales to global environmental charities.” Pukka Herbs was created with the purpose of benefitting the health of people, plants and the planet. When they began in 2001 the science was already clear that business needed to operate in a way that regenerated our environment and society. These are the values that Pukka was built upon: organic farming, fair trade and conservation through commerce. From sourcing organic ingredients, and becoming carbon neutral in 2019, they believe a healthy world means a healthy you. They are helping to fashion a positive and balanced future for the world – one cup of tea at a time. Pukka’s twenty-six-page Sustainability Report itemises in great detail how they run the business so it does the very minimum of harm to the environment, how their commitment to organics means they support regenerative agriculture with their growers, and how their packaging and tea bags are 98% recyclable. By their example and practice Pukka Herbs are making a significant contribution to a better and sustainable future for us all, whether we drink herbal teas or not. It is all about living the conscious changes we can make.

•

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 35

BUSINESS

/ Building Unicorns

Building Unicorns in the Countryside Could a startup company worth more than a billion dollars be built in Somerset asks Modwenna Rees-Mogg HAVING BASED my original business, AngelNews, in Somerset, UK for the last 18 years, the lockdown has turned that decision from a choice to a necessity. Thinking back to 2003, I started out with a (just about) mobile phone signal and dial-up broadband, plus a very kind IT provider who would let me sit on the bench with their tech team so I could access proper broadband when desperate. Here, in 2021, I have great mobile signal, speedy broadband (except when the neighbours start streaming to excess) and several businesses operating under my ownership. I have read the stories of city escapees with interest. Lockdown has shown others what I have long known you don’t have to be in a metropolis to be a successful entrepreneur. What are the advantages - other than quality of life that make running a business away from the concrete a good thing? The most important, of course, is having access to brilliant people, closely followed by the opportunity to have mental and physical space so you can think. Of course, office costs are lower, but that is offset by travelling costs to meet up with those who are not just a tube ride away. (I remain baffled why the train companies do not offer better rates on train fares for occasional travellers to a metropolis from rural outposts). Whilst the line from London to Bristol has

Family meals, which have always been very important to us, take place with laptops and phones pushed into a corner 36 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

improved markedly, I know we are lucky compared with other regions of the UK, though I still wish there were 4 not 2 trains an hour. National investment in our train network is essential if we are to level-up entrepreneurship in the UK, as well as helping us out with those Net Zero targets. Lockdown has been a revelation for me as well as for so many others. Business (I have both B2B and B2C businesses) works online. I have been able to close and deliver contracts with people I have never met, to employ people I have not met in person and to, crucially, have the time to innovate. I have even trained angel investors in Thailand on Zoom (realising that the global time difference is still an issue wherever you are).

Time

Cutting out travelling has not just given me time, it has given me the opportunity to rest and think,

Building Unicorns

/ BUSINESS

Unlike many who complain that they find Zoom tiring, I love it. The biggest challenge is to remember to add space between calls to do some desk work. Switching off is harder as my laptop is never more than a few feet away, but equally it’s not so hard to pop it in a cupboard and get into family life. Weekdays may merge into weekends with Saturdays or Sundays (hopefully not both!) being a good time to think, plan and inevitably catch up on the work not finished by Friday, but equally it’s easier to say stop at 6 or 7pm and spend time with my immediate family. I did have to fall back in love with my home printer/ scanner. That took a day or two, but to be honest there is rarely a need to print anything. And when it came to signing legal documents, digital signature technology and HM Government allowing family members to witness signatures has resolved potential pain points. I am pleased that what little shopping I have done has been local. No longer am I spending a lot of what I earn on coffees and sandwiches in London. Instead, the good burghers of Wells and Midsomer Norton benefit from my largesse. And when it comes to coffee, my machine and milk-frother gadget cover my cravings for a cappuccino!

Mobile Addiction

making me more efficient and, I hope, more constructive. I can trade with the world and then pop out for a walk in the fields, one minute after a call. Sometimes, of course, time can drift. There is no one, other than family, to stand by me and insist I finish something, so it takes discipline to get through the work. I sit in the centre of my home. We all shut doors if we need to make a call that will disturb someone else. On the other hand I do enjoy the too-ing and fro-ing of my family past my table turned desk as they grab a drink between lessons and more. Family meals, which have always been very important to us, take place with laptops and phones pushed into a corner. As a result they now include lively discussions not just about life in general and current affairs but also work. Having a family team that champions what I do is a new and very positive theme in my life.

Lockdown has been a revelation for me as well as so many others. Both B2B and B2C businesses works online

Although it is not lockdown specific one of the major changes I have noticed is my dependence on my mobile. I bank, I read (books newspapers, agreements, emails), I watch (TV, films, Zoom), I text, I play games, I calculate, I photograph, I scroll social media and late at night when I do not want to disturb those asleep, I even use it as a torch. My daily usage is often 9-10 hours. I sometimes wonder what this clear addiction is doing to me, but like any addict – how to break it is the question, especially when my phone does so much for me. What have been the shortcomings of lockdown? I suppose the main thing is that working from home doesn’t help my being part of a local community of businesspeople. Most of what I do is not dependent on this, but I am looking forward to the day when I can network in the real world again. I will be carving more time out in my diary to spend at least part of that effort within the BS postcode, rather than in London. No doubt this will include a quick trip to the Bookbarn which is just 3 miles away. I also look forward to meeting up with my team. We are managing some suitably socially-distanced essential business meetings, but it is not the same as having everyone close by in your own office. I am looking forward to setting up an office again. As one of my businesses employs people based all over the South and the Midlands, I fear we will return to

Winter 2021

/ Bookbarn Magazine / 37

BUSINESS

/ Building Unicorns

London because it will be the easiest for all the team to get to, but I am sure office hours won’t be 9 to 5, 5 days a week. It will be especially nice for young and old to mingle and share experiences. Both groups have so much to teach each other. The office will be a pop-in centre for those who need it and for gathering together for important meetings. Otherwise, I fully expect my teams to work from home most of the time. Why? Because I want to be able to live my life in that way and, if they want to, so should they. Prior to lockdown the Pluralists Club was largely all about meeting people, live, in London. We had a rapid pivot in March 2020 to doing Pluralists Casts on Zoom. For over a year now we have been holding calls on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the end of the day. From speakers to cookalongs, masterclasses to quiz nights this has become a regular spot in members’ diaries and with something like 100 different topics and speakers we have been able to massively increase the value we offer our members. Out of the Pandemic have emerged at least two new businesses (members of the club have got together

The Pluralists Club I founded the Pluralists Club in London. It’s members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, although there are some common characteristics:

n An existing

successful career in business, professional or academic life

n An ambition to

take charge of their lives and enjoy working and being active for as long as possible

n Believing they have

n Avoid the tedium

skills and talents to offer other organisations and people

of “retirement”

n A desire to stay

in or return to a working environment, but in a position of authority and with autonomy over their life

38 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

n A desire to earn

money and/or satisfaction from their Pluralist activities

n Wanting to build

a new network of valuable contacts with whom they connect and can work with

to get something off the ground) and we have set up Stock Market, Angel and NED sub-clubs. Our members are benefitting from the mutual support we give each other. More people are winning NED roles (and explaining how they did it), our stock market investment portfolio is looking good and sharing experiences in angel investing is never a bad idea. Our one physical meet up in one of our members gardens, for lunch, in the summer, was all the more special because we have only been seeing each other on video. I cannot wait to reopen our club in London so we can meet for coffee and meals there, but I am also being told that our members love the effectiveness and efficiency of our regular (just an hour long each time) meetings every week. We will of course be organising a massive party to thank all our speakers in person, but our library of recordings on everything from what its like being a politician to investing in gold, starting a business with no capital, becoming an NED, angel investor and more, is now an exceptional resource for any new members who join us, as well acting as a refresher for current ones. Without Lockdown we would have never launched what has become an important USP of the club. As I write the primroses and narcissi bloom in my garden and I can hear birdsong not traffic. Somerset continues to be God’s own country; its natural beauty only enhanced by the industrious activities of its thousands of home-based entrepreneurs and business-people. Long may it last.

•

PHOTO BY YURA TIMOSHENKO

The office will be a pop-in centre for those who need it and for gathering together for important meetings. Otherwise, I fully expect my teams to work from home most of the time

AuthorSHARE

An equitable culture?

