posted on 30 Jun 2022

A visit to Harrogate: Imagined Things and John Atkinson Books

We have never been to Harrogate before and so we were looking forward to exploring the well-known independent bookshop, Imagined Things and the top-of-the-range second hand collectable shop run by John Atkinson when we were there for a couple of days at the end of May.

Imagined Things is, for the moment, a shop in a small arcade which is a delight. Jam-packed with books but not in a way that made them inaccessible, the shop just bristles with a love for the books they stock. There’s a great range of recent releases, some signed, and to our great joy, a vibrant children’s book section decorated with lots of publishers card cut-outs that act as advertisements for books or authors.

The shop has a really welcoming and cosy feel and I just hope all that survives the relocation to a new shop in the town that’s going to take place – or may even have done so by now. We will certainly make it a priority to go and take a look at what the new premises are like when we are next in that part of the world.

I was especially excited to finally take a look at the shop run by John Atkinson – a top-end second hand dealer. I’m very familiar with his website and sometimes surprised by his prices – which are admittedly high-end – but this is because his modern and 20th century collectables are the very best on offer.

However, we can only report what we saw through the window because the shop was closed! There was nothing on the door to say why and the list of opening hours suggested that we were there at a time when they should have been open. Very frustrating.

Looking through the window I was able to see the shelves and display cabinets that showcase each book individually and face forward – I would very much have liked to get my hands on them but, alas, it was not to be.

It really disappoints me when book shops close for no good reason and don’t have the decency to, at the very least, to leave a message in the window about why they are shut. What a wasted opportunity!

 

Terry Potter

July 2022