Goodbye Borders

November 27 2009 , Written by thediversetraveller Published on #books, #bookstore, #borders, #brent cross, #DiverseTraveller.com - Women Who Travel, Write, Snap & Share, #evening standard, #magazines, #Ola Fagbohun, #research, #travel, #waterstones

It is with some guilt I read about the demise of Borders book stores in the Evening Standard last week. Guilt because I have contributed, big time. Yes, I am one of the many who frequently pop into Borders, and rarely buy anything.

My strategy went something like this; I’d roam the book shelves, on seeing something of interest, I’d make a quick note on my phone, then once at home search the internet for cheaper versions. I also used Borders as my office library, and judging from the number of students and others drinking numerous cups of coffee from Starbucks, I was not alone.

Working from home can be boring at times especially for me, an avid people watcher. So many a morning, you could find me in the travel section of Borders Brent Cross, basket full of travel guides, travel books and ‘how to write’ books. Oh yes, and all the latest travel magazines. Once satisfied, I would stagger over to Starbucks, order a large skinny hot chocolate with caramel and marshmallows, then settle at one of the many tables for a few hours of ‘travel research’. Come to think of it, I didn’t help Starbucks coffers (pun intended) much either, as I can make a large sweet hot chocolate last a long time.

The few times I came across a magazine or book I wanted to read that day I would buy it, but that was rare.

So, it is understandable that today, as I read about the 1,100 possible job losses and Borders’ £10.3 million loss, I feel a pang of guilt. From my comfy seat in Waterstones, Piccadilly, now … ‘the nation’s only specialist bookseller’, I reflect on my role in this matter.

As I sip my piping hot sweet hot chocolate, the guilt finds it’s way to the back of my mind. I then reach down for one of the many travel magazines and books lying at my feet, and I am soon lost to the sun, sea and sand of the Caribbean. Well life must go!

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