The birth of AuthorSHARE

Paying writers a commission on the sales of second-hand copies of their books is a world first says William Pryor I HAD BECOME a hypocrite. There I was, back in 2013 acquiring Bookbarn with a friend with the intent to make money from selling used, pre-read, pre-loved, second-hand books (“pre-read” is the most helpful title I think). Why a hypocrite? Well, I am also an author of three books but had the chutzpa to try to make money from the labours of thousands of authors while paying them nothing. The average earnings for people who regard themselves as full-time authors is less than the minimum wage.

On average authors earn £10,497 a year, while the minimum wage can deliver more than £20,000 a year

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A recent survey by the Society of Authors (who are enthusiastic supporters of AuthorSHARE) shows that an average author earns £10,497 a year from his or her writing, while the minimum wage can deliver more than £20,000 a year. Yes, most authors have other earnings from teaching, journalism, performance and other activities, but it is still not a lot of money. In 2018, the top ten English-language authors earned more than £143,000,000 from the sale of their books (first-hand, as opposed to second-hand), film rights, broadcast fees and the other wages of fame. My sisters, who are both painters, told me of the Artist’s Resale Right, or Droit de Suite as it is known in Europe, which is granted to artists or their heirs, in some jurisdictions, to receive a fee on the resale of their works of art. It was first implemented in France in 1893 and is now EU and UK law. The incident that sparked it off was when a painting by Millet was sold that year. The owners made a fortune while Millet’s family, who were living in poverty, received nothing. Not that AuthorSHARE has any standing in law – it is entirely voluntary. Bookbarn and World of Books have volunteered to implement the scheme; there is no obligation for any other bookseller to pay authors a fee when a pre-read copy of a book of theirs is sold. Why would businesses volunteer to give away money like this? We sell books to the vast community of book

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/ AuthorSHARE

Crossword

solution

N N I

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U I

M P

12 9 6

E A

15 5

A D

M E

W H O

O L

C 1

A 2

A M

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40 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

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We sometimes find ourselves selling a book that we have sold once, or even twice, already

Erasmus and his grandson were Unitarians, dissenters like the Quakers, believing in the oneness of God. For a religious group more interested in championing social reform than industry, the Quakers have established an impressive roll call of household business names. Barclays and Lloyds banks, Clarks shoes, Bryant & May matches and the biscuit firms Huntley & Palmers and Carrs are just a few of the companies founded by members of the pacifist group. But when it comes to confectionery, there has been a virtual monopoly for more than a century, led by Cadbury of Birmingham, Fry’s of Bristol and Rowntree’s and Terry’s of York. It can be argued that their highly principled religious background and exclusion from the establishment meant that the Quaker and Unitarian ethos led their businesses to become remarkably successful as they built homes and schools for their workers and invested in the education of their families. But a success that was eventually to be swallowed up by hedge funds and American corporates in nearly every case. As Virginia Woolf wrote, “Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack.” My intent with the AuthorSHARE scheme is to nurture a book culture not unlike that created by Josiah Wedgwood’s pottery and Fry’s chocolate, a culture that ensures potters and authors are fairly remunerated for their work in homing the wild and homeless books that haunt most homes.

lovers around the world. Anything that makes selling to this community more sustainable, more responsible, more carbon-neutral is going to ensure it has a future. The culture of books, both fiction and non-fiction, hardback and paperback, will only continue to flourish if its participants are visibly operating with responsible business practices. Bookbarn is a circular business – what we sell has been at least once through the sales cycle – we sometimes find ourselves selling a book that we have sold once, or even twice, already. In this time of climate, viral and economic crisis, for a business to survive, it behoves it to be as much about doing good for the planet and its populations as it is about making money. World of Books is a “B Corp”, a business that adheres to rigorous third-party standards requiring companies to meet social-sustainability, environmental and accountability performance standards, and be transparent to the public according to the score they receive on the assessment. Bookbarn is a circular, social enterprise whose purpose is to generate profits in ways that are good for the planet, its people and its customers. How does AuthorSHARE work? Every six months Bookbarn and the other booksellers that have joined the scheme send a file of all sales through their websites to the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society. They determine which of the authors are members of the ALCS and send that list back to us. We then calculate the percentage of the total revenue generated by those authors’ sales and the ALCS distribute the funds. As hinted at elsewhere in this issue of the Bookbarn Magazine, businesses with a social, ethical and environmental purpose are nothing new. One of my great great great grandfathers was Josiah Wedgwood, a friend of Charles Darwin’s grandfather Erasmus Darwin. Josiah’s business of industrialising the making and selling of pottery went to great lengths to look after their staff. He was sometimes credited as the inventor of modern marketing. He pioneered direct mail, money back guarantees, self-service, free delivery, buy one get one free, and illustrated catalogues. Nothing is new, which is encouraging – it means the social business model has a centuries old history into which we can insert Bookbarn.

BUSINESS

The Sustainability Journey

The Sustainability Journey Former Director of Bookbarn, Fenna Leake, now General Manager of Future Leap, on how they help organisations to accelerate their sustainability journey MARK CARNEY, former Governor of the Bank of England, said “Companies that don’t adapt will go bankrupt without question.” A powerful reminder, often made at Future Leap’s networking events, that sustainability affects us all. Future Leap’s events bring together business leaders who present on a wide range of sustainability topics, fuelling further discussion on environmental issues. We are all about collaboration and knowledge sharing. Whenever our speakers take up the mic, the audience

We simply have to operate within the capacity of our planetary boundaries

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knows they will be inspired and challenged. It can be unnerving to examine your own entrenched business practices as you go through the process. Everybody is at different stage in their sustainability journey. No organisation is perfect. We all need to start somewhere. Sustainability is a complex and sometimes contentious topic. It can seem inaccessible, overly scientific, simply adding yet further complexity to the challenge of running a small business. Running any business is of course tough, but small businesses or start-ups are at the sharp end. Budgets may not be quite big enough to outsource expertise or departmentalise everything that happens in the business. SME managers have to multitask to the extreme with the aim of becoming experts in their specific sector. My own experience of leading the developing SME that was Bookbarn was an exhilarating, rewarding and occasionally terrifying journey. It can feel like you’re running uphill on a treadmill whilst spinning plates. You ask yourself if you can spin one more plate. Transitioning to new ways of working requires time to pause and examine your processes, but, with a sustainability mindset, this can facilitate a more holistic approach. What is more it can actually help your business to be more efficient and less wasteful saving both money and time in the long run.

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BUSINESS

/ The Sustainability Journey

Knowledge sharing and learning from other businesses is key to progressing the sustainability agenda. Somebody somewhere has likely been through the issue you are wrestling with already. The Future Economy Network is a business-focussed ecosystem here to help to make those all-important connections. Sustainability can be understood in many ways but the key priorities are to reduce humanity’s impact on our environment while supporting our planetary community. And in addition to environmental factors, tackling poverty and inequality are also fundamental considerations in sustainable development. Approaches can vary enormously from extreme green, eco-centric perspectives to the more neoliberal practices of carbon markets and triple bottom line accounting, all of which have their strengths and flaws. At the very least, what with both the rapid growth of the sustainability movement and the increase in public awareness of the issues, it is to be hoped that we will all become wiser to greenwash and feel more confident at participating in meaningful change. The radical approaches that can offer practical and holistic solutions for society and business alike are 1) the circular economy as expounded by the McCarthy Foundation and 2) Kate Raworth’s doughnut economics theory. Each is based on principles of material reuse and the fundamental fact that we have finite resources. We simply have to operate within the capacity of our planetary boundaries if we are all to thrive and survive. The B Corporation concept is a rapidly growing movement towards doing ‘better business’ with organisations seeking ‘B-Corp’ accreditation by going through a rigorous audit process. To become B-Corporation-certified an organisation goes through a rigorous self-examination, in which it is necessary that all the organisation’s stakeholders are involved. The ‘B-Corp’ audit doesn’t just focus on environmental impact but also encourages inclusion, fair wages, transparency, honesty and ethical business practices. Future Leap is on the road to getting B Corporation certification and can facilitate support for this process through the expertise of our sustainability consultancy team and network of organisations. Our approach at Future Leap is to strive to do the best we can on our own sustainability journey, to remain open to discussion, collaborate with

Based on principles of material reuse and the fundamental fact that we have finite resources

We simply have to operate within the capacity of our planetary boundaries 42 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

our members and support our community, while continually reflecting on areas in which we can improve. We are a for-profit organisation with people and planet at the forefront. I found my way into sustainability after many years working as a director of Bookbarn which operates within a circular economy model; reselling and repurposing many thousands of pre-loved books. Providing an inclusive workspace and minimising waste were important considerations in my role and it was a wonderful place to develop my passion for business and start to explore sustainability in the workplace. Through joining the Future Leap team and community and attending the weekly events I found a network of like-minded people and businesses open to supporting one another on their sustainability journey and my understanding of sustainable business practices has expanded rapidly. Bookbarn are valued members of the Future Economy Network and are also on their journey toward sustainability.

