From the shop in the last few days, we have sold a fair quantity of North American history and natural history, mainly flower and bird books. Certainly far more than the british equivalents. Much American political history has been sold from the shop, especially since Tuesday.

There have been very few outrageous eccentics in the shop over the last month. Does the bad weather keep them at home? Britain is often supposed to have more than its fair share of them. I tend to agree, but also believe that this town (Southport) has them to excess. Helena Brookfield, at the sandwich shop round the corner, suggests that there is a portal to all parallel universes just outside her premises. There are, she holds, far too many looneys in Southport for a single universe.

Certain Liverpudlians have suggested that we make idle boast of the large number of Southport eccentrics. Liverpool, they tell, us has quality rather than quantity. Their best of course is the man who used to "play" silently a brown cardboard cut-out banjo in the city centre.

We have just found some boxes of pinned beetles in the big storeroom. They're too delicate for posting out but will make nice shop items if we can rummage out some suitable display boxes.

This site is well worth your time.

All lancastrians will find it delightful.

I'm told the site is doing well. Lancastrian expatriates are visiting in fair numbers.

I've been told also that Gerard Swarbrick invented Appledore cheese. Is that so? You can now buy it at Grandma Singleton's cheese shop just by Preston market.

There are builders on Waterstone's roof, two doors away. 'Have been letting them through our property at 8 a.m. each morning. No bad thing for my punctuality. Lots more store-room boxes of surprises have been unpacked in the time before shop opening. The workmen are remarkably tidy too.