Archive for the ‘Bookshop’ Category

A bad day in the bookshop

Friday, 9 February, 2007

Waking up with a headache should have been a clue that today would not be a good one!

A couple of weeks ago I went to see Colin in his office and noticed posters all over the department announcing a ‘10% off booksale in the department bookshop’ – our bookshop. When I asked Colin, he admitted that it was news to him until the posters went up, and that although one of the students that mentioned that we should have a sale nothing had been agreed!

So, today was the day of the sale, and luckily I was in Sheffield so could attend. I arrived and met our ‘worker’ (who I am told never turns up!), she imediately didn’t impress me as she kept touching Colin.

She then proceded to talk over me, answer questions that I’d put to Colin and generally be a pain in the arse, whilst actually doing very little.

Colin went off to teach (which she felt the need to tell me he ‘had to do’), and she opened the sale – five minutes later she’s left the open till (with about £40 in cash) on the table and wandered off, to remove books from boxes that Colin had put aside as not part of the sale.

I’m afraid at this point I had to say something, not agressive, but pointing out that the till shouldn’t be left and that the bookshop was mine and Colins – not some game that she might like to play with.

At this point I decided to leave her to it – Colin was joining her not long afterwards and I wanted to try and calm down. If she doesn’t remember to take the post-its out of the

I guess I should be used to the ‘gaggle’ of girlies that like to follow Colin around, I suppose if I’m honest I used to be one! It’s just maddening that Colin doesn’t discourage them, not that he encourages them either – he just either doesn’t notice or ignores them.

Derbyshire Archaeology Day 2007

Wednesday, 17 January, 2007

Derbyshire Archaeology Day – another year goes by.

Our best DAD yet, it was so busy (sell out at 300 people) and lots of books sold. I also got a chance to go for a wander round town with my camera between rain showers.

Selling and buying

Sunday, 22 October, 2006


A proper bookshop – at last
Originally uploaded by Merrony’s Moll.

Yesterday we took the bookshop to the York Archaeological Bookfair – and it’s a damn good job we did as there were hardly any other sellers there, and no one with the range of stock that we have (both new and second hand).

I don’t know why but it wasn’t a very profitable day, maybe it was the venue (a bit out of the way) as I think it’s well established and well advertised.

In the end I went home with more than I took! A local specialist architecture bookseller had recently purchased the surplus EH head office library stock – much of which included archaeological site reports. Since they weren’t really her thing she sold them to me (let’s say that I still managed to make a little money yesterday – but not much!!).

Now I have to sort them all out, price them and get them on to the stock list. I’ll probably put together a list for the archaeology department staff to look at – hopefully I’ll make my money back!?