We are in Book Time Magazine :D

Book Time Magazine January 2013 Edition

4

Another Walk Around Unicorn Tree Books - Video Tour!

It's been a while since we last took a video tour of the shop (About a year actually!) so today we thought we'd take a stroll around it to see what's changed and share it with those of our friends that can't make it in person into the shop but do visit us here on the blog, and support us through our various internet shopping venues such as www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk, www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk & http://www.hive.co.uk/shop/lincoln/unicorn-tree-books-crafts.
Thank you all and we hope you enjoy your video visit :D

Remember we are here to serve you and we really appreciate your support - go on Shop Local and use an Independent - it's better for all of us when we go local to go global ;-)

So we'll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you when you come in for your church or personal supplies - or indeed for any other reason too!

If you've been down to the shop today...

If you've been down to the shop today you may have got a surprise!
 Books have been moving - in fact every secondhand book has moved to a new home ... we'd have really liked it if they moved themselves something like this:

But they didn't!  Instead I did it (along with some conscripted family and mini minions for a few shelves)!

It was a task and a half but well worth it as it means we can again fit more things in! Yes MORE!
This time not only more secondhand fiction but a whole new glass shelved display of Gifts!

It's not all quite finished yet, but it's getting there ... we are awaiting a delivery or two of new gift stock to come in, and that's why everything had to be moved. So they would have a nice new home ... not as some may claim because the bookshop boss just likes to change it up like the supermarket and keep the customers guessing!
The minion and mates that suggested that were duly despatched ... to get coffee for said hardworked bookshop boss.

We would also like to put customers minds at rest and assure them that no bookcases or books were harmed in the making of this wonderful new shop design - although the same cannot be said for the bookshop boss who was savaged more than once by errant bookcases and vicious thrillers that decided to jump off shelves and pound her into the ground in one notable case!

Still we have survived to tell the tale and invite you all to come down and see what's new and acquaint yourself with some great bargains and new books & gifts too.


Anyway I'm now off to grab a sugar free vanilla latte & a cookie to refuel before playing with the gift displays a little and putting out some new card ranges :D See you all soon here in the shop...

Remember we are here to serve you and we really appreciate your support - go on Shop Local and use an Independent - it's better for all of us when we go local to go global ;-)

So we'll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you when you come in for your look around, books and supplies - or indeed for any other reason too!

Hmm - that's a lot of books for a small shop with a seemingly small selection!

(Updated with Images of facefronted sections as requested by Phil Groom in the Comments section - cause we always aim to please!)

I have just been told by a customer that they had been told that we here at Unicorn Tree Books & Crafts didn't have a lot of Christian Books in stock!
They told me they would be going back to Church and suggesting perhaps the person that told them that should actually look and not make an assumption based on a quick glance around what seems like an admittedly small space - as he felt we had an exceptionally wide and varied selection more than equal to some large shops he had been in.
I thanked him for his kind words.

Based on this I just checked the system and currently we have 2273 different Christian titles in stock in the Christian books section and that doesn't include multiples of the same title - it is solely individual actual titles in stock right now, it also doesn't include Childrens Books & Resources, Bibles or service books!
So now I need to see what those excluded sections carry too - this enquiring mind needs to know!
In terms of Bibles - there are 102 different Bibles & New Testaments and then 46 Different Childrens Bibles as well in stock.
Childrens Books & Resources has 497 Different titles in stock.
In terms of Service books - there are 38 listed and then a few pamphlets/leaflet types not actually accounted for on the system.
So in total there's 2956 individual christian/religious titles recorded on the system and probably just over 3000 titles if we include the tracts, pamphlets, leaflets and books without barcodes that aren't listed on the system! And remember that's individual titles and not just books stocked as that's going to be a much higher figure due to multiples, oh and it doesn't include secondhand stock!

And yes that is just the Christian section, in the general section we have 3982 new books and probably just under that in secondhand!

Now don't get me wrong I know this still makes me a small bookshop - actually I like that it's a small independent bookshop - it means I know my stock, my customers, my delivery drivers etc perhaps a bit more than I would if I was having to run a large bookshop with all the administration and work involved in that,  but it's certainly not the smallest selection of Christian Books there on the shelf - indeed I'm pretty sure that's more books than at times we had in some SPCK shops (so ok I know that's quite a few more than I ever had in stock in the Brighton SPCK back in 2000, and probably about comparative to the Lincoln SPCK).

I've been thinking about this most of the morning and pondering therefore why it is that some people think we don't have many Christian Books instock given how many we do have, is it a now unreal expectation based on the wide range available online? possibly but to be honest I think what makes the difference is the display - it is a perception thing.

You see there is not much (indeed one could almost say no) room for face fronting of books here in the shop, that's a sadness but it's also a choice I have willingly made - you see I value breadth of offering and range, so given the small space I decided I'd rather have a good wide selection of books and titles spanning a multitude of subjects and churchmanships, than have a pretty face front and probably multiple heavy but significantly lessened range of books.

So therefore people don't see a pretty display of lots of face front books, they see lots of spines and due to the way they are now educated to perceive ranges of books (face front and lots of piled multiples on tables and shelves) in most bookshops like Waterstones, WHSmiths, Publishers Clearance Warehouse, The Works, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Amazon - when they then don't see this they assume there's not much there - they don't browse the shelves properly, they just make a decision based on perception for the most part.

Of course this is a generalisation and many book buyers really do browse and do appreciate the choice of range over display, but it is something I have to consider and work on - indeed as does everyone - therefore at the back of the shop there are now two small bookcases that look up the shop so when you turn into the department they face you - previously they were used for displaying gifts etc - now they are being used to display 'New Titles - Just In' face front and special promotions face front.

I'll wait and see if it makes a difference to how people percieve the size of the shop and range, but I'm still not willing at this time to sacrifice the range of books for the face front look, I'd rather sacrifice a few other things first - and yes that's my choice and it may be a little to my detriment, but less range is certainly to the detriment of the people who need the books that day or just may come across that one life affirming or altering book in amongst those spine facing books.

