Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
Grand Reopening of Cravenwick Pages After Horror Blaze
By Derek Hutchins, Evening Gazette
Beloved Northumberland bookshop Cravenwick Pages has reopened its familiar doors to the public following its shock closure three months ago after a fire in the upstairs living quarters. A blaze stemming from an electrical fault in a household appliance meant that the popular shop had been closed for renovations, much to the disappointment of its loyal customers.
However, there was much to celebrate as the shop threw a reopening party as a thank you to those who had helped with the restoration project, as well as welcoming customers to come and view the revamped store.
Owner Libby Lang said, ‘I am so thrilled to share the refurbished bookshop with our regular customers, as well as any new visitors. I have to stress that this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of so many wonderful volunteers and local tradespeople – glaziers, electricians – we even had the services of a very talented stylist who helped with the updated decor, although we had to hold him back from the leopard print!’
Ms Lang, who gave birth to her daughter Margaret around the time of the fire, went on to praise the efforts of volunteers from Newcastle’s Community Kitchen, whose charitable endeavours clearly extend beyond the great work they do providing meals for the homeless. She explained that the staff and some of their patrons came regularly to help with labouring or even making refreshments for those working on the repairs.
Ailsa Poole from the Community Kitchen said, ‘When we heard that Libby had ended up effectively homeless after the fire, we did what we do best.’
Cath Hall, also from the Community Kitchen, agreed. ‘We were delighted to help, and it was a real pleasure to see the community coming together. My grandson is a carpenter, and he and his boss came on evenings and weekends to get the job done. The response from the local area was really quite overwhelming.’
Community appeared to be the theme of the event – even the entertainment was laid on free of charge by Northumberland band Men On A Mission, fronted by local civil servant Justin Peters, who said, ‘It’s all for a great cause.’ Employees from St Nicholas Lighthouse, Alan Rowbottom and Cliff Shearwater, were on hand to man the barbecue.
The link between Cravenwick Pages and the Community Kitchen can be further explained by the presence of local freelance journalist and bookshop employee Wren Rowbottom, who attended the bash with partner Nick Macmillan, grandson of the late Edie Macmillan, who founded the charitable venture.
He said, ‘My grandmother was a great reader – she had quite the collection of books herself – so she’d be delighted to see everyone turning out to lend a hand restoring Libby’s shop.’
Even Mr Macmillan’s daughter Ruby, aged six, made a contribution to festivities, with a batch of cupcakes bearing a book motif, baked with the help of her mother.
‘Both Cravenwick Pages and the Community Kitchen are close to my heart,’ said Ms Rowbottom. ‘Libby is a dear friend of mine, and I’ll be working alongside her now that the bookshop is back open. It’s just lovely to see everyone helping out. That’s truly in the spirit of everything Edie Macmillan’s legacy stands for.’
Ms Rowbottom has penned a history of the Community Kitchen, with stories of the staff and patrons through the years, as a tribute to the late Mrs Macmillan, which is set to be published next year. ‘I know where I’m planning to host the book launch,’ she quipped.
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