Good news story

You may remember an earlier post in which I wrote about the devastation caused by storm Frank in our local communities. The nearby village of Ballater was particularly badly affected, and many local businesses feared they might never reopen. However, a friend tells me that, partly thanks to a grant from children’s author James Patterson, one business, Deeside Books, is being refurbished and is planning to reopen in the summer.

You can read the full story here.

Bookshops help to civilize our high streets, but often struggle to survive, particularly in rural areas. In the case of Deeside Books, however, we are talking about a bookshop that not only provides easy access to the world of books, but is an integral part of the community  and character of Ballater – to say nothing of the encouragement its presence provides for local authors.

While the shop is being restored, they are continuing to trade on-line and you can visit their website by clicking on the picture above.

Forget your Amazons – next time you are browsing for a book, go to Deeside Books and see what is on offer. Locals have no excuse for not doing so, but followers of this blog, wherever they are, can support this business as well, and bask in the warm glow that they are not only helping a business get back on its feet, but a whole community as well.