A few months ago I saw one shop self describing itself as large due to an impressive 7000 product lines, is this a good indicator?

Because I'm always intrigued by statements like product lines, you see if I started adding in just the prayer cards (120 different designs on just one spinner), candles (53 different sizes and types), music (212), dvd (48), gifts (127 in the display cabinet, 42 different witness pins on the spinner -and  I am not going and counting how many different childrens items, stickers, and gifts there are on the 3 other displays!) and cards (26 different card headings, I think at stocktake it was something like 287 different designs not including seasonal cards!), Church Stationary and Requisites ( 7 different types of wafers, 8 incenses, lots of different certificates,applications, registers etc!), let alone the christian craft items and so on then the numbers of product lines really do soon start rising.

So I'd be interested to know how many titles other shops have and what size they consider themselves to be.

On the whole i'm still admitting to being a small bookshop - but I don't think the range we carry is really too bad at all for our size and I'm just glad I get to be here and share it with others and am always happy at the surprised joy on some people faces when they really look beyond the initial impression and realise we had just what they wanted after all.

So there we go that's the bookshop boss done pondering for now - time for a maple syrup flavoured coffee I think - nothing like a bit of a change of pace now and again, especially after serious thoughts! 
So anyway come in, browse and, we hope, stock up soon - we'll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you!

Competition time for tickets to the Pickering Traction Engine Rally!

Competition time! 

I have 2 half price tickets to the Pickering Traction Engine Rally and Music Festival 

going on between 4-7th August!

So I'm going to give them to someone who can use them 

(Bah-working! I say - otherwise I'd be using them and you lot wouldn't get a look in!)

Now as there may be more than two of you who want them let's make this fun!

To enter the competition you need to go over to our facebook page:

www.facebook.com/UnicornTreeBooks

Like the page if you haven't already and on there

I want you to tell me what Fiction Genre would best be at home at a steam/traction engine rally 

and why you think so!

Share the competition with friends and at the end of next week we'll get the topper down 

and put all the entries in it and see who the lucky winners are!

Good Luck and tell others!

So there we go that’s the bookshop boss done being generous and having competition fun for now – time for a vanilla syrup flavoured coffee I think – nothing like a bit of a change of pace now and again! 
So anyway don't forget to come in, browse and, we hope, stock up soon – we’ll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you!

Unicorn Tree Books, Central Market, Lincoln. LN5 7ET
www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk
www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk

It's Independent's Day in Lincoln Central Market - So come support your Indie Retailers here!

PRESS RELEASE from Lincoln Central Market Retailers at Sylvia's Shoes, 2 by 2 Pet Supplies & Unicorn Tree Books.

Independents’ Day 2011 - your high street & Market needs you!

Today is the 4th July 2011 and here in Lincoln as well as across the country, the public have been encouraged to buy at least one item from their local, independent shop to keep the high street alive.

Skillsmart Retail and the National Skills Academy for Retail have teamed up with independent retailers and trade associations around the country to encourage the public to celebrate diversity on the high street & in the Markets and support their local, independent retailers on 4^th July. Retailers downloaded the ‘Your high street needs you!’ poster online, ‘like’ the campaign on Facebook and following it on twitter.

We here in the Markets are all independent businesses and a number of us have been actively promoting today with posters on our stalls, with twitter and facebook posts and in person.

As the Lincoln Echo article on page 2 pointed out times are hard and closures are a reality, Fresh data from Local Data Company’s surveys of 2,700 UK retail destinations (out of a potential 4,400 total UK destinations), highlights that high street vacancy rates have started to rise again. The Local Data Company states that 14.6% of outlets are now vacant. This indicates that approximately 50,000 units are now not currently open to business on the UK high streets, showing just how challenging the situation is on the ground.

'In Lincoln Central Market a number of us are working to promote the fact that the high street and markets are still places of great value despite the percieved thoughts that supermarkets, national chains and of course the internet are where the best bargains are to be had - this isn't always true and independent retailers often sell things at the same or cheaper prices than the large retailers and yet give often more back to the community and local economies, Local independent retailers such as those in the market also supply items often not found elsewhere - our market in Lincoln is such a place with the only independent bookshop in Lincoln that also is now the only Christian Bookshop after two previous such shops closed down, 2 by 2 Pets also is the only city centre pet shop selling things not always found elsewhere, though Raw has closed down Sylvia's Shoes is still here in the market providing shoes as an independent, The Lincoln Stamp Centre is one of only a very few independent stamp collectors businesses still in lincolnshire - so though it may to some seem a 'drab' market hall it is certainly vibrant with unique independent businesses and somewhere perhaps worth checking out and promoting we hope.'

Anne Seaman, Chief Executive of Skillsmart Retail said: “We are delighted to lead this campaign and support small retailers. Raising awareness amongst the public is one of the biggest challenges smaller retailers face and our message is about encouraging the public to use their local high street & Markets and understand how important a diverse retail sector is.

It’s also essential that local retailers understand that to compete today they need to be top of their game. The time for sitting back has passed and action is required: Your high street needs you!”

ENDS

For more local information contact Melanie Carroll - owner of Unicorn Tree Books, Lincoln Central Market on 07789 249228

For more Independents day information: ( http://skillsmartretail.ctml2.com/skillsmartretaillz/WebCapture.aspx?pID=141&t=0 )

Christian Resources Together Trade Retreat

It has been my great pleasure to escape the confines of the wonderful Unicorn Tree these last couple of days (minions of old were conscripted in to fill the empty seat of the wonderul bookshop boss - I am informed the shop still stands ready for my great return tomorrow - remember i'll be the one sipping on the caramel flavour nectar of the coffee bean!) and go to the Christian Resources Together retreat which is a meeting together of Christian retailers and suppliers/publishers. 

It is a wonderful time for keeping informed, social chats, networking and friend making and inbetween the coffee breaks there are even some rather good seminars, talks and useful training type things.

