A Ramsgate book shop which has been closed since the start of the covid pandemic in 2020 is to reopen next month.
Michael’s Bookshop in King Street has been a main staple of the town for secondhand books, as well as local publications, since it first opened its doors in 1987.
Headed up by Michael Child and wife Anna, the premises stocks hundreds of books and even prints local history books and maps in the cellar.
Now the duo, with help from a couple of staff, are reopening the doors on August 1.
Michael, who has been working in book shops since his first summer job in 1967, said: “We have been closed since the beginning of the pandemic, my main concern was keeping us and the customers safe. We have installed blown air ventilation in the bookshop which may help.
“Questions to me vary between ‘why haven’t you reopened’ on one side, and ‘why didn’t you retire years ago’ on the other. The bookshop was very busy just before we closed because of the pandemic. There was a sense in which we had become the last viable bookshop in the area, if you take viable to mean a mixture of affordable and readable.
“Running a large second-hand bookshop reasonably well takes up most of your life. When we are not running the shop we are out and about sourcing the right books at the right prices.
“We very much look forward to seeing our customers again and particularly buying books from them. We will also be resuming publishing local history books and will be looking forward to meeting some authors.
“We intend to reopen with reduced opening hours which are: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10am to 5pm, closed Bank Holidays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Michael’s Bookshop is on the site of The Prince Coburg pub, which is recorded in 1821 in a transfer of ownership after the landlord died. The Prince Coburg was renamed the General Joffre in 1917. It has since been a grain merchant, Cullen’s Pet Supplies and Design and Colour wallpaper shop in the 60s/70s.