•

Culture Trek To Persia In 1938 43

/ Rewilding, A Graphic Poem 48 /

PART 1

Gwen Raverat, self-portrait, c. 1910

Trek to Persia

Cecil Edwards

Darwin’s Granddaughter’s Journal of her trek to Iran in 1938

Y 1938, Darwin’s granddaugher Gwen Raverat, a widow since 1925, was well established as woodengraver and art critic, providing illustrations for many books. One such was Farmer’s Glory by the farmer and journalist A.G. Street, published in 1932 by Faber and Faber. As well as running his farm near Salisbury, he became a familiar voice on the BBC and wrote a regular column for Farmer’s Weekly. Farmer’s Glory became a bestseller. Cecil Edwards, the Managing Director of the Oriental Carpet Manufacturers (OCM)1 and the leading expert on Persian rugs, knew A.G. and invited him on a trip to Persia. A.G. persuaded Farmer’s Weekly to commission a piece from Gwen about Persian folk custom and rugs. This they did and Gwen travelled with Cecil and his American wife Carey from Liverpool Street Station on the 20th of March 1938 to cross Nazi Germany and Communist Russia to Baku and Tehran. Gwen eventually produced two articles for Farmer’s Weekly, but her journal from which they were taken makes for much more intriguing reading. This first part covers Gwen’ railway journey as far as Baku in Azerbaijan.

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CULTURE

/ Trek To Persia In 1938

March 20th Sunday 1938

Left Harlton 5 p.m. still feeling bad after typhoid inoculation, dined with Billy2 & Mona.

March 21st Monday

Left L’pl St at 9.30 with Carey & Cecil Edwards. We go 1st class all the way. Margaret3 came to see us off. Train very empty; everyone afraid to travel. Dutch boat at Harwich; most comfortable. Very smooth crossing; excellent refined lunch served by charming Dutch stewards. Only other passengers: one sour elegant black robed German lady; & stout Dutch parson & wife with little pigtailed girls. Bags not opened at customs. Got into 1st class sleepers all green plush & solid comfort, fit for Qu Vic. herself. German customs on train: declare all money but no other trouble. Bed & sleep well & arrive at Berlin at 7.30 a.m. on

March 22nd Tuesday

Silesien Bahnhof, Very large & quiet & grim. Breakfast in most depressing station restaurant. Then a walk about the town. All the little school boys marching about in files. Saw Unknown Warrior’s grave. Everything very quiet & grim & stoically miserable – or so I thought. Train for Warsaw at 10 a.m. Landscape all forest & marsh, very flat & very sparsely inhabited. Noticed quiet timid man in corner seat, with nervious hands; talking to Polish Jew & asking help about his journey; very careful not to give himself away. “Where are you going beyond Warsaw?” says Jew. “Further further” says the man not to commit himself. Dull landscape. Polish frontier. Declare money again & eat sausage & bread on platform about 2 o’clock - (no restaurant car). Reach Warsaw about 7, having made acquaintance already with timid man, who turns out to be a Persian doctor going back to Persia after 16 years absence: first in India, & then as a Gov. medical student in Berlin; now qualified, going back to take up job. He says there is a Persian lady on train, with a son of 15; whom she had taken to Berlin to see if doctors could do anything for deformed arm; it

44 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Old Soviet Union coins; 15 kopeks

is congenital, they can’t do much, & she returns disappointed. Doctor (who did not know her before) is very kind & considerate to her. They are both rather frightened of Russia. Dr says “From now on we must all stick together” when he finds we too are going to Persia. However we don’t think we’ll dine with them; & leave them having dinner in the station, & take a guide & drive out into the town. He takes us to a very good restaurant: here we see a sinister scene, exactly like any Russian novel. 2 young men at table near; one already completely drunk, falling off his chair once or twice; the other perfectly sober, continually pressing him to drink more, holding a glass to his mouth & insisting. Finally he took all the drunk one’s money away & counted it & put it in his own bag; & 3 waiters persuaded the drunk one to go away & half carried him out followed by the sober one, making a fine speech. What did it mean? Why did not the head man of restaurant intervene? – We then took a taxi & drove round the town; it seemed beautiful but of course it was all dark. Saw another Unknown Warrior. And Jewish quarter. Back to station which is a strange sight crowded with people sitting on benches – not going by train, our guide says; just a sort of meeting place for all kinds of riff raff. Our guide very handsome & well informed; had been 7 years in Egypt. Note stopped at all stations in this part of Poland, lots of children going to school by train. Train could be speeded up by hours & hours, easily. Note the Persians are v. nervous abt going into Russia. Dr Vakily says “We must stick together” Note when the book I am reading (Essays by Julian Huxley) is taken away from me, I am very cross & slam the lid of my case open, & our poor little guide says soothingly “Why are you so nairvous lady? You will read it later.” There was also a very proud young lntourist guide, but she didn’t come with us.

March 23 Wednesday

After very comfortable night in Polish train, the dreaded Russian frontier is reached about 11 o’clock. Then our passports are taken away; & every single bag opened & searched; most of them quite unpacked. It all takes ages & ages. We come almost last. We have too many books. Very suspicious (mostly detective stories). They can’t read or talk any language but Russian; don’t

Trek To Persia In 1938

really search for documents at all – never look at Cecil’s portfolio full of papers – but are deeply suspicious of an ordinary map of Europe with Russia. This they confiscate. Why? as there are maps of Russia on every wall. They also suspect deeply some carpet designs he has. They never look in my handbag, or Carey’s; or to the bottom of my despatch case where there happen to be some papers. But they say all the books must be sealed up. They let us each have one book for the journey; but mine has to be Martin Chuzzlewit, as Dickens is safe, they feel. On the other hand they politely give Carey’s diary (written up) back to her! In fact they are densely stupid & don’t know what they are looking for, or why; or where or how to look. So in a great hurry we each have to transfer a lot of clothes out of one bag into another to make room for books: train just going, repacking in terrible haste. Two cases are sealed up & we are handed over to our lntourist guide & conducted to the train. Great agitation because the little Persian

Russian train bound for Kiev

Dickens’ Martin Chuzzlewit is safe, they feel

/ CULTURE

lady & boy seem to be detained by officers; at last moment however they come running over the lines & bundle into train. We Persians are all put into a little cramped old old sleeping car – very pre-war; its keel has been broken & mended & it is very rattly & shaky. Carey & I have one 2 berth cabin & Cecil & Dr Vakily another with a wash-hole shared between us 4. The windows are all double & only open at the bottom. The dust is tremendous. From now on for 3 days we are in charge of our guide, who is exactly like a nursery governess: a poor little lady in very shabby fur coat, dyed orange hair & inefficient lipstick; enormous galoshes & poor little sticks of legs. She is perhaps 45 & speaks quite good English French & German which she learn at Geneva “as a child”. I guess her to have seen better days & to be a ci-devant bourgeoise. She is muddly, incompetent, worried, hurried, tired; & brightly patient with us, so that she makes us all feel like naughty children – inconsiderate & tiresome, however good we try to be. We have also 2 jailors in the shape of sleeping car attendants; both of whom are on duty all day & one all night. One of whom does live here. She is very fat, & has been married but had no children & is now divorced; she is ill with pains inside. She is much too fat & looks unhealthy, but is a good natured girl; they all seem to be sorry for her. She is making a rug, & showed her loom & how she worked. It is silk & wool mixed. There is then a very beautiful girl (a niece?) with brown hair & green eyes; with a beautiful child. And there are a number of semi servants, some of whom seem to lunch at the table. There are 2 veiled girls, both pretty & charming, who seem to be superior sort of servants; & there are an indefinite number of rather dirty jolly children who I suppose belong to the servants. The children of the house are as nice a family of children as I have ever seen. They are very curious about us & watch all we do with enormous burning eyes; particularly Rubarbi, who is most attractive. The lady looks tired & worried, probably from child bearing; & perhaps she is worried about her husband too. All these people are nice & sympathetic & extremely human. Intelligent too, I guess. The lady is very unhappy at being unveiled; & says hardly ever goes out in consequence; except just next door, or after Note We had a gt many papers & weeklies with us, mostly of a specially fiery anti-nazi