I was extremely flattered to be invited to contribute a  little something to a wonderfully entitled session being given by the great Eddie Olliffe on 'Albatross, Dodo or Jewel - is there still a place on the high street for Christian bookshops to shine!'

I did say to one of the other people also asked to contribute thoughts, the rather clever Steve Mitchell, that sandwiched between Him, Eddie and the very insightful Andrew Lacey, it was obvious I was to be comedic value - God having a rather grand humour decided to prove that one right and as I took my stage debut I promptly fell up it into a rather full slapstick faceplant! ahh well luckily my ego is such it provided an ample cushion and I picked myself up, dusted off and started all over again!

The following piece is a much longer version of what I said (much, much longer and what I said was too long for the squeezed time space given - mea culpe, Eddie).

It's not necessarily of great interest to all you lovely shoppers but it does perhaps give you a feel for the things facing a lowly bookshop boss these days, and not just this bookshop boss but many others and their cheerful minions too - so please do try to think of us here in the shops and when you can please buy local and support your indie businesses as we really do need you all more than ever these days!

Anyway see you in the shop soon, and don't forget mines a caramel latte if you feel like stopping by to chat :-)

How can our trade best communicate the good news in an increasingly post retail era and to a progressively digital era.

Just the kind of question I always loved when studying! So falling back on academic principles I’m going to break the question down into sections!

So first off then: how can our trade communicate the good news.

(For me this raises two main questions that need considering first off,

the simple one of – how do we communicate the good news already?

Then: how do we ourselves experience or define that good news or indeed what the good news is.

You see much of our answer to the bigger question as a whole depends on the answers we give to these questions and how we predicate our response to the questions and issues in relation to being an albatross, dodo or jewel I think.)

My response to the question of good news issues can be summed up in the fact that we are the good news not the books we sell, the books are tools but we are the witness, the living proof and so therefore it is our actions in the heart of the community, our local community, that actually communicates the good news and not the books/music/gifts we sell.

(This is really quite a freeing idea if we properly embrace it …

Think being sent out and not needing two coats etc, think about being the witness by the sharing of verbal word, attitude and action and not by written books or arcane wwjd codes! Think radical hospitality as just a few ways this works.)

So ok that’s a great theory or spiritually fulfilling outlook but in practice our job is actually to sell Christian product and to be a solvent venture while doing it or we aren’t in our trade or in business! So how do we reconcile these things – turn the theory to practical expression when the way we’ve done it before doesn’t seem to be working so well anymore?

Is it coffee shops, more secularisation and hiding our light under a bushel, a little bit of abramic selling out or peter like denial to survive?

No and Yes.

Yes – we widen our outreach to where it should be – the wider community, that’s the wider secular community and not just the churched community, after all that’s where the good news needs to be if we are talking of us communicating it! Because surely those in the churches already have it (though they might need a bit of re-education and a reminder on occasion).

So is this selling out?  Shouldn’t be, but ask yourself what your local community needs, is it really another coffee shop sandwiched in between the others on the high streets? Or could it do with a general bookshop/stationers, toy shop, health food store, secondhand bookshop to fill the library decrease gap, haberdashery or hardware store etc etc etc

All these things are not in anyway in conflict with Christian books and do nothing to lessen the communicating of the Good News – however there is not a reason to my mind for the Christian Books to be shunted to the back of the shop to make room for these others things so as to make the shop more acceptable to the secular shoppers, instead they should work together in tandem so that the buyers/browsers of one interact with the buyers/browsers of the other and in so doing act as witnesses together and build up the community as a whole and show clearly that being a Christian is not an extreme sport for the minority or radicalised but is instead something normal, real and liveable (and in so doing make the questions askable and the witness real) – the good news communicated through people that’s the original model after all.

Does this potential broadening of our retail offer and widening of our customer base dilute or alter our message? No!

Does this lessen our trade focus and offer? Not really – after all TMD for example aren’t lessened by the range of items they distribute, nor are Kevin Mayhew as they broaden their offerings either.

Does this broadening make us viable – possibly is the only answer here because the factors are many that determine viability but it’s certainly stands a chance of improving viability if done right!

(So does changing the focus, broadening the base make us an albatross, dodo, or jewel –as we  try to communicate the good news, well I think that really depends on how we see that good news and answer those first two questions.)

Ok ‘ in an increasingly Post Retail Era’?

I don’t think so. In fact I would go on to say that we now consume more than ever before, we buy more for less and use less for more! But it’s mostly all retail orientated still, yes people are all about cheaper and easier but not about not buying! The venue may have changed but the game of consumerism hasn’t!

But our shops are struggling, our sales are dropping like the proverbial stone in a mill pond, yes but that’s not because people aren’t buying it’s just they aren’t buying from us sadly.

(So is that due to us being retail dodo’s then – old fashioned, ugly, twee and outdated albatross shops? Or buried jewels hidden in sunken treasure chests?  )

Are we avoided because of how we look or act, what we stock or don’t or where we are situated in other words?

Possibly so.

There is for me a consideration we all need to look at and think on and that’s the fact that we in many ways over the years have managed to ghettoise ourselves to some extent, we have isolated ourselves on the desert island of being ‘Christian’ bookshops and by default and accident inferred we only serve Christians and that’s who we are there for etc

In some cases we have even gone one step further and not only infer we only serve Christians but in fact we only serve ‘Our type’ of Christian! We sometimes forget how easy it is to become trapped in our pride and prejudice and in turn become bastions of bigotry  - ‘ I am of Apollos, I am of Paul’ and when we do this we become our own downfall as we stop communicating the good news fully outwards.

I know this sounds really harsh and believe me I’m not casting stones as I’m not without sin but I do believe it is something we need to give real thought to as we outreach out – radical hospitality means talking the log out of our eye so we can use the wood to build bridges, inroads of communication and community centres.

The truth is if we open our doors wider there are lots of people out there shopping and browsing daily – it is still a national pastime.

