Hawes bookseller’s critics are the ones at Fawlt

The Market House in Hawes, North Yorkshire, which houses the second-hand bookshop Bloomindales, which was run by Steve Bloom. Photograph: Tom Wilkinson/PA

I think your article on Steve Bloom, the Bookseller from Hawes (New chapter opens as Basil Fawlty of booksellers quits, 18 July) slightly misrepresented his position. In my experience, the 50p charge wasn’t payable in advance and was refundable on purchase of a book. For me, the issue of not buying a book never arises, which is another story.

Also, consider the situation in the bookshop. The premises are very small, and there is little space to move about. Further, Hawes is a tourist town where it seems to rain a lot. If I had to put up with a lot of passersby merely sheltering from the rain, dripping over the stock and preventing legitimate customers perusing, I might well become a curmudgeon myself. To the cheese factory with them!
Owen Stewart
Cheadle, Cheshire

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