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CULTURE

/ Trek To Persia In 1938

cast: Manchester Guardian, Time & Tide, New Statesman etc - all extra fierce owing to the recent annexation of Austria. We put them all in a pile & were just arguing what to do with them; when looking round they had all disappeared just before entering Berlin. The sleeping car men took them quietly – perhaps to sell? Note stopped at all stations in Poland? Lots of children going to school by train Note Vast marches in East Poland; great undrained lagoons with villages round the edges. A lot of land could be reclaimed here. Why not make an independent state here - there is a Turkish speaking Azerbaijan; he looks very fierce, because his face has almost been cut in two & healed with terrific scars; one cut right across each check; but his nose & mouth quite intact. A very odd wound, difficult to see how he could be cut like that without hurting nose. This one is quite good natured & simple minded all he wants is a razor blade – which he gets at the end. The other is a slim dark eyed Georgian; good looking, but melancholy & unsmiling & perhaps rather fanatical & rather alarming. He discovers me with the window open, & a lot of dust has come in & he is very much annoyed. (The train is stifling & I was asleep). After this we only open the window when we are in stations; but the Georgian often catches us & gets more & more impassioned about our wickedness. This is only because of the dirt; for we are allowed to get out & walk about in stations when we stop long enough. The landscape perfectly flat uninhabited, uncultivated & featureless. We get lunch about 3.30; quite good food. Later our governess came & said “Ven vould you like supper? 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock?” “Whenever is convenient.” “But vich vould you like? 8 or 9?” “Well, perhaps 8 would be nice” – “O no, I do not sink supper can be ready by 8; I sink better 9 tonight; you will like it better; I will say 9.” And in fact it had to be 9. This was very characteristic of her methods. Later she brought a lot of little brown labels & went very thoroughly into all our names & which luggage we shd want at the hotel & which could go straight to the customs there. She wrote very very carefully a label for each bag: writing for instance first “1” (for first class) then adding a top – [not joined to the 1] & then a bottom – [also not joined] & then thinking that untidy, carefully joining them up [a

46 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Gwen’s sketch of a Baku baby papoose

“1” with horizontal lines at top & bottom]. It takes a long time to write labels in this method. We got to Kiev about 7.30, dark, & saw nothing. Had dinner about 9.30, good cooking, but done always with maximum of effort: every one runs everywhere full speed; every meal seems a tourde-force requiring all the energy of the entire staff. Note Thursday night I dreamt a dream of squeezing thro’ a narrow hole with great difficulty to get from one universe into another. Both of them existing at the same time & in the same space, but each entirely unconnected with the other except by this passage. This last evening a large stone was thrown from outside & smashed the window of the car. Great commotion among the jailors, who say they must pay for it themselves. Was this a plot to extort money from us? Mysteriously also, one of the lavatory windows was smashed from inside – the outer pane of double window not broken.

March 24 Thursday

The train having been stifling all day, got cold at night & we all felt very shivery all night. Landscape still perfectly flat, but rather more villages & an occasional tree. Still very cold & quite wintery. People all in fur coats & wadded coats & fur caps tied round ears. Babies done up in complete parcels in eiderdowns. Can’t imagine why they aren’t stifled. Hardly any agriculture going on – Too soon? No animals. Crows only birds. Reached after dark. Food quite good, but mineral water only drink. Tea tastes of old hay; coffee unrecognisable

Trek To Persia In 1938

March 25 Friday

Landscape gradually getting less flat; also more villages & life occasional herds of cows or goats. Occasional communal farm. Rostoft on Don in afternoon? Walk on platform. Very cold. Every (or was it some other town?) one in furs. Beggar – bearded man, to whom I give chocolate. See Caucasus in distance. Land getting hilly. See oil wells; & sea, but after dark. We are told several times that tonight we shall dine at 8 because we must get up in time to reach Baku at 4.30 next morning. However we dine about usual time. Train-heating suddenly begins to boil; gets hotter & hotter. I get claustrophobia & think I shall die in my top berth – no air at all; I can’t sleep. I get down once or twice – open the window a crack & hold my mouth to the hole but I dare not leave it open because I had had a final & terribly severe lecture from the Georgian jailer, who had told me (in Georgian) that I must never, never open it again or he’d not be responsible for the consequences. Visions of OGPU & prison & death. Anyhow I can only get my mouth down to the crack stooping in an impossible position; I try the passage but the jailer stands there all night; try the part between the 2 carriages; there it is cold, but I can’t stay because of the jailer. So I go back to suffocation & don’t sleep a single wink. Quite bad all night

March 26 Saturday

We get to Baku at 7.30 (3½ hours late), try to tip the restaurant people, but only the cooks will accept money! Tip the jailers. Are collected by our governess in a waiting room. Sit & wait. She presently gives us each a card with numbers of hotel rooms, & finally put us all 3 in a bus & we rush off to a very grand (& very nice) Intourist hotel. Here we each get a room looking over the sea, with a balcony; & a Bath. Hot water! This was lovely; & very necessary. Then breakfast & a fat young man comes & talks English & says he will guide us at 12 o’clock on an expedition to see Baku. This is included in our ticket.

Azerbaijani farm worker

/ CULTURE

Meanwhile we go out & walk about Baku. Very prosperous & new. Crowds of people. Some queues, we think at the clothes shops. Plenty of food for sale. We go into several large food shops, & observe every one buying all sorts of things; also into a book shop. All of them doing accounts with the Abacus, which seems a good plan. We were certainly absolutely free to go whereever we liked. Crowds of children outside cinemas. Some bits of old buildings & a mosque left, but mostly new. Used to be a fashionable resort before the war. At 12 o’clock we are packed into 3 cars with our guide (who is intelligent) & a new governess as guides. (We never see the old governess again – nor said goodbye to her) We drive first out southwards to see the many many oil wells, & then all round the town. See an opera house where they have operas alternatively in Russian & in Azerbaijan; a Jewish theatre; lots of cinemas. Then drive up to a vast new quarter of workman’s flats built round gardens. They don’t look bad, tho’ rather jerry built; & all have windows mended with hats. I am with the governess & try very hard to find how much local government is left to the Azerbaijan republic & how much the Central Power. She can NOT understand this idea; & only says that Azerbaijan is a nation not a government. I gather that in fact there is very little local power; but that the Azerbaijan language (a form of Turkish) is taught in school, with Russian as second language. Cecil tries to find out the same point from our guide, who is far more intelligent. Health services seem to be dealt with locally; & education half & half between local & central government. The guide says the children begin school very early, at 8 years old. We says ours begin at 5; but I don’t think he believes us. All these Russians seem to be pretty stupid – our man much more intelligent. Lunch by this time I am worn out, & sleep till we are summoned to go to the boat at 3.30. We go to customs, where we knock on the door & are admitted & locked in again. A good long wait. Miserable peasants having every single object examined.

•

OCM was started by Cecil Edwads’ father in Smyrna, Turkey. By 1938 it was well established in Persia. 2 William Darwin, Gwen’s brother 3 Gwen’s sister

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CULTURE

/ Rewilding

Rewilding Letting nature take care of itself, enabling natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems and restore degraded landscapes By graphic novelist Hannah Berry FRSL (Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature) WWW.HANNAHBERRY.COM

48 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

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Unit 37 The Wincombe Centre, Shaftesbury SP7 9QJ www.astaratraining.co.uk - 01747 854 917

Books LOREM AMET

/ Consecteur dolor sit

/ /

Juggling The Books 50 Reviews 52 Kid Charities 54 Bookbinders & Preservers 57 Bookbarn Clientele 59 The Bookbarn Crossword 61

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Juggling The Books Diane Newland writes about managing Bookbarn’s enormous physical bookshop through the pandemic during the pandemic

ALTHOUGH THE uncertainty that has underlain the pandemic is still with us, we are all getting more resolute and optimistic. This is reflected in this dialogue with one of our lovely customers. What’s it like running an independent bookshop right now? Is the outlook positive? It is looking very positive. There are always challenges for independent businesses like ours with limited resources. Obviously the challenges of the last year, with its lockdowns, has conjured up creative thinking to every aspect of the business. We have adapted, further improved the shop layout with a wider range of new stock as well as a higher quality used books in the