However they aren’t using us and it’s not just because the doors are too narrow and people like playing at shop the net night and ebay gambling, it is however down to wanting more for less and I’m sorry to say there isn’t much we can do about this – it’s a producers and publishers fix, -  because while they give in and sell their  product at prices that allow their product to be devalued to such an extent that consumer mindset is full price is a rip off (and then don’t play with a fair trade ethos at heart by allowing independents the sort of terms that would ensure a more level playing field so that we can compete on price) well this seems like something we can’t beat doesn’t it.

But is it? I think we can and should campaign, shout and educate both in trade and in the secular arena – buy local campaigns, being honest in name, shame and explain tactics and finally at the end of the day if it is cheaper from Amazon then buy it from there! Of course then tell your supplier/publisher what you are doing and why – (also point out that though that may make their figures look good if they extrapolate the sheer numbers of indie customers doing that currently and then work out the outcome when those indies finally go under what the final impact to them may be maybe they’ll see that working with us is better for all, especially as there isn’t a bookshop in the country, secular or Christian, that doesn’t daily see customers come in to browse and choose books and then say to their friends or ebook/download tool _ I’ll get it from Amazon now I’ve seen it! So how many end sales lost will that really be??) Yes this is a double edged sword I’m playing with here but sometimes ‘I count my losses as gain’

So talking of Amazon what about this increasingly progressively digital generation!

First off perhaps we need to stop blaming the internet for our problems – after all the internet is just an inanimate object, a tool – it’s people that buy and that use the internet! If we are going to ascribe blame (and really should this be a blame game?) then let’s ascribe it correctly.

Wouldn’t it be better to stop seeing Amazon, Eden etc etc as the enemy and instead see them as a colleague the way we do each other – yes maybe not a best friend after all if you are on my back doorstep you are my competitor but not my enemy, we can still be friends and collegues – that same holds with internet shops, indeed they can in some cases even be an admirable ally!

Marketplace, A-shops, ebay, affiliate schemes etc all can be a radical tool in shop survival – after all in the immortal words of another big boy – every little bit helps.

We use the tools at our disposal and should thank god for them instead of bemoaning them and wailing lamentations of doom.

In this progressively digital generation there are still people out there that don’t want kindles and ebooks, that still enjoy the sensation of a real book and it’s ability to be shared with others, still people that like going in bookshops and so the rumours of the books demise are much exaggerated I think, and so too the end of all high street and independent bookshops!

However we can’t and mustn’t deny kindles and ebooks and other downloadable materials, so I advocate that here is the time we use our online competition as ally! An affiliate percentage is better than nothing while we petition our trade partners to work with us in finding a solution we can use well, be it a Christian offering like Gardners Hive, or a shop based scheme for digital download cards or cloud & app based download offerings etc. I’m not sure of the solution but I am sure we need to be working on it right now and together.

So yes it’s an increasingly digital generation but we can still be at the heart of it if we use the tools available to us.  Websites can be done cheaply – very cheaply and no one should be without one, if only for the avenue of online advertising it can open up!

Something worth remembering is that this digital generation want to be part of a community! Facebook, twitter, blogging and social networking are all proof of the want to be part of a community – yes it’s different than before but it’s still a want to be part of something more – we can be part of that something more, we can still be aprt of that community.

Lets not forget as well that the digital generation, regardless of their age, are still coming into town on Saturdays, they still want to see live bands, meet up with each other, go to the cinema, out for food, attend conventions and other events or group meetings, see their fave authors and interact with them etc – this all still leaves the door wide open for us – but probably only if we’ve widened the door for them first.

Books are not dead, our trade is not dead but it may be that they are being redefined – and to answer Eddies larger question (which I wasn’t asked to do!) yes we can still shine as jewels set in an ephod breastplate made from gold tested in the refiners fire.

Melanie Carroll

"Allies or Opponents? Secular & Religious Voices in the Public Sphere" - Get your tickets from us for the Lincoln Theological Society Lecture

Tickets are available from us for the Lincoln Theological Society Lecture at Bishop Grosseteste at 7:30pm on 3rd March -
The Rt Revd. Hon Lord Harries of Pentregarth
(Or Richard Harries as he's known as on his books)
will be talking on
"Allies or Opponents? Secular & Religious Voices in the Public Sphere"

There will be a bookstall provided by us and... tickets (£5) also get you a glass of vino too!

Get your tickets now - we only have a limited number left now!

Honestly this should be a fantastic lecture and fire up lots of debate and talking points as it's an incredibly topical subject touching as it does the faith and politics issue and also addressing the secularisation of society to the exclusion of faith debate currently raging - I'm really looking forward to it!

Pre-order your copies of Richard Harries newest books:
'Faith in Politics? Rediscovering the Christian Roots of our political values' (DLT £12.95)
and/or
'Issues of Life and Death: Christian Faith and Medical Intervention' (SPCK £10.99)
and get a 10% Discount on the books and 2 Free Reward Points on one of our Reward Cards when you collect the books on the night ;-)
Contact us to reserve your copies by any of the regular methods - phone (01522 525557), email (unicorntreebooks@aol.com), twitter, facebook or indeed when you come in and see us to get your ticket for this fantastic event!

Last Chance for Christmas & may it be a peaceful one for all

Well here we are the Thursday before Christmas, I wanted to be able to tell you all that we would be staying open late this Thursday along with all the other shops and the Cornhill Market but unfortunately not as Lincoln City Council bods wouldn't allow it without us traders paying for the staffing, even though the staff are already here for the extra hour or so, ahh well, how very sad.
Still don't despair! I'm here till 4pm as usual and will be here tomorrow for your last minute christmas purchases.
I want to take this time to wish all of my blog friends, customers, minion types, suppliers and visitors a really blessed and peaceful Christmas, filled with Joy, love and laughter, enough to last not only through Christmas but all through what's left of this year and well into the next new one and on.
I really appreciate all of you and thank you for your support, smiles and custom - long may we continue to trade and entertain each other.
Merry Christmas to you all!

