A BARNARD Castle coffee and bookshop is inviting people on a blind date with a book while in lockdown.
No.15 Coffee House and Curlew’s Bookshop owner Emma Rowell came up with the idea as way to promote her stock of second-hand books.
All are wrapped in brown paper, bound with string and have a “love letter” in the form of a short summary of the book attached to it.
But since customers can no longer access the shop because of the coronavirus lockdown, people can now ring up to place an order.
Ms Rowell said: “It is kind of online dating now. They can ring me up and tell me what they enjoy reading. I can get a feel for what kind of book they like.”
Each of the books’ love letters are personally written by Ms Rowell. She said: “It is probably one of the more pleasant things I do in a week.”
Delivery of the blind-date books is free to anyone in a 15-mile radius of the town who has also placed an order for groceries. Deliveries are made on Fridays and Saturdays and can be done entirely without personal contact.
Ms Rowell praised the businesspeople of Barnard Castle.
She said: “We are determined to keep going. All of the traders are doing their best to keep the high street intact because it is such a wonderful and vibrant place.”
The business is also doing its bit to support others during the pandemic and is taking collections for the Storehouse food bank, in Barnard Castle. Ms Rowell added: “We have recently joined with a mutual aid group that is working to support those elderly and vulnerable members of Barnard Castle to ensure that no one goes hungry throughout the pandemic.
“With cash donations we have been able to secure personal protective equipment, which has been distributed across the area to our care homes, to protect the frontline staff and residents.
“Thanks again to all our generous customers who donate to this cause. And special thanks to Bunny and Sam Forsythe, who donated 48 sets of protective eye wear which have gone out to carers and frontline staff.”
Call 07547 931296 or search for No.15 Coffee House and Curlew’s Bookshop on Facebook.
