All posts by Janette Ray

JANUARY 2021

Happy New Year. If you are reading this then you have found our website. Please explore. It is designed to allow you to browse subjects by just entering a word into the search box above. You could also visit our Catalogue section to look through books, themed by subject, but often not yet uploaded to the website.

In line with  regulations relating to COVID 19 our bookshop is closed at the moment to walk in customers. However, we are happy to answer enquiries by phone.  Call our mobile number if you think we can help you with books you may want.

We have issued  paper catalogue, List 113, this month,themed loosely on design books published during the decades of the 1930s to 1970s which we consider to have been influential in their day. Let us know if  this is something you might be interested in having a copy of. It will be sent by post in the UK and by email worldwide.

Looking forward to the day when the bookshop opening hours can be regular ones and we can welcome all our returning customers.

SHOP OPENING UP TO CHRISTMAS

Nothing is worse than not knowing when a shop will be open. We are pleased to announce that from Thursday 3rd December, our shop will be open daily Wednesdays – Saturdays 10.30am to 5.00pm unless COVID restrictions intervene.

This is a small shop so only two people are able to visit at a time but hopefully this will work out just fine.  Hoping you will visit us.

NOVEMBER NEWS – ED KLUZ EXHIBITION OPENS 28th NOVEMBER

Although the bookshop remains closed for walk in business we are actively trading from this website and also planning to have a window exhibition in collaboration with Lotte Inch Gallery from 28th November featuring the work of artist Ed Kluz, who draws upon architecture, and in this case solitary buildings in the landscape as his theme.  Images can be seen in our shop window.  The remainder of the show is in the window, two buildings along at 14 Bootham, which is home to Lotte’s gallery. Take a look. http://www.lotteinch.co.uk/exhibitions  

COVID 19 NOVEMBER LOCK DOWN AT SHOP BUT OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Although our shop will be closed from Thursday 5th November 2020 for a month we are OPEN FOR BUSINESS, on line, by mail order and can supply locally anything you see in our shop window.

Walking by in York?  Take a look in the window and call us if you see something you prize.  Free delivery locally in York.  We can post out for you gift wrapped, calendars, books or prints more widely. Just call us or email us to arrange it.

FIRSTS ON LINE BOOK FAIR 10-14 September

We will be showcasing 20 of our books at the upcoming Firsts Online book fair organised and hosted by the Antiquarian Bookseller’s Association. The way it works is that you visit the website which goes live at 2.00pm GMT on 10 September as take a look at the fair offerings submitted by the participating booksellers. If there is something you would like you  can buy it from the individual booksellers.  I hope you find something you like. The site closes down on September 14th at 5.00pm GMT

The website address is http://www.firstslondon.com

OPEN BY APPOINTMENT

Our bookshop has been painted up and the shelves ordered to allow you to browse and buy books now. We are however only going to be open by appointment for the next few weeks. Please give me a call if you would like to look around. Opening by appointment will allow you to look about at your leisure without concerns on social distancing in our tiny shop.

We look forward to seeing you there. Telephone 0780 394 1307  if you would like to visit.  We can also deliver books bought on line within the city limits for free or you can buy on line and select to collect at the bookshop.

CAN WE HELP YOU? HAVE YOU GOT…..?

Although our bookshop is closed for visitors we are busy finding books for people like you. We are able to send you books you might need to entertain, divert or for work. Talking to our customers, many of you are doing those jobs around the house, painting, decorating, gardening and so on.  Others of you are working from home on projects. We have lots of “how to do it” titles when it comes to conserving or restoring your house, designing gardens or making stuff. If you think we can help, just ask and we can select something for you from our stock.  Our website is designed for you to browse particular categories of books. Take a look.  Happy to help. The item illustrated is just one of the books we have just added to our site.

TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF OUR BOOKSHOP

Like most other bookshops, we regretfully have closed our doors for what, I hope, will only be a very short time. This is so the UK  can get back on track with getting the corona virus under control. Meanwhile we can be contacted by email at this time which is shown at the top of the page.  You can also telephone us on our mobile number 0780 394 1307. Keep healthy and take a look at our books for sale here. If there is anything you would like to reserve then please go ahead and contact us. We will be sending out all reserved books or those bought directly from our website as soon as we can.

QUIET? CORONA VIRUS

Not of lot of parties going on are there? York is uncommonly quiet with few tourists or residents around and many working from home. The bookshop is still open with a skeleton staff . We are working. If you are in York and would like to visit at this time, we recommend you ring ahead to check we are here. We  will welcome you.

Meanwhile, we have uploaded our spring catalogue onto this site and you might find things on that not on the general part of the website. Click on  Catalogues to find it.

Whilst the post is still being collected you can buy books from us and we can send them to you so hope you will. If you live within the boundaries of York then we are happy to deliver to your door any books you would like by bike, car or on foot, dependent where you are based.

 

CALIFORNIA BOOK FAIR 2020 7th-9th FEBRUARY in Pasadena

Selecting books to take to a book fair is always difficult. No selection ever is the collection which ever reflects the wider range of books left on the shelves in our York Book Shop. This year the California book fair has adopted a theme which  is focusing on the achievements of women. This is because, in the USA, 2020 marks  the centenary of women, nationally throughout the USA,  being given  the right to vote. In August 1920 the right to vote was extended to all regardless of their sex.

With this in mind, I have looked through my stock to find the works of high achievers in the field of “The Arts” but here women  often seem to be masked as makers, architects, artists, designers and photographers by their male counterparts,  although in general today, they are in a more rosy position than ever before. To include outstanding items by women in the sector of design, for the California book fair  has, I have to admit, been challenging.  In my list of books for the fair are a few by unsung heroes. Go to the catalogue section of this website and take a look, The list opens with a short selection of affordable books on relatively unknown women architectural and design figures.  This is an indictment of the role women have really played in design. However,  perhaps  it is better to be remembered ultimately because of skill rather than gender. For my own part this is certainly how I feel about the book trade, I would rather be known as a bookseller than a woman bookseller.