Unicorn Tree Books sustains flood damage from Landlords burst pipe.

Phil from the website Christianbookshopblog.org.uk says it so well for me, as of course did the Lincoln Echo:


"DO YOU LIVE in or near Lincoln? If so, please consider contacting the City of Lincoln Council about their failure to take responsibility for a burst pipe that led to flooding, inconvenience, loss of sales and stock damage for their tenants in Lincoln Central Market this week, including our very own Melanie Carroll at Unicorn Tree Books.

Read all about it as reported at thisislincolnshire.co.uk:
Lincolnshire Echo: Market traders angry as council refuses to cover cost of flooding caused by burst pipe

Lincolnshire Echo: Market traders angry as council refuses to cover cost of flooding caused by burst pipe

STALLHOLDERS have reacted with disbelief after the City of Lincoln Council refused to cover the costs of flooding in Lincoln Central Market.

Water cascaded from inside the roof of the Central Snacks café for more than half an hour on Monday morning, and ran “like a river” towards nearby Unicorn Tree Books.

But now traders Barry Reeves and Melanie Carroll say the council has told them to claim on their own insurance as the burst pipe which led to the damage was “not a maintenance issue”.

“The council is trying to wangle its way out of it,” said Mr Reeves, chairman of the Sincil Street Traders Association.

The report continues quoting Mr Reeves as he describes the appalling situation of a leak that simply went on and on pouring water into the marketplace because “the caretakers didn’t know where the stopcock was.” Yet here is the common sense advice that the City of Lincoln Council offers to householders who may be concerned about the possibility of burst pipes in their homes:

Preventing frozen and burst pipes

* Make sure you know where your stop tap is and that it is working.

How can a Council which offers that advice to householders not know where the stopcock is in its own premises — especially when it rents those premises out to other people? Prospective stallholders at Lincoln Central Market are offered the following assurance:

The City of Lincoln Council works in partnership with the regional Business Link service to provide access to all the information, advice and support needed to start, maintain and grow your business.

If you think giving Melanie and other tenants in Lincoln Central Market the brush off instead of helping them to brush up and recover from this flood is an act of negligence, please drop the City of Lincoln Council a line and say:

You made BBC Radio 4′s ‘World at One’ on December 1st when you cancelled the Lincoln Christmas Market because of the bad weather. It was a sensible decision under the circumstances. It would be an even more sensible decision to support the Lincoln Central Market which is there all year round! You have a duty of care towards your tenants to ensure that the space you’re charging them for is fit for purpose — and when accidents happen because of your neglect, the least you should do is cover their costs!

Please take remedial action now for your existing stallholders that will reassure prospective stallholders that you can and will live up to your promise to provide all the support they need to not only start but to maintain and grow their business."

Addendum - I have today added quote marks because it would appear some people who work in certain places didn't realise this was actually a copy of a news article from the 2nd of December from the UK's leading Christian Bookshop Trade blog - www.christianbookshopsblog.org.uk

Faith, Books & Facebook - The script I really should have used on The Reading Room on Siren 107.3fm

On Sunday 1st of August I was a contributor to the wonderful radio show, The Reading Room, on Siren 107.3fm. It is a fantastic radio show on the first sunday of every month at 10am - 12noon and then repeated on the following Tuesday starting at 7pm.
It is an excellent production by Paul and Jonny on books, reading, literature, writing and all manner of things to do with Books & Writing and has some fantastically good music in it too - I really do recommend it.
Paul foolishly has allowed me to be a regular contributor to it so far and this month I did a rather good job at fumbling live on air! I had a script and should have stuck to it but I didn't, bad me!
Still it's not as bad as it could have been and I hope one day Paul & Jonny will trust me to go back and do some more spots on air - I'll even buy them coffee and spring for syrup ;0)
Anyway here is the script I had, I share it here for your enjoyment and edification *grin*.

During the last month I've been reading a few books that look at the idea of facebook, social networking and how we relate to each other and how faith interacts with these ideas. After all I am all about books, faith and social networking - which despite what some may think is not so sad or so unusual. In fact facebook and yes, even twitter, are excellent communication mediums for sharing about all manner of ideas including faith and not least about books, about writing and can really help contribute to the society of the literate, and this despite what Lynne Truss seemed to be concerned about towards the end of her book - Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

Social networking via the internet, because lets remember that though when we use that phrase these days we seem always to be talking about the internet it is a phrase that also describes something that we can and do undertake offline as well! So anyway Social Networking via the internet has the potential and ability to expand and grow our outlook, our outreach and the communities in which we interact, or that's the theory at least. Now all of this it has to be said sounds like something we used to do in our physical and loca; communities and not least in our faith communities, so hows that working?
Hows the move to virtual, to a disembodied medium over a more phyiscal medium really working in this setting, in the traditional faith setting, thats the question that authors Jesse Rice and Dwight Friedman have both decided to look at in their books.

Jesse Rice's 'The Church of Facebook' published by David C Cook begins by addressing our need for connection with others and then goes on to look at why though facebook and twitter give us a form of connection in the end they just dont fulfill our more basic needs for contact - real contact - despite the length our 'contact' lists may be.
In the book he gives a great synopsis of the history and development of our socially networked internet and talks about how it has grown from our needs and wants, but he also points out how it can be a place of shallow depth and interaction that in some ways rather than satisfying actaully leaves one more empty, or feeling more lonely and isolated and then needing more of it to assuage these feelings - for me this made me think of the addiction cycle and tied in to why we succumb to and talk of facebook addiction etc. This is where the need for real community comes into play, says Rice, real human and physical contact can help fill the lonely spots and here is where faith can play an active and real part, faith should after all be about personal contact, outreach and growth - about more than just touching in through an update, but about real interaction. This is what Community and real connectedness is about.
Having said all this though 'The Church of Facebook' does not dismiss social networking, no instead it sys it can be a positive thing - a way to work and grow our connectedness but only if we move beyond the shallowness of much of the interaction and instead anchor it in the reality of our lives, only if we are honest and open and resist the temptation to hide in urbanity and surface socialisation - only then can there really be a church on facebook.
It is an excellent book and worth looking at even if your not really interested in the faith angle as such because it's looking at the idea of Community more than anything and as the subtitle says, 'How the hyperconnected are redefining community'.

