New shops are boost for town
Bookshop and zero waste retail unit welcomed
Two new shops have opened their doors for the first time in Blairgowrie.
The Green Way zero waste store on Leslie Street and Adventure into Books in the Wellmeadow’s former tourist information centre both opened on Wednesday, July 1.
The unveiling came just days after non-essential shops were given the go-ahead to re-open as restrictions imposed due to the global coronavirus are gradually eased in Scotland.
Adventure into Books is being run by Kate and Ralph Davies, who moved to Blairgowrie three years ago.
Although this is their first foray into retail, Kate said running a bookshop is something she has “always had a notion to do”.
A reader since her early childhood, she has earned a living as a writer for 25 years – primarily as a political economist, but also as a storyteller.
Kate explained: “We love living in Blair.
“Booklore is fantastic for secondhand books and the library here is wonderful but I missed the experience of buying a new book – buying online is not the same – so we decided to set up a bookshop ourselves.
“I started to do some research around May last year and then woke up at 3am on January 23 this year and just knew that I had found the place I wanted to be and that it was going to happen.
“We signed the lease for the shop on March 1 and then Covid-19 happened, so things were put on hold for a while.
“However, Ralph used the time to make lots of the fittings and we could not be more excited to be here.
“I think we have a bit of everything for everyone.
“We have quite a big area for children’s books and are hoping to hold story times in the future.
“We have a young adult section and have been chatting with Blairgowrie High School on what sort of titles to include and have everything from apocalyptic to life-affirming tales.
“Our non-fiction selection includes books on travel, self-help, hobbies and interests, we have books by local authors including Angela Jeff ’s recent publication Five of a Feather, and we even have a small reading nook at the back of the shop featuring poetry, classics and fiction.”
Gail Wylie, chair of the area’s BOOKMARK festival, officially opened the Wellmeadow’s newest addition.
She said: “We are absolutely delighted that Blairgowrie has an exceptional range of shops for all keen readers.
“We have a first-class library, a first-class second-hand bookshop in Booklore and now this wonderful new bookshop which is a fantastic addition to the town.
“BOOKMARK is looking forward to working with Adventure into Books and wishes them every success for the future.”
Kate went on to thank everyone who has supported the venture.
She continued: “We have had help from all sorts of people, including fellow business owners Andrew Hodge, Anna Bowman from All Things Fair and the Blairgowrie and Rattray Business Association (BARBA) and Trudy Duffy from The Peacock and the Tortoise in Perth and GrowBiz.”
Meanwhile, The Green Way on nearby Leslie Street is a zero waste shop as well as the new home for the Blairgowrie and Rattray NeighbourFood initiative.
Run by Susan Duncan and Noeleen Chapman, the social enterprise enjoyed a busy day of trading on its opening day.
Susan told the Blairie: “It is fantastic to see all the hard work of the last few months come to fruition and we would like to say a big thank you to all the local tradespeople who have supported us.
“It’s very exciting to be open – especially in such difficult times – and we are delighted to be able to continue the NeighbourFood initiative.
“If anyone would like to see anything in particular stocked in the shop, please pop in and let us know.”
Anna Bowman from BARBA said: “It is great to see both these new ventures open their doors in the town.
“They are very complementary to the offering we have here in Blairgowrie, adding to the wide variety of independent shops we already have.
“On behalf of BARBA, I wish them both every success in the future.”
We signed the lease for the shop on March 1 and then Covid-19 happened so things were put on hold for a while