50 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

Darwin Rare Book Room at Bookbarn in Somerset

shop which are still at fantastic prices. Our online sales have exploded and our retail sales remain healthy. The several lockdowns gave us a great opportunity to do some in depth strategic thinking as to our plans to grow as a business. This includes staging regular author-led events in the shop as well as developing a membership scheme and a subscription “book box” scheme. This is in addition to the June 1st launch of the AuthorSHARE scheme, described elsewhere in this issue of the Bookbarn Magazine. And of course there is also the most encouraging growth of our Books-by-the-Yard service providing instant libraries for film and TV sets, private homes, restaurants and theatre stage sets. What’s it been like, being a bookseller during a pandemic? Reports say book sales have grown – is that reflective of your experience? During the first lockdown our online book sales exploded, as well as sales through our Books By The Yard website, so although our shop was closed we were super busy in other areas of our business and we are fortunate that the Bookbarn business model has multiple income streams. The lockdowns gave us an opportunity to overhaul and refresh the books we offer throughout the whole shop before we reopened. When we emerged, our customers expressed relief and pleasure that we were open again – truly heartening to hear, as having the shop closed

Juggling The Books

The challenges of the last year have conjured up creative thinking in every aspect of the business

naturally created some anxiety for us. People are buying considerably more books every time they visit and our footfall is healthy and growing. So, yes, thankfully, we are continuing to experience healthy book sales. Can you tell me about one book you think people should read right now and why? With a warehouse where we have upwards of a million books flowing in and out of our doors, that is a challenging question! I can only suggest you read the one that grabs your attention, that stills the busy mind-stream of chatter, that transports you to another time and place, that makes you see life differently, that stops you in your tracks, or that teaches you something you always wanted to learn. Books have the power to transform your thinking, your vision, and your state of mind, and can act like markers to your life as it unfolds. Your choice is a very personal, so why not visit the Barn and choose for yourself from our enormous array of contemporary, vintage and antiquarian titles of all genres.

Instant libraries for film sets, private homes, restaurants and theatre stage sets

/ BOOKS

Can you talk to me about your relationship with your customers? When I’m in the Barn I feel like I always see the most animated conversations between customers and book sellers happening. How do you see your place in the community? Do you have any specific customer stories that impacted you and feel emblematic of what you do? Our customers are very important to us, and we do develop relationships with our regulars, getting to know the types of books they are interested in, sharing suggestions of good reads, and generally enjoying the shared vibes of loving books and all things bookish. If you love books, as we all do here, you cannot help but get animated or excited talking about them. As you know, we are based in the Somerset countryside, and are becoming a book lover’s go-to destination, not just for those from the local area, but from much further afield too, with people either making the journey especially to spend the day with us, or visiting us while staying with friends or family. Many of our customers appreciate our personal approach. Some of the niche interests of our regulars include local canals in the area; vintage meteorological pamphlets and journals; historical, decorative lettering; local fauna and flora; vintage books from the 1940’s to 50’s and so many more interests. We may not know everyone by their names but their unofficial monikers include the canal lady, the weather man, the alphabet man, the little bookshop man, the 1940’s lady (who dresses the part in full 1940’s attire) and many others, as well as our latest visitor, the beautiful and stylish Villanelle. A fine collection of interesting customers who could quite easily inhabit a novel themselves! We often put books aside if we know one of our customers would love them, then surprise them next time they come in, with a pile of finds that make their day. The pleasure this gives our customers, as well as us, when we see their delight, is huge and we do get praised for our genuinely friendly and helpful approach. This, as well as the books of course, is what keeps our customers returning time after time!

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Winter 2021

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BOOKS

/ Reviews

Somerset Seasons Book Reviews

Somerset-related book reviews by freelance proof-reader and book blogger Rebecca Foster, an American transplant to England

IT WAS AN honour to be invited to contribute a book reviews column to this inaugural issue. If only I lived close by, instead of in West Berkshire, I’d haunt the Bookbarn aisles much more frequently. As it is, the shop is a site of roughly annual pilgrimage for me. It’s heaven for any bibliophile. Allow plenty of time to rummage around; come with a list, by all means, but browse at a leisurely pace and let serendipity guide you as much as the subject headings. In keeping with the magazine’s countryside focus, I’ve chosen five nonfiction books broadly classifiable under nature writing. The first two are 2021 releases of local interest, while the third is a recent standout of popular science. For my final selections, I used this article as an excuse to pick up two secondhand purchases from Bookbarn that I’d not managed to read yet. A freelance proofreader and book reviewer from Maryland, USA, Rebecca Foster is always knee-deep in books. She writes for the Times Literary Supplement and Wasafiri literary magazine, among other publications, and also publishes many reviews on her WordPress blog, Bookish Beck.

Skylarks with Rosie: A Somerset Spring by Stephen Moss

Already bookstore and library shelves are filling up with books reflecting on the coronavirus pandemic. If you prefer to eschew medical realities and nature writing is your cup of tea, Moss’s diary is a pleasant way to relive the spring of 2020 (as are Birdsong in a Time of Silence by Steven Lovatt and The Consolation of Nature by Peter Marren, Michael McCarthy and Jeremy Mynott, both also recommended). Devoting a chapter each to the first 13 weeks of the initial UK lockdown, Moss traces the season’s development alongside his family’s experiences and what was emerging on the national news. With four of his children at home, along with one of their partners and a convalescing friend, it was a delightfully full house. There were daily cycles or walks around “the loop,” a three-mile circuit from their front door, often with Rosie the Labrador, as well as jaunts to Ham Wall and other corners of the Avalon Marshes. He welcomed migrating birds and marked his first sightings of butterflies and other insects. Nature came to him, too, with songbirds in the garden hedges and birds of prey flying over during 11:00 coffee breaks. With his speaking engagements and trips cancelled, Moss, like so many of us, turned to online events instead. Twitter served as a place for sharing frustration and outrage over international events like George Floyd’s murder, but also as a convivial community for sharing nature sightings. As the first lockdown came to a close, he realized it had unexpected benefits: “Having to press the pause button made me rethink my life, in a good way.” For once, he truly appreciated the spring, noting its every milestone and “rediscovering the joys of wildlife-watching close to home” as a naturalist of a previous century might have done. Stephen Moss, Skylarks with Rosie: A Somerset Spring (Saraband: Salford, 2021). 9781913393045, 152 pp., hardback.

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Reviews

Deeper Into the Wood by Ruth Pavey

In 1999 Pavey bought four acres of scrubland at auction, happy to be returning to her family’s roots in the Somerset Levels and hoping to work alongside nature to restore some of her land to orchard and maintain the rest in good health. In this sequel to A Wood of One’s Own (2017), she gives peaceful snapshots of the wood throughout 2019, from the first snowdrops to a final apple pressing, but also faces up to the environmental degradation visible even in this small pocket of the countryside. “I am sure there has been a falling off in numbers of insects, smaller birds and rabbits on my patch,” she insists. Without baseline data, it is hard for her to support this intuition, but she has botanical and bird surveys done and invites an expert to have a moth-trapping evening. The resulting species lists are included as appendices. Pavey aims to treat the land holistically: using sheep to retain open areas instead of mowing, and weighing up the benefits of the non-native species she planted. She knows that her efforts can only achieve so much; the pesticides endemic to industrial-scale farming may still reach her trees on the wind, though she doesn’t apply them herself. “One sad aspect of worrying about the state of the natural world is that everything starts to look wrong,” she admits. Compared with her first memoir, this one is marked by intellectual engagement with the principles and practicalities of rewilding. Pavey clearly feels the weight of stewardship. While this book is likely be of most interest to those with a local connection or a similar project underway, it offers a universal model of how to mitigate our environmental impact. Pavey’s black-and-white sketches of the flora and fauna on her patch, reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s style, are a highlight. Ruth Pavey, Deeper Into the Wood (Duckworth: Richmond, 2021). 9780715654279, 256 pp., hardback.