Dwight Friesen's book, 'Thy Kingdom Connected' and published by Baker Books looks at a similar theme, that of networked communities, however this book does come with a bit of a warning because although facebook is mentioned in the subtitle of 'What the church can learn from facebook, the internet and other networks' this book isn't really about facebook or social networking online, thats just a nice marketing play to make the book more appealing to a larger audience! This book is really looking at Network Theory and relating this to how he, Friesen, believes the church should work.
Network theory at it's most basic is the idea that has adherents in many fields of study and holds we are connected in all manner of ways by links, nodes and cluster groups. It's an interesting idea and so is the underlying content of this book, however it's not an easy book to wade through and has a very technical feel to it. Being full of venn and cluster link diagrams doesn't really help as it just adds to the feel of being some sort of science manual. That said though if you want a book that really opens up the idea of the network theory and it's correlation to, connectivity to and implications for the church and what it could be, then this is that book and probably a very good one too as it does have some very interesting idea's of how things could work better and more integrative across the church.

On the whole though, 'The Church of Facebook' does cover much of the same idea and in a way thats much more accessable, fun, practical and that really addresses the reality of our internet, facebook, twitter linked and socially networking lives.

For me with both these books what we are really looking at is why we have moved ourselves online? Thats what we need to look at, to address, why are we so willing to pass up our actual phyiscal community for our online community? Is it just convenience - an anytime easy time thing? probably not given we hook into these things even whilst working or roaming the streets - So how do we address this?
We buy online instead of in our local shops, we email, msn, twitter, text and facebook chat as opposed to over the phone or in the real, why is this? How do we, or even do we want to, become more real in the virtual world? How do we deepen ourselves in and through the disembodied medium so we become more involved in the real community around us? Is social networking really increasing our social lives or is it just in reality shrinking them, it, us?
Something to consider and these books are both good starters in that process.
9780736921275/Googling-God
However I want to mention a third book, 'Googling God' by John Cox and published by Harvest House, and this is because this book is about finding God and how we start that experience, possibly by Googling him (or of course you could even Bing him these days! though we don't advise you use a bong although we understand some have tried using such a tool in some cultures, places and times!). From Googling God this then develops out into eventually a personal experience and relationship. Tihis book is great because it's written in such an engaging and personal way by someone who is of our time, a person whose had experience changing continents, changing lives, going through divorce, heartache and upheaval, who uses modern technology and isnt afraid of sharing the personal experiences of doubt, trauma and pain to get across his message. A person who is willing to share more than just the surface niceties and nonsense, but open up about the life drama's experienced in an open and honest way.
But what I like most about this book is how it feels like a book thats incorporating our internet experience into the very body and feel of it, it reads how googling hopping feels - short interesting on topic sections with jumps to quotes and idea's on a theme, quick flits elsewhere and then back onto the next engaging section. It reads like you are googling God and John Cox and that in iteself is really engaging and shows just how much books, the internet and faith can work together, adapt each other and grow to the better for it - and that is a great thing to witness.

Now remember all these books are available at Unicorn Tree Books, so why not call in to see us and pick up your copy, you can even come back and chat about it with me! or of course you can go to our online shop at www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk or www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk and get a copy there.
So come in and stock up soon - we'll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you!

READuce, READuse, READcycle at Unicorn Tree Books

READuce, READuse, READcycle

Help save the planet, choose secondhand books - and get them from us :0) 

Because we give you a credit against the ones you bring in to us to use against the others you buy from us!

However you can't always buy a secondhand book; someone has to buy it new first for it to become secondhand and if you want to read that fave authors newest book when it comes out then secondhand just isn't likely to be an option, so you can buy that New Book from us first (because we are cheaper than some!) and then when you bring it back you will get a credit on it too, and if the book was purchased from us first then the credit you get will be higher than if you purchased it elsewhere!

Remember when buying books, New or Secondhand, the greenest option is always to take the bus (or walk or cycle!) down to your local Secondhand and New bookshop like us here at Unicorn Tree Books thus saving the shipping CO2 from buying online, but if you can't find it locally then buying secondhand online is still a good bet so please use us at www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk or www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk where you can find New & Secondhand Books (and lots more) and keep supporting your local shops and community as well as doing your bit for the global community.

 

 Go Local to Go Global, local communities supporting local businesses build a better world and support a healthy global economy and network – and make the world just a little bit greener to boot!

 

So looking forward to seeing you and remember mines a Caramel Latte should you be so inclined, and the minions? Macchiato's or Hot Chocolates I do believe! but even without the essential life giving brews we will look forward to seeing you in the shop soon and chatting about the good book your reading or recommended author of the minute :0)

 

Think Local Not Amazon - but to help we'll try to match Amazon prices!

Just to let you all know - we are putting up a sign in the shop saying:

We Will Try to Match Amazon's Prices on Bulk Orders so Please think of us first and support your Local Indie Shop.
You can also support us online too - www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk & www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk - where you will get Amazon prices ...everytime, so please bookmark these sites and use them for your purchases - Every little bit helps :0)

Think Local, Buy Local, Be Local - Don't let our local business become a thing of the past!

Now as you know we really are committed to you all and want to support you in the best way we can!

We set up the Church and Community Partnership Scheme to really work with and support the local communities, because we want to give to the local community, we want to be part of that community actively and integrally.

We host events, buy tables, run classes, start groups and make blogs because we want to be involved with our community.

We know how hard it is to always get into the shop so we have set up ways for you to shop online with us, so you can still go local to go global.

