Pitlochry Station - Bookstall Success

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Pitlochry Station - Bookstall Success

IF YOU WERE travelling by train from Pitlochry on a Saturday in the summer of 05, you’d have noticed a cascade of books in a corner of the Booking Office. Some hardback, some soft, with a good range of contemporary fiction. And all priced at 50p. At which point a friendly voice would invite you to pick a book for the train, and closer inspection would reveal a seated figure and a collecting tin. The Pitlochry Station Charity Bookshop had arrived.

A year later, and five charities, CHAS (Children’s Hospice Association, Scotland), Amnesty International, Cancer Research Scotland, Mercy Corps Scotland and Shopmobility Pitlochry, have benefited to the tune of over £2000.

The Bookshop, now open Saturdays and Mondays, is about to embark on an expansion which will see a purpose-built bookstore behind a new, Victorian style frontage established next to the present Booking Hall.

Success

This success story is due to the hard work of a group of local enthusiasts led by Priscilla Lorimer and Elizabeth Templeton, and the foresight of First Scotrail, who saw both the PR possibilities in assisting the local community through their ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme (which looks for new uses for unused station buildings), and the real benefit to the travelling public in the establishment of the Bookstore.

“The bookpile in the corner and collecting tin approach were swiftly abandoned when First Scotrail allowed us the use of the old newspaper kiosk adjoining the Booking Hall,” explained the Station Group’s chairman Norman McCandlish.

Book Kiosk

“This averted a looming crisis caused by the sheer volume of books being donated. After a lot of sweeping, shelving and sorting the bookstore emerged in its present form and was opened in October 2005 by Mary Dickson MD of First Scotrail, who suggested more upgrades, some of which have already materialised.”

Now the Group has consolidated and is ready for the next step. The present bookstore is difficult to enter and is restricted by the internal shape of the storeroom. “First Scotrail have agreed that we can redesign the interior and establish a separate entrance from the platform in a style compatible with the rest of the Victorian Station,” explained Norman.

Alterations

Ian Lewis of Ian Lewis Design has drawn up plans and a Listed Planning Application has been lodged. The plans have been sent to three builders for quotation and the Group is hopeful that the Railway Heritage Trust will assist with a grant towards the reconstruction. It has also been offered donations from Perth and Kinross Council and from Highland Rail Partnership.

“Already the word is spreading and we are getting a steady stream of town visitors dropping in to browse. There’s even talk of a possible coffee shop in one of the other station buildings,” continued Norman.

Extending Hours

“We want to expand further and open on more days, but we’re hampered by a shortage of volunteers to staff the bookstore. Shifts are 9 am till 12.30 or 12.30 till 4pm. If you love books it’s a great way to spend a few congenial hours and the craic from customers is good as well. And if you’re weeding out your bookshelves, please give the spare books to us,” he added.

Credits

Norman stressed that special thanks for helping it all to happen go to Councillor Eleanor Howie, Colin Whyte and John Yellowlees of First Scotrail, Bill O’Driscoll of P & K Council, Frank Roach of Highland Rail Partnership, Priscilla Lorimer, Elizabeth Templeton and, of course, the volunteers who staff the store.

The contact for volunteers is Mandi Lewis, on 01796 482744 email: al@pooldesign.co.uk