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Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake This has recently been on the reading docket for William Pryor, chairman of Bookbarn. It’s a book I’ve recommended widely, even to those who tend not to read nonfiction. Sheldrake comes across as a mad genius. His enthusiasm is infectious as he researches fungal life in the tropical forests of Panama, accompanies truffle hunters in Italy, and takes part in a clinical study on the effects of LSD (derived from a fungus). More than a travel memoir, though, this is a work of proper science – over 100 pages are taken up by notes, bibliography and index. Basic information you’ll soon learn: mushrooms are only the fruiting bodies of fungi; under the ground is the material bulk: the mycelium, a sprawling network of hyphae. In what’s called the “Wood Wide Web,” fungal networks link the trees in a forest, and join up with plants to form lichens. The book gives examples of fungi navigating and solving problems. What becomes of our traditional, narrow concept of intelligence if creatures without a brain can do such things? Fungi are also adaptable to extreme conditions. Research is underway to grow edible mushrooms on the most troublesome waste, such as used nappies and cigarette butts. And, of course, for millennia we’ve relied on certain fungi – yeasts – to create bread and beer. Sheldrake is an admirably hands-on writer: The book’s black-and-white illustrations were drawn with ink made from shaggy ink cap mushrooms, and after its publication he grew edible mushrooms on a copy. This is a perspective-altering text that reveals our unconscious species bias. “Paying more attention to animals than plants contributes to humans’ plantblindness. Paying more attention to plants than fungi makes us fungus-blind,” Sheldrake writes. It’s a strange and amazing world we live in. Reading works like this one can only inspire further wonder. Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures (Bodley Head: London, 2020). 9781847925190, 368 pp., hardback.

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BOOKS

/ Reviews

BOOKBARN BUYS

Rural Rides

by William Cobbett Former soldier and farmer Cobbett had turned to journalism by the 1820s, when he undertook the journeys that make up this unusual travel book. A radical by the standards of his time, he was concerned with the plight of rural workers, who were subject to a disproportionate tax burden. He wanted to see the situation on the ground in the south of England – “my object was, not to see inns and turnpike-roads, but to see the country; to see the farmers at home, and to see the labourers in the fields” – so chose to go on horseback. Locals will note that he passes through Frome, “a sort of little Manchester” where the rich exploit those building their roads and weaving their cloth. The book is dense with notes on the weather, vistas and towns encountered, and its archaic style is unlikely to enchant a modern reader. Cobbett is a black-and-white thinker: If a landscape is not “pretty,” it will inevitably be described as “wretched.” This is no study in nuance, but, as many have observed, it set a precedent for George Orwell’s politically engaged journalism. A sample line: “How then, Gracious God! is a labouring man, his wife, and, perhaps, four or five small children, to exist upon 8s. or 9s. a week!” William Cobbett, Rural Rides (1830; Penguin: London, 1967). 0140430237, 544 pp., paperback.

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The Tulip

by Anna Pavord Pavord is the gardening correspondent for The Independent. This thorough history of the cultivation of tulips was an unlikely international bestseller. First known in Central Asia, the flowers spread from Turkey to Europe and then to the New World. The tulip was a common motif in Ottoman Empire textiles and decorative art, and by the 1630s Istanbul was home to some 300 florists. The Netherlands fell prey to “tulipomania” (the subject of Deborah Moggach’s novel Tulip Fever) in the seventeenth century, with individual bulbs going for outrageous prices that matched or exceeded the cost of canalside houses. Ideals of tulip beauty differed: “In western Europe, tulip lovers favoured a rounded cup-shaped flower, well marked with contrasting colours. The Turkish florists’ standards were equally uncompromising, but they favoured tall thin tulips, narrowly contoured and made up of dagger-shaped petals.” First introduced during Elizabeth I’s reign, tulips achieved their peak popularity in England in the 1840s, with competitive flower shows and strategic breeding. Pavord goes into more detail than I needed, but botanical enthusiasts should find much to hold their interest. I loved the colour plates; see the hardback edition for more on different species and cultivars.

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Anna Pavord, The Tulip (Bloomsbury: London, 2000). 9780747546214, 296 pp., paperback.

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BOOKS

/ Kids’ Charities

The Bookbarn Kids

Raising Money for Schools

Emma Bilsborough, Bookbarn’s Supply Manager, on how Bookbarn works with and for kids, raising money for their projects

BOOKSHOPS FEATURE FREQUENTLY in films, especially rom coms. You’ve Got Mail’s dreamy children’s bookseller, Kathleen Kelly, says: when you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does. It may be a rom com cliché, but the Bookbarn shop crew agree with the sentiment and consider our young readers to be as important as any other customer who walks through our doors. We spend time considering how we can enable the children who visit us to fall in love with books. This takes more than just filling our shop’s shelves with books with which they will engage, books the kids then beg their parents to buy for them. We need to connect with kids, letting them know that we are here, that they can come and start to find themselves in the books in our shop and that they can return again and again in the future. As a teenager, I was bowled over at my first visit to Bookbarn with my parents and siblings. I remember the visit as clear as day, and though Bookbarn looks different now, I am frequently brought back to that moment and am sure there is a little bit of magic in the walls at the Barn. My parents bought me a copy of Noel Streatfield’s Ballet Shoes on my first visit, twenty years ago, and somehow, now that I work here, the same book comes across my path at least once a week. It’s almost as though the Barn is telling me that it hasn’t forgotten my younger self, browsing its shelves and discovering a love for something that would have a hand in moulding me into the person I am today. There is no truer sense of belonging. But this isn’t about me - I know that I love books and I don’t need to convince myself. This is about

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How we can enable the children who visit us to fall in love with books

the importance of bookshops to children and young people, and how we at Bookbarn work hard to highlight that to the wider community. Bookshops are much more than places to buy books, they’re also places to find belonging, to discover new things, to build important parts of your personality. In order to contact future book lovers, we host visits for our local primary schools, during which we show them around the warehouse with its many thousands of books, teach them about the ancient tomes in the Darwin Rare Books Room, and agree with them: yes, it would be a brilliant idea to play hide and seek in here. It is not only enormous fun for us booksellers, but it also enables us to engage with the local community. Everybody wins: the kids get to leave with a free book at the end of it and we get to glow in the light of their first adventures with books. As a business that works hard to contribute to the new circular economy and to our community in a sustainable and positive way, we are always looking for ways to create relationships with the charities, schools and other organisations in our locality. To this end, we have recently started offering a Fundraising Through Books service which enables schools and charities to sell books through us. It is simple: we set up an account for the organisation and their families, friends and staff bring books to us to sell under that account. We do the rest. An easy way to raise funds! By creating these connections, we get to meet lovely people, support charities we believe in, and encourage a life-long love of books in the children and young people who visit us. Who knows, perhaps one day they will be here as I am, writing an article for a future edition of the Bookbarn Magazine, and remembering the very first time they walked into our bookshop.

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Bookbinders & Preservers

/ BOOKS

Preserving Antiquarian Treasure Restoring Antiquarian Books by Paul Taylor and Terry Bowden

Our business, Spiral Path Book Studio, specialises in the conservation and repair of books and paper items and traditional hand bookbinding. In 2017 we moved it to the beautiful countryside of Somerset all the way from New Zealand on the other side of the world. We love the unique vibe and beautiful landscape of Langport in Somerset where our studio overlooks the langorous River Parrett. The local community and businesses are very supportive and helpful. Paul qualified as a Book and Paper Conservator and Bookbinder in 1986 and has been an Accredited Conservator of the Institute of Conservation since 2004. Much of his working life has been spent caring for the damaged and deteriorating books and paper items, maps, parchments and wax seals housed in various institutions in both the UK (including Wells Cathedral Library and Canterbury Cathedral Archives) Traditional hand binding skills and modern conservation techniques

A Gentleman’s Library; 1950 by Gwen Raverat

and in New Zealand (Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Archives). In the UK he worked at The National Archives at Kew (training under Don Gubbins who re-bound the Domesday Book), Lancaster University, John Rylands Library (Manchester) and Canterbury Cathedral Archives. There are examples of his work in private and public collections worldwide. We moved to New Zealand in 2004 when Paul was offered the newly established post of Preservation Manager for Auckland City Libraries and a few years later we established Spiral Path Book Studio Ltd and began to carry out conservation and bookbinding work from all over NZ. We returned to the UK in 2017. Our business is eclectic in its nature, combining as it does a wide variety of traditional hand binding skills and modern conservation techniques alongside an understanding of the historical evolution of book structures and associated manufacturing processes. Add to these a good working knowledge of the chemical nature of adhesives, inks, paper technology and the processes of organic deterioration and, along with some digital technology skills, you have the basic make-up of a book and archive Conservator.