In fact we want to be part of the community - an integral, fulfilling and active part of the community.

We hope you want us to be part of the community as well!

To this end then we need your help - we need you to support us too because being a small local indie business is getting harder and harder, So please use us whenever you can - you know we will go that extra mile for you!

And Yes, as you know and we have always admitted - all the things we do such as above are not completely self sacrificing, they are as much for our benefit as yours - but then thats what community is all about, working together for the betterment of both, of all!

So please, here are some posters - 
can you perhaps print one out and stick it up somewhere visable:

church, school, Dr's Surgery, community hall, house window, car window
(all right the last two are unlikely but really how cool would that be - how cool would you be to do that, to really show full out grass roots support!).

Can you tell people about us please, real people you see and know, share the knowledge of us and that we are here, perhaps on your own blog or facebook pages you could include links to our website(s) or even to this post, or use the poster on your blog!

Perhaps in your emails in the signature section you could include one of our links? Recommend us on your twitter stream?

Please support us - shop with us and share with us and share us with others.

let's be community minded and share news with our community - wherever and whoever they may be.

And you know if there is something you want sharing, something you want spreading to the community then let us know, bring us a poster to put up in the shop, send us a note to blog or twitter about, let us know about your links too!

You see if we think local, buy local and be local the whole community and economy naturally and vigorously grows strong and healthy and vibrant! All we have to do is start sharing and spreading the message, start thinking of each other as part of the whole - the community.

So go on, stick up a poster, add a link and use the shop and the sites!

It makes sense!

Now remember, when you come in to have a chat, share the news, or as you bring a poster to put up or leaflets to hand out, mine's a caramel latte and you can have whatever you want too! oh and if I recall right I think the minions mostly drink hot chocolate - see how community minded I am, I even remember the minions!

The websites are:

www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk

www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk

www.jigsawsandmore.co.uk

www.cardmakersupplies.co.uk

www.centralmarketlincoln.co.uk

www.christianbookshopuk.co.uk

You can join us on twitter: @unicorntreebks

Friend us on Facebook, or join our facebook group

Please think local, buy local, be local and support us where you can, just use the websites and pass on the info wherever you can - and in return we'll try to be the best we can for you, just let us know what you want and need and how we in turn can help you, our community and our friends.

Can't resist this - it's fantastic really, at the end just change the one word 'America' to 'Britain'! and remember  I'd love to see you in the shop soon :0)

Online Shopping - we know you do it but now do it with us!

Sad news all around for the booktrade, Borders gone as from this week, Wesley Owen Christian Bookshops pretty much gone, 26 into administration this week, then Waterstones admitting a major profit downturn, the furor earlier in the year with Oxfam killing off Secondhand bookshops - yes indeed one might think it really was the end of real bookshops!
But you know what, it's not - it's just a changing time and these all have to be gone through.
Now the big blame being placed out there is on Supermarkets and Internet Shops
(and yes it does make it harder when publishers etc do give them such massive discounts as to allow them to half price the books, this then makes the supermarket/internet price a better price than normal bookshops can actaully buy them from the publishers and wholesalers for in the first instance! madness but is this the supermarkets/internet shops fault or the publishers, there's something to think about!).
So anyway I can't actually do anything about this conundrum except raise the issue that when you buy from a non-local national or multi-national that less of your spend actaully goes back into your local community, so there we go issue raised.
Now though what I can do is try to make it easier for you to support a local bookshop business whilst going where you want to go anyway - ie onto the internet for what is admittedly a style of selling that is going nowhere fast!
So Here we go, please use these sites:
www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk for all books and more needs! This is an Amazon Ashop so you will be getting all you want from one of the big players that I often can't compete with, however by going to them this way you will be helping support me via their affiliate scheme.
Now lets be perfectly honest here - I would much prefer you actaully came in and purchased from me directly, but as your probably not going to in this instance, at least this way you are still helping support a local business for the times when you do come in to see what the book look like! :0)
Now if it's jigsaws and games you want then please use: www.jigsawsandmore.co.uk
and if it's Christian & Religious Books then please use: www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk
Now on the Christian Books side, if you want church supplies and stationary then that's not online but you can just email us your order at unicorntreebooks@aol.com and we will get it for you and phone you for the payment details we need!

It really is just that easy, of course you can also twitter the order to us at anytime, we are @unicorntreebks or you can facebook us: Unicorn Tree Books Group or friend me

Now please do me a favour and post all these website details all over the place for me! link to them and try to help out your Local(ish) Bookshop business, cause you know we live to serve you!
So Go Local to Go Global, local communities supporting local businesses build a better world and support a healthy global economy and network – really!

Oh and if you are popping in in person then I wouldn't mind if you felt like sharing a caramel latte with me, you bring it i'll drink it - those cyber ones just don't seem to taste as good or quench the thirst nearly so well!


http://www.bookdepository.co.uk?a_aid=unicorntreebooks

A mention in the Echo again - it's no fake copy either!

I am once again mentioned in the Lincoln Echo - a short quote from me on the damage Counterfeit Goods can do to genuine businesses and markets!

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/Don-t-caught-counterfeit-goods/article-1297651-detail/article.html

Hehe - it's good to be known!

Unicorn Tree Books Nominated Charity

First off we would like to say thank you to everyone that has contributed in the last year to our Nominated Charity - The Alder Hay Imagine Appeal. Together we have raised £367.

That's not bad going at all considering the economy, So thanks.

As you probably know we nominate a new charity each year on the anniversary fo the start of the business, and this year we have decided to go with Listening Books.

