please empty your brain below

This is right near my new gym.

Have had a couple of good Americanos from there already, but no time for a proper good look-round. Missed the dog altogether. Coffee was good, and there seems a steady flow of custom, which bodes well I think. Next to 2 pubs and a tesco express so there's quite a footfall going past...
I was really disappointed when I saw this shop had closed down so glad they have found a new home. Well worth a visit.
DressCircle, a small book/record shop in the West End, which specialized in theatre and musicals has recently closed after several years of shop trading. They now sell Internet only. When they had the shop they would hold events like authors signing books etc.
The cost to run a shop became too high.
Woolfson and Tay in their location should have lower costs and the cafe could become a popular meeting place, and attract customers who will later possibly buy a book. I hope they succeed.
I wish them well.
It's Bear Lane, not Bear Street
Do you mean Bear Lane?

Great - that's 5 mins walk from work so they've got themselves a new customer.

Wonderful thanks DG.
Glad to know that you got past the dog successfully.
Got handed a voucher and leaflet last week, will be heading down to check out the lunch offering... All sounds good, though one downside for me personally is the mix of pets and places serving food - let's hope the food is good enough to overcome that.

It is a little off the main track, though Gordon Ramsay's restaurant nearby opening this autumn should make the area a bit more well known, given how close it is to Southwark Tube and the Tate. The cafe part might become a good venue for informal meetings for us office workers nearby...
Meanwhile, in a parallel universe...

"Hi there diamond geezer!

Since you're one of the top 100 literary blogs, I thought you might be interested in an exclusive opportunity to visit an exciting new tourist destination in the heart of the vibrant South Bank in the greatest city in the world (London, of course!!) It's an all-expenses-paid trip, with free overnight accommodation in the prestigious suites of a Travelodge in Edgware, and you'll get to spend ALL DAY treating yourself to a visit to our clients Woolfson & Tay. All we ask is that you write a teensy-weensy little review-ette - say what you like about the shop, why you think bookshops are a wonderful thing for a city to have, maybe what your favourite flavour of cake is!! Who doesn't love cake? And books, obviously. Anyway, we know you'll love the privilege of receiving such an exclusive offer as this, so please RSVP and let us know you'd be delighted to help. And if not, well I guess there's always the other 499 bloggers I copied this message to, you worthless little 'new media' wannabe."
Whats wrong with Amazon? I can buy a book at a fraction of a price, 90% of the time its in stock, I can get it straight away on my iPad if I so wish. If I wanted to go to W&T I would need to get the bus down there (no, I ain't driving, BoJo doesn't deserve a tenner) - to get something I could order from my sofa. No thanks.
I don't know if I exactly agree with Rotherhithe, but I do know that Amazon stocks the obscure technical books I buy, and no physical bookshop does (unless you get them to order it, but then they're basically just using Amazon for you).
I don't understand the foregoing comments (I'm not clever enough) but I do worry about lemon and courgette cake. From experience I would envisage spending the next two days in the little room after such fare.
Amazon is great because of price and availability, it has made book buying easy and a hell of a lot cheaper.
Hi there DG, we chanced upon your blog -- thank you for the lovely comments. Yes, it will be a challenge to attract people off Great Suffolk Street to drop by for a browse, but we hope we become a worthwhile destination eventually, and that possible patrons may seek us out :)

I also read some of the comments by others in response to your blog, so thought I'd take the opportunity to clarify. Matzo, our dog, is not a fixture at our shop. He's away at dog creche actually or tucked at home most of the time -- and certainly not around during lunch service. Every now and then though, we let him lounge around the shop -- which he has already adopted in some ways as a home away from home -- as he's quite attached to us and he's our baby really (so can't be left lonely for too long).

Re entry by swirlythingy... hmm, not sure who he/she is, but just wanted to clarify that we have not engaged anyone to act on our behalf to offer any benefits in exchange for reviews. Though I appreciate swirlythingy's sentiments :)

Regards
Fran (a.k.a. Tay)
Hi Fran

Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.

I can confirm that no benefits were offered in exchange for this review... apart from the money I paid you for my book.

All the best for the future.

dg
Oh, I know DG wasn't really bribed to write this post. I can tell this because he did actually write it.

Just found the stylistic similarity to exactly the sort of posts I'm sure any number of vacuous publicists are slavering over the thought of him writing about their own clients somewhat amusing.
Found it's even closer to work (by Southwark station) than I expected so based on my short visit today I'll be back regularly.

The shop ladies are very friendly bur left me alone to browse - the best of all worlds!
What's wrong with using Amazon?

It's a good question. Here, I think, is a good answer. Several good answers, actually:

http://www.housmans.com/boycottamazon.php

Like pretty much everyone else, I use Amazon. But only when there really is no realistic alternative. I like bookshops, and recognise that a sure way to kill them off completely is to use Amazon indiscriminately. When you go to a café, you'll likely have to pay more to drink your coffee there than take it away - and it's obvious why. Similarly, I'll happily pay an extra couple of quid for a book from a shop where I can while away hours browsing, if I choose. It's a small price to pay if you want to prevent physical bookshops becoming a thing of the past. Good luck to Woolfson & Tay.

Another link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2012/nov/09/how-to-kick-amazon-habit
Hello Woolfson & Tay!

My name is Heather - don't panic - you don't know me! Unless you regularly read this blog!!!!

We've designed a fun infographic which looks at amazing runners in fancy dress. Check out the guy who ran the London Marathon yesterday dressed as an Alan Sillitoe novel! Please do get in touch and I will send it right over!!
There are two large student residential halls on Great Suffolk Street, so hopefully this will bring in some business.
The varied, witty and informative comments today have almost matched the high standard of the blogpost. A very satisfying read from start to finish.
Alas, Woolfson & Tay survived less than a year.

http://www.woolfsonandtay.com/1/post/2013/12/a-tale-of-two-bookshops-wt-swan-song.html

"All the signs suggest that there is little scope in the immediate future for W&T to emerge as a successful indie bookshop-cum-literary and community hub, we have come to the conclusion that it's time to pack it in."

"If only we had the kind of book sales we achieved at our Bermondsey premises plus the kind of cafe sales we have been making at Bankside, we would be sorted"


Their Closing Down Sale begins on January 6th :(










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