Fingers are crossed at Marlborough’s White Horse bookshop in bid to save it from closure

Fears that Marlborough is to lose its independent White Horse Bookshop, a High Street feature in the town since 1948, have abated with the prospect of its sale as a going concern after Christmas.

Michael Pooley, the 71-year-old owner of the listed freehold 17th century building, who became the bookshop’s third owner in 1973, put it up for sale three months ago.

And although he had “one or two nibbles”, his main concern that the six-figure value of the property itself would eventually result in the loss of the bookshop for another retailer given the current rage for online, discount selling of books.

But thanks to the introduction by Marlborough News Online of an equally concerned third party, there is now a firm prospect of the White Horse continuing under new ownership after Christmas.

“Customers have somehow picked up what is going on,” Mr Pooley told Marlborough News Online.  “They keep coming in and asking what is happening, when are we closing and is the end of the White Horse Bookshop.

“What we are saying now, fingers firmly crossed, is that we are hopeful that we may have found a buyer.  And that is all very encouraging for everyone.

“The impression given to me five days ago is that we have got a sale imminent, that we can do a deal and that it can place pretty soon once Christmas is out of the way.”

The one outstanding problem is the search for a manager for the bookshop, possibly one of the staff of the Waterstone bookshop chain made redundant, someone who understands the demands of working in a digital discount world and the need to expand the bookshop with new ventures.

“It could be done if a younger person came in and was willing to take it on,” said Mr Pooley.  “They would have to do more than selling books, and that is possible because we have the space.  But it would require a lot of hard work, determination and application.

“I would dearly love to sell it as a going business, with potential.  If we actually closed the chances of re-opening it as a bookshop are actually nil.  So I remain hopeful and open to all sensible offers.”

The loss of the bookshop would also cause a headache for Marlborough’s Literary Festival, which is directly linked to the White Horse for ticket sales and, more importantly, the sale of top author’s books at its annual September increasingly successful weekend events.

Without the support of the White Horse, they would have to organise their own purchase and sale of books.  “And that would take the work of quite a few people to organise every year,” said Mr Pooley.

He originally worked in London for the publishers Hamish Hamilton when he joined up with his colleague, Jimmy Glover, originally a bookseller, to open their own bookshop.

The White Horse was then up for sale and this coincided with Mr Pooley’s interest in horse racing.  They not only became the third owners of the White Horse but also spent £150,000 refurbishing the property.

Mr Pooley believes basic parts of the building pre-date the Great Fire of Marlborough in 1653, only the roof of the original, smaller property being destroyed.

Stained glass experts from Salisbury Cathedral have found the name of a leaded window maker engraved in a side window at the bookshop, proving it existed around 1650.

The loss of the bookshop would also mean redundancy for its three full-time and two part-time members of staff.

One of them is Christine Ellis, known as Chris, joined the staff straight from school 46 years ago.  “I’ll be gutted if the bookshop goes,” she told Marlborough News Online.  “It’s my second home.  So I hope it never happens.”