Dear Blogger
Message from Booa Bookshop, Oswestry - They are opening on Tuesday June 16th.
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 We've missed you...WELCOME BACK! We've missed you, our customers, during lock-down. With the doors to the bookshop closed since 23rd March, it's been a challenging and uncertain time for us. Thanks to everyone who has placed orders online, by phone, email and social media during the last 11 weeks. Thanks too for all your kind messages of support, they have been a real tonic!
With the Government's announcement that non-essential shops can re-open from 15th June, we're busy preparing the bookshop so that you will be able to visit and shop with us safely.
Our Plans for Reopening
We are excited to say that Booka will reopen its doors to customers on Tuesday 16th June.
Initially, we plan to operate with reduced opening hours as follows:
Tues – Saturday 10.00am – 3.00pm
This will give you an opportunity for socially distanced browsing and time to place, collect and pay for orders in person. We will keep these opening hours under review.
For the time being, we intend to continue with our free home delivery service as we appreciate some people will be anxious about venturing out and visiting shops.
With the bookshop open, we will encourage those placing orders to 'collect in store' where possible.
Please note that our café will remain closed for the time being while social distancing rules remain in place.
Visiting Booka
When you visit we will have new measures in place so that you can shop safely with us. - To allow for social distancing, there will be a limit on the number of customers we allow in the bookshop. We will ask you to stop at the door and will let you know when it's ok to come in.
- Each time you visit we will ask you to sanitise your hands when you enter and before handling books.
- We will expect you to keep a safe distance (2m) from others at all times.
- We request that you make contactless payment by card wherever possible.
- If you are unwell and have symptoms, please do not enter the bookshop.
In addition to the above, there will be perspex screens in place at the counter and signage to remind you about distancing. Table displays have been rearranged to make it easier to move around the shop and maintain distancing. Surfaces and touch points will be regularly cleaned and disinfected.
Safety is our priority and with these measures in place we feel we have done all we can to minimise risk for you and ourselves. We will monitor how well the measures are working and make changes where necessary. If we make mistakes or you feel we can improve things, please let us know. With your help we can make this work – please be kind and considerate!
We look forward to welcoming you back to Booka. Despite having to take the above steps our aim is to ensure the bookshop continues to be a friendly and welcoming place to be.
Your support over the last ten years has helped us build a bookshop for the town to be proud of. As we reopen our doors your continued support will be key to helping us recover!
We hope to see you soon. In the meantime, stay safe and keep reading! | |  Virtual Author Events Hopefully you will have seen that we've teamed up with three other indie bookshops (Linghams, Forum Books & Book-ish) to host a series of virtual author events via Facebook Live, connecting authors and readers.
You can access these events via the @HomeWith4Indies Facebook page.
Coming up this month: - 11th June 8pm - Fern Britton
- 12th June 2pm - Tim Marshall*
- 16th June 2pm - Onjali Q Rauf*
- 17th June 8pm - Caroline Criado Perez
- 18th June 11.30am - Andy Griffiths*
- 22nd June 8pm - Alison Weir+
- 23rd June 8pm - Meg Rosoff+
- 24th June 8pm - Lenka Janiurek+
- 25th June 8pm - Maggie O'Farrell+
- 26th June 2pm - Jennifer Bell+
* Events for Children
+ Events for Independent Bookshop Week
Watch these events from the comfort of your sofa. You can ask the author questions or just sit back, watch and enjoy. You can also go back and watch the videos for any events you may have missed. |  Postponed Events As a result of the Covid-19 situation we had to cancel or postpone a series of events.
Events with Amanda Owen, Ruth Jones and Raynor Winn were postponed to the Autumn with new dates to be agreed. As the Covid-19 lockdown has progressed and things have become clearer around mass gatherings and how long social distancing rules will need to stay in place, these events will now become digital events and be hosted online.
We will contact all tickets holders with further details on dates and how to access these events in the next few weeks. Please bear with us. |  Independent Bookshop Week Although things will be very different this year we will still be celebrating Independent Bookshop Week - just being open and able to welcome customers will be a celebration in itself!
Our usual programme of events will take place online on the At Home with Four Indies Facebook page (see above).
Hope to see you - Choose Bookshops!
| | Booka News The only big news to report is that we're reopening!
Tuesday 16th June - 10.00am
Stay safe, keep reading!
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