I’ve just had a trip out to my favourite book shops – well one of them, a book lover could never have just one favourite could she? Book Cycle is a charity shop with a difference, the buyer decides how much to pay. In my case that is to their benefit, because if I gave too little I would feel mean. I imagine that there are people who can only afford 20 pence and that’s okay too. They welcome donations and when I have books I can bear to part with, that’s where they go!

They send some of the donated books to Africa, see the photo, some of the profit goes to paying for the shipments, and they also plant trees . They have a small seed bank and occasionally have planting and fundraising events.

The other wonderful thing is the building they occupy. It’s in one of the oldest parts of the city, in a lovely Tudor timbered house, right next to Mathew the Miller and the House that moved (I’ll post about that one day).

The shop is staffed entirely by volunteers, of all ages, and they have Shelf Cycles in community venues around the city.

Today I found three books, the maximum allowed in a day, all short stories to help me with my creative writing course, and spent less than I would on one new one.

What do you think of the shop?