Winter 2021

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BOOKS

/ Bookbinders & Preservers

A real blend of craft skills, science and aesthetics because books are three-dimensional objects and are made up of many different materials and structural elements. There are numerous structural styles, boards, leathers, papers and other elements that go into the construction of a book. Likewise, their repair and conservation has to be suited to the elements are present in an individual volume. For example, a sixteenth century tight-back, leather volume will require a very different approach to a twentieth century cloth case binding. In conservation it is important that all the materials and adhesives we use are of archival quality and compatible with each book’s original materials. Most of the techniques that we use for book and paper repairs are reversible and are carried out using tried and tested pastes (usually starch), animal glues and the highest quality materials. Many of the pieces of equipment that we use for hand-binding and book repairs have not changed for centuries - such as nipping and laying presses, ploughs, brass tools and the fonts for lettering and gold decoration. This is not to say that we rely solely on old proven techniques and methods of repair; conservation is a living profession that changes and improves. It is important that we keep up-to-date with current professional thinking and international standards. All our work complies with best practice laid down by the Institute of Conservation’s Code of Conduct and Professional Standards. Our clients range from private individuals to institutions. Our work on individual books from private customers often requires us to conserve not only the book but the family information and history in the book. We often see Victorian family Bibles which contain hand-written family history, which we sometimes digitise to enable it to be shared among the extended family. We have had the privilege and pleasure to work on some historic and rare items like parchment charters from the collection of the Bristol Theatre Royal, a thirteenth century Breviary owned by a

To conserve the Maori Coronation Bible of 1848

Traditional hand binding skills and modern conservation techniques

Many of the pieces of equipment that we use for hand-binding and book repairs have not changed for centuries 58 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

private collector through to being asked to construct a new presentation binding for Prince Charles. Whilst in Auckland we were also honoured to be asked to conserve the Maori Coronation Bible of 1848, which is a highly valued Taonga (treasure) that has been used in the coronation of every Maori king and queen. As well as hand bookbinding and conservation we also give advice on the preservation, display and exhibition of archival materials and provide an in-house service supplying digital copies of documents and books. We also carry out assessments and produce conservation programmes for larger collections with long-term preservation requirements. We hand-craft archival storage or clamshell boxes, take commissions for new, bespoke leather bindings and craft luxury jewellery and keepsake boxes using high quality archival materials and Japanese or hand-marbled decorative papers. Over the last sixteen years we have also run bookbinding courses and training in disaster preparedness and the safe handling of archival material. Now that restrictions are beginning to lift we are back in our studio on the beautiful Somerset Levels so if you have a treasured book, family Bible, photo album, diary, scrapbook, letter, certificate or map that you would like to have repaired please get in touch we would love to see you.

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Spiral Path Book Studio Ltd Shakspeare Building, Great Western House Westover, Langport, Somerset TA10 0DT info@spiralpathbooks.uk www.spiralpathbooks.uk 07738 497598 01458 897040

Bookbarn Clientele

/ BOOKS

My Dream Date

The Richard Gere of Books Diane Newland, Bookbarn’s Books-by-the-Yard Manager, fantasizes about an ideal customer IT IS NOT every day that someone gives you carte blanche to execute your own creative and design taste as to how their home looks! One of our Books-by-theYard interior designer clients found herself in just such an exciting but apparently daunting prospect. My role in all this was to listen to her description of her client and interpret that in hardback form for the twelve yards of books she wanted to go on the shelves in his library, as well as numerous further shelves of various heights and depths in the main reception room and the bedrooms. Her client, she described, as a very well-educated, well-read, well-travelled, well-connected, intelligent and astute man with a home in New York, but also with a recently acquired pied-à-terre in central London (although his pied-à-terre is another’s substantial family home, but that aside). The brief was to supply appropriate books for this individual, so that he could feel like he was coming home when returning to his new base in London. This is a man who travels a lot, has just bought one hotel in Sicily, owns a second in another beautiful destination and is used to a luxurious lifestyle. We are talking about a man with expensive, as well as very discerning tastes. The only visual criteria was that the books must present a clean, smart look. Other than that, it was all about their content: the subjects and the authors. Details were gleaned from my client’s direct knowledge of the man’s interests: Politics, History, Greek and Roman Architecture, Art, Travel, Exploration, Music, Poetry, Classics and Spy thrillers. But I also had to play Sherlock Holmes with my overall sense of his character. The only two subjects to be vetoed were Sport and Religion. The growing list of books was detailed, literary, refined and turning into a fascinating and covetable library collection.

Old Vic & Masterbuilder stage set with Bookbarn books

The growing list of books was detailed, literary, refined and turning into a fascinating and covetable library collection

In general, it is difficult to make me envious, being a philosophical type with serious Buddhist leanings, but this was one order that, when completed, I felt proud and envious of in equal measure. Who wouldn’t want a book collection that boasted Ishiguro, Garcia Marquez, Rushdie, Proust, Austen, Hardy, Hemingway, Zola, Hippocrates and Euripides? My Interior designer client chose to visit in person, so she could see the full extent of our stock for herself. It is always really rewarding to meet customers; the book choosing process becomes very dynamic as we work together in real time to build the perfect bespoke order. Various styles of book made up the order, including vintage hardbacks, vintage faux leather classics, one-off sets of the classics, contemporary fiction, coffee table books and a great selection of fine bindings published by The Folio Society and the equally collectible, leatherbound titles from Easton Press, the American publisher who are the pinnacle of the book printing and binding crafts. The whole order came in at under £6,000, which for this number and quality of books, though I say so myself, was an amazing deal! Protocol dictates that the name of her client cannot be revealed, but through the whole order the question recurring in my mind was, just who IS this man?

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BOOKS

/ Bookbarn Clientele

Judging by his interests, and despite my client secretly confessing to me that she was quietly terrified of him, and despite the debatable fortune of having wined and dined until the gloss rubs off, this is one man I would happily spend an hour or two with, over dinner, getting to know. I got a tangible sense that his future bookcases would be a true reflection of his rich inner life, not just a display of his affluent outer one. A man who wants Russian vintage books, as much as the British classics, who adores Sicily, Burma and Japan while his soul belongs to New York, who has a burning passion for classical architecture while a book of limericks is not out of place either, who has an appetite for political commentaries and celebrates Oscar Wilde and Arthur Miller. Add into that the specific request of a few yards of modern and vintage children’s classics, plus poetry from the Iliad to the latest modern verse, and I am sure you are going to want to also join us for dinner! Of course, it helps to have it on good authority that this man keeps himself well groomed, super fit and looks the spitting image of Richard Gere. Sounds like he has it all going on for him. The only difference I can note is that Gere, however, is Buddhist as far as I know, but if our mystery man has vetoed religion from his life completely, that at least would give us a few points of contention and discussion over dinner...always helpful to get the sparks flying! So, to dinner...There are numerous delicious choices local to Bookbarn of course, assuming my date touches down in Somerset between his transatlantic flights, in which case I would love to eat in an old library surrounded by rare and antique books, and then sink into a sumptuous velvet sofa with deep cushions for coffee. There is a certain hotel literally five minutes from Bookbarn that has a restaurant which offers this exact combination. If he invites me to dinner further afield however, I would choose to visit a certain luxurious hotel in Brussels, where every room is now filled with yards and yards of colourful and decorative books from us. The brief

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Typical film set using Bookbarn books

for this hotel was books on botanicals and nature, so we compiled a heady floral selection of modern and vintage books, with wonderfully illustrated covers of trailing leaves and multi petalled blooms. How very romantic to be surrounded by books, flowers, wonderful food, and of course my look-alike Gere. Taking up the role of complete hero, and without missing a step from soft focus, misty eyed romance to hard jaw accounting, he would then head down to the Brexit head offices with me while we are there and sort out the complexities around shipping out of the UK that has caused myself and a fair few others more sleepless nights than is rightly fair or just. An unlikely romantic gesture I hear you say but right now, after months of trawling through acres of Brexit rules, regulations and instructions, that move would, definitely, work on me. So, a successful first date with a second date undoubtedly lined up. I would again be book orientated in my choices and want to see one of the numerous films for which we have provided eclectic, era-specific book collections. There was the film whose set-designer demanded tatty looking books published in or around the 1960’s and 70’s, the sort you’d buy at a street market stall. And the film whose designer demanded grey and faded blue, cream and soft turquoise book covers and anything on cowboys, ranches and horses. Then there was the one that needed modern books on subjects ranging from economics to dinosaurs to American fast food. Or the much, much darker film needing books published in the 30’s and 40’s, with some unsavoury, more sinister subjects thrown in. If none of these appealed to my male connoisseur of culture, then a classic film set featuring whole libraries worth of ancient looking huge leather bound tomes would probably hit the mark. Down the line, if all goes well and we find ourselves furnishing our own little pied-à-terre in Bath (just like the well read, discerning couple who visited Bookbarn recently, looking like they had just stepped off a film set, he channelling a classic Bruce Willis vibe and she giving it her best as Killing Eve’s Villanelle, birth name Oxana, complete with just the right amount of disdain… “I don’t like to be bored” and looking for classic Vintage sets bound in neutral shades of leather or linen cloth), Richard and I will know exactly where we want to get our bespoke book collection from. We will dress the part, he as Mr Gere of course, who else, and myself... well, I’ll leave that to your imagination, and we will take great delight in visiting Bookbarn, a perfect Somerset destination for real aficionados, to pick out our book collection in person, and be treated to a bespoke tour of the book stock, with the personal attention of our super helpful and creatively minded Books-By-TheYard team. Now that, in my opinion, is a dream date made in heaven!

