Liz Saunders
Why did you choose to volunteer at the bookshop?
I love books! I read a lot. A couple of years ago the word spread that they needed more volunteers so I jumped at the chance. It’s a bit like the ‘kid in the sweetshop’ metaphor when I’m here; I’m always buying new books when they come in, so it can be an expensive hobby!
Do you volunteer anywhere else in the town?
I work in the box office at the Flavel Centre, I’m also a duty manager there. That’s the nice thing about Dartmouth, there are lots of opportunities to volunteer and you can pick and choose what appeals to you. I’m not someone who can sit around doing nothing.
How many days do you work at the bookshop?
Once a week – every Friday, for a couple of hours.
What are the top three things you like about the shop?
I meet new people every time I come to work, which is a really interesting part of the job. Visitors come from all over the UK and abroad. I like the Winnie the Pooh link. Back in the 50s A A Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, owned the Harbour Bookshop, which used to be on Fairfax Place. When it closed, six years ago, we lost our only bookshop. It was then that the community bookshop opened with some of the Harbour Bookshop staff and all its Winnie the Pooh memorabilia. I also like the relaxed atmosphere in here.
You are retired now, what did you used to do?
I taught in primary, middle and special schools.
If you hadn’t been a teacher what career path might you have chosen?
Something equestrian. I think I would have had horses and a nice patch of land somewhere in the country, but not too remote – I like being near people!
When did you move to Dartmouth?
Six years ago. We came here for a weekend, fell in love with the place, saw a house and put an offer in the same day! Looking back it was a bit crazy. We exchanged and completed within six weeks and moved straight down from the Cotswolds.
Do you get odd requests for books?
We get people who have no idea what the book they want is called or who the author is! They try and tell you as much as they know and hope you will find it - “it has a red cover” or “it’s about penguins”. We have to be quite patient!
If you wrote a book what would it be about?
Well I have written a book actually! I co-wrote it with my sister. It’s a bit of fun and slightly odd! It’s about