An avid reader and book collector is preparing to open a shop in Stoke-on-Trent’s city centre – with some rare books on offer.
Mitch Hughes is currently kitting out a unit in Hanley’s Piccadilly Arcade, which will open as Vellichor Books early next month.
The shop will sell a wide range of new and second-hand books and have a seating area for people to enjoy their new books with a cup of tea or filter coffee.
Mitch has ordered over 2,000 second-hand books to fill the shelves, as well as receiving donations from friends and family and donating some from his own collection. New ones are also on their way.
Among those up for sale when he opens are an old edition of J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and a Robert Burns poetry book.
Mitch said: “Even in the digital age, there is something special about reading a physical book.
“People like to feel the pages, the smell of books and a bookshelf full of books you enjoy is an extension of your personality.
“I have always loved books and believe there is still a market for them in Stoke-on-Trent.”
Mitch has given up a job as a teaching assistant in a school for children with special educational needs to start his new venture.
He previously worked in as a support worker in a psychiatric hospital.
“I know opening a shop will be tough but it is something I have always wanted to do,” he added.
“I have friends who own a shop in Hanley and they have given me a lot of support to get this one going, although I have also signed up to a supply agency for extra income whilst I build the shop business up.
“I’m aiming to create somewhere nice and cosy where people can browse, buy and sit down somewhere quiet to read the book they have just bought.”
Mitch also hopes to use space at Vellichor Books to host community events, art exhibitions, book clubs and community groups.
The unit he has rented has been empty for a few years, but previously offered beauty treatments.
Vellichor Books will open at 9am on Saturday, 3 February.