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The Bookbarn Crossword

/ BOOKS

Too Clever by Half

Sandy Balfour, supporter of Bookbarn’s AuthorSHARE scheme and crossword compiler for the Guardian, explains cryptic crosswords and sets a puzzle for Bookbarn Magazine readers THERE IS AN ocean of deep blue water between those who speak Crosswordese and those who don’t, but this is relatively easily crossed. All you need is a willingness to fritter away your life having fun – and someone to show you the way. Imagine if you will, that you are walking down Oxford Street. There is a man there wearing a sandwich board. On the front, in large letters is a general statement of the human condition. The end is nigh. Now we may not be able to agree that this statement is true, but we can at least agree that it makes sense. Those who do not do crosswords will nod or frown, according to preference, and walk on by. But those who do crosswords will pause and frown. ‘The end is nigh?’ they mutter. ‘How many letters?’ Because in Crosswordland a statement of the human condition means nothing – or rather, defies resolution – unless you know how long the required solution is. Fortunately, the man in the sandwich board turns around. There in large print is the missing ingredient: (5). To the non-solver it means nothing. But to the citizen of the people’s republic of Crosswordland it

We put a word for ‘pretty girl’ (BELLE) in a word for ‘crimson’ (RED) and we get… RE(BELLE)D.

means everything: The end is nigh (5). Ah, that’s better. It’s a crossword clue! Now we know that in cryptic puzzles either the beginning or the end of the clue defines the solution; the rest provides a different way to get the same sequence of letters. In this case we need a 5-letter word that means both END and NIGH. And the solution is CLOSE. - I don’t understand, says your friend. - Well, just ask, you reply. Or, in Crosswordland: Well, just ask (7) And in this case we need a solution that means ASK, and another way to get that solution is WELL JUST. SOLICIT, obviously. Well, maybe not obviously, exactly, but you can see how it works. WELL = SO and JUST = LICIT and when we put them together, we get SOLICIT = ASK. But let’s go back to that business of the number of letters and consider these two clues: Pretty girl in crimson rose (8) Pretty girl in crimson rose (7) Any offers? Remember, either the beginning or the end of the clue defines the solution. The rest gives

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BOOKS

/ The Bookbarn Crossword 1

you a second way to get to the same sequence of letters. You’ve already got two clues, but let me give you another. For the first, the solution is a synonym for rose. For the second, the solution is a synonym for rose…. Okay, maybe that’s not as helpful as I thought. Or maybe it is. Let’s think of synonyms for rose: a flower, a colour, the past tense of rise, a wine… my copy of Chambers takes half a page to define rose. So let’s look at the other words. Pretty. Girl. Pretty girl. In. Crimson. ‘In’ is a helpful word. Let’s assume it means what it says. We put a word for ‘pretty girl’ (BELLE) in a word for ‘crimson’ (RED) and we get… RE(BELLE)D. Which means rose. And the 7-letter version? REDDISH (or, if you prefer, RED DISH). Clues, of course, are a form of storytelling. And with any luck this will do more than be just the ego trip of a writer. The ego trip of a writer (6) An anagram certainly, indicated by ‘trip’, but an anagram of what exactly? Well, assuming the solution is a WRITER that leaves us with THE EGO. Mix it up and we get... GOETHE. And if you have reached this point in the article, you’re probably hooked. You’ve reached the point of no return. Or, as they say in Crosswordland: Rubicon is ace (5,2,2,6) - I’m sorry? - Well, don’t you see? The Rubicon is the POINT OF NO RETURN and in tennis an ace is a... You’re way ahead of me. Depending on who you read, there are somewhere between 6 and 10 ‘types’ of crossword clues. But all the good ones share three characteristics. The first is they are legitimate. They stick to the rules and especially to what in Crosswordland is known as Afrit’s Injunction – that a setter must say what they mean, but he need not necessarily mean what they say. The second is that they are not overly complicated (although they may be very complex) and the third is that they deliver a sigh of satisfaction when solved. It was a Times crossword editor who put it best when he said that, “Crossword setters are entering a game in which the point is to lose gracefully.” Because if the clue can’t be done, solvers will simply dismiss the setters as too clever by half. Or, as the setter Paul once put it in the Guardian: Hyperint? (3,6,2,4) HYPER INTelligent. TOO CLEVER BY HALF indeed!

•

Sandy Balfour, founder of the fair-trade company Divine Chocolate, is author of memoirs Vulnerable in H and Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8). Also Nursing America and I Say Nothing (3), based on his X-Philes columns for The Guardian, and A Clue to our Lives: A history of the Guardian crossword. He also compiles cryptic crosswords for The Guardian.

62 / Bookbarn Magazine / Winter 2021

13 14

19 20

Crossword Across

5 Mary O'Hara's friend puts French police before Ford (6)

`ACROSS

`DOWN

7/4 Thatcher saga is rewritten around one

2/20 Lord, with car h of 9 21 22s (7,8 3 See 15 Across 4 See 7 Across

`5M̀ary O’Hara’s friend puts ` `1T̀rain artistic movement (6) of 9before 21 22s (6,8) ` creator French police Ford 6 Soft base (3) `2/20` Lord, with car handymen, `(6) built creator 9 How baffled is UN health` agency? (3) of 9 21 22s 8 Spy a guy (5) `7/4`Thatcher saga is rewritten `(7,8) ` around one creator of wave 9 21 ` is entrancing (8) 10 My French crime `3S̀ee 15 Across 12 Ambush attemp ` 22s (6,8) `4S̀ee 7 Across 11 Setter's 20th solution? (8) `9H̀ow baffled is UN health It's made of `6S̀oft base (3) ` silicone agency? (3)(7)

14 2 20 chose to li

`8S̀py a guy (5) `10` My French crime wave is 13 Declare things found in Home restricted by Ge ` entrancingworthless (8) `12` Ambush attempts to create Counties (5) ` criminal IDs (8) `11` Setter’s 20th solution? It’s 16 Captain Nero h ` made of silicone (7) `14` 2 20 chose to live where

15/3 Airman hogs soup from creator of 9 21

`13` Declare worthless things (5,5) ` 22s found in Home Counties (5) `15/3` Airman hogs soup fromto 17 Forced EastEnder ` creator of 9 21 22s (5,5)

(7)

`17` Forced EastEnder to sit on ` sword’s end (7) 20 See 2 Down

` crime wave is restricted by 18 Laredo ` German diplomats (7)

19 Theatrical piece Captain sit on`16` sword's endNero holds glove `(5) 22 Falling into lov

`20` See 2 Down

`18` Laredo disturbed by trial (6) `19` Theatrical pieces quietly ` produce eggs (5)

21 Reverse naturist's condition: endlessly `22` Falling into loveless fool (3)

`21` Reverse naturist’s (3) ` tanned condition: endlessly tanned `(3)

23 Strong and stable? I'm full of **it! (6)

`23` Strong and stable? I’m full ` of **it! (6) splits court? 24 Sly force `24` Sly force splits court? You ` first (6)

disturbe

You first (6)

Down

1 Train artistic movement (6)

SOLUTION Turn to page 40 for answers

TWO THOUSAND BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE gnirK edILIMS now uoy erA ARTISAN RUGS AND

?’txen tahw‘

ONE MILLION NEW, USED, & RseARE vil gnikroB w rOOKS uo woh tuoba kniht lla su edam sah emoh morf gnikroW

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WINTER 2021

The new rural economy in a changed countryside

An Equitable Culture?

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Growing Unicorns in Somerset

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Darwin’s Granddaughter

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