Listening Books is the only audiobook charity in the UK providing a streaming audiobook internet service, as well as a comprehensive postal service, to anyone who has a disability which makes it impossible or difficult to hold a book, turn its pages, or read in the usual way. Charity registration number. 264221

We figure this is a worthy cause as we love books and we want everyone to be able to enjoy them - this one is close to our hearts as well due to the fact that in our family we have people who suffer from both degenerative eye issues and physical issues that can contribute to causing our families favourite past-time to becoming something deeply missed. So we want to help make sure that everyone with similair issues gets to continue enjoyig the treasures that books are.
We hope this is a Charity that again you will all be able to get behind with us and that this year we can raise as much, if not more!, for this worthy charity too.
You can donate in shop giving your pennies as so many of you already do - or of course you can dontate directly through our JustGiving Page too. Thanks :0)

Independents Week - it's about community!

This is based on the body of something I just posted on facebook and thought it deserved a bigger airing.
It comes from the fact in the US it is Independent Week, now here in the UK we have Indpendent's Book Week that is a great idea, over in the states they are doing this - but their indie week is actaully for all indies regardless of type of business and this rocks!!
(Some links to find out more! http://amiba.net/independents_week.html)
The stats that are being released as to how buying from indies benefits the community they are based in do roughly hold true here too!
So it's defintely worth considering and remembering that indie store owners live and work in the community and therefore pay fully towards it and are totally invested in it - is this truly true of chain stores or internet shops? yes the staff are local but the profits and put back where do they end up??

This is the body of text taken from the fantastic www.indiebound.com - The US based fantastic Independent Bookshops Website - I totally would love something like this here in the UK!

Why shop Indie?

When you shop at an independently owned business, your entire community benefits:
The Economy

* Spend $100 at a local and $68 of that stays in your community. Spend the same $100 at a national chain, and your community only sees $43.
* Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
* More of your taxes are reinvested in your community--where they belong.

The Environment

* Buying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint.
* Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money to beautify your community.

The Community

* Local retailers are your friends and neighbors—support them and they’ll support you.
* Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains.
* More independents means more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.

Now is the time to stand up and join your fellow individuals in the IndieBound mission supporting local businesses and celebrating independents.


Now before anyone says it - I am not on about Independent's Week - I know we do that as booksellers and publishers anyway, and most other business sphere's have some sort of thing once a year as well.

What I am talking about is things like independent booksellers foundation and the real way the indies are working together for example via www.indiebound.org
We need to be doing this - regardless of the style, speciality or size of our indie stores, unite together but working indie style.
Bookshops aside indie shops of all sorts should be working together!
Supporting, networking, building our communities!
Yes the FSB does a good job (I am a member - www.fsb.org.uk/) but we need something more still - more focused on working together in the community and supporting each other.
Community centred but national and global in sharing idea's and working together independently for the good of communities everywhere!

Come on let's do it - and community come on share with us, support us, love us - we know we need you and we know we love you and will do that extra for you - you're our neighbours and friends!

ps - this year at Christmas we gave over £100 to Lindon Listening Ears - a lincoln based Free Bereavment Counselling Service - we like to give to local charities! and we give to national ones too.

Happy Birthday or anniversary of something like that!

Today makes it exactly 2 years that I have in fact been the unicorntreebookshopboss!

Yes indeed on this day 2 years ago I did in fact sign over all the worldly goods I did not possess and indeed the hope of having them! in exchange for the messy little bookstall that was at the time browse awhile books! and now two years on it's not so messy, not so little and indeed not so bad!

I am still impoverished and tortured by minions, but at least its my poverty and my minions and in exchange I have the ability to read whatever book I want 'cause I have thousands of them!

I have a range of speciality genres and markets that match my likes!

The newest of these of course being the Christian Books (completely with its own unit! see not so little!) and I am so glad to have these on board, to be able to spend some of each day discussing a subject I absolutely love is phenomenal and a real dream continuing on.
Today's discussion was on the Shack and the imagery presented as to God and if it is indeed heretical and if so why?
This addition hasn't come without pain and heartbreak, but what it has come with is a continuing commitment and fervour to serve and reach out, after all pretty much all my book career had been in this section of the book trade and leaving it was painful (though also thrilling and enjoyable on another level as I was moving into the sphere of all books and not just one section!) but I remained resolute and with God's grace and a smidgen of faith in face of adversity it came to be that I got it back this year, lets hope that together we can all continue to grow it - oh and did I say that Advent Candles and Advent & Nativity Books and Christmas Play material came in this week?? No? well it did - so if you are a church then get in touch as we are now taking Advent & Christmas orders!

Then of course we have the Craft section - formerly an independent business in its own right this came into our safekeeping a year ago and now lends itself wonderfully to our creative talent discussions and displays - believe it or not I am in fact a whizz at tea-bag folding, usually after they have been dried out from the copious cups of tea needed to cope with minion antics! This is still called Al's Arts & Crafty Bits, but of course its now housed in Unicorn Tree Books!

Next is the LGBT section which is continuing to build a following and reputation and expanding as time goes on. The yaoi manga has been going phenomenally well.

All in all I am pretty proud of the changes that the shop has undergone and hope that in the years to come these will continue to grow and develop as we go forward together in faith, hope and community commitment!

So as its a new year we have old news to report on and new resolutions to put forward!
So old news - our sponsored charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity was given £373.00 in the end, given our target was originally for £200 I think we did pretty well together!

Thank you all who gave their change, those 1p's soon add up, as of course does the tithe we make from our sales - actually truth to be told that's apportioned from the bookshopsboss wage as we still aren't quite there enough to say its from the profits - its a commitment I made and so its one I keep!. We really do believe it is right to give to others when we can, as in giving we receive, even when we don't know it or see it. After all sharing is caring!

So anyway this year we are continuing with the Children's Hospital theme but this time its Alder Hay hospital that will be the recipient of our donations and tithes:


(though of course come October there will of course be our Christmas Charity to give to as well - last years Christmas Charity was Habitat for Humanity and we gave £50.00, lets hope we can give more this year when we decide on the Charity!).

So anyway I want to say thank you all for using us, supporting us and following along with us - if you want to come in and celebrate with us, then please do and remember my favourite celebration tipple is a Caramelatte from Nero's or a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks!

Thanks guys for the last two years, and I look forward to serving and working with all of you in the next few ahead!