Running a 105-Year-Old Bookshop Without Being a Bookworm!

Holman's bookshop in Whitby is celebrating its 105th anniversary this month, making it one of the oldest independent bookshops in the area. The shop has a charming blue-painted front with large windows filled with books, magazines, toys, and puzzles. The building itself is even older, dating back to 1768, the same year Captain James Cook set sail from Whitby. Angela O'Connor, the current owner, has been running Holman's since 2014. She admits she isn't much of a reader herself, but her husband enjoys books. During the 2020 lockdown, Angela started reading history books from the shop to learn more about its past. She discovered that Ernest and Ada Holman bought half of the shop in 1920 and the other half in 1925.

Angela and her husband Michael previously ran a post office and convenience store in Doncaster for ten years before deciding to buy a new business. They wanted something within a two-hour drive of Doncaster and immediately felt Holman's was the right place for them. Angela says the shop has a special atmosphere, and people in Whitby have always spoken fondly of it. Holman's is known for always having 'Dracula' in stock, and Angela jokes that the shop has its own ghost because things sometimes fall off the shelves for no reason. The grandsons of Ernest and Ada Holman, John and Kevan McCormack, returned to Whitby to join the anniversary celebrations.

Skinner Street, where Holman's is located, is full of historic buildings and long-standing businesses. Angela found out that the shop was probably a coaching inn in the late 1700s, where travelers stopped with their horses. Over the years, the building has served many purposes, including being a doctor's office, a jewelry workshop, a greengrocer, a blacksmith, a draper, and a post office. It became a bookshop after being a newsagents in 1901. Holman's has had some very dedicated staff, like Lily Pybus, who worked there for 45 years, and Lynn Brunskill, who retired after 48 years. The shop still sells traditional items like paper, envelopes, and pens, and many customers feel nostalgic when they visit. To keep up with modern times, Holman's now sells products online as well. The shop has offered many services over the years, such as selling theater tickets, running a subscription library, and even restringing tennis rackets. In the 1980s, it had a popular record department in the basement. Recently, Holman's took part in Whitby's first literature festival, which helped boost book sales. Angela believes the shop is still important for readers and writers, giving them a place to start their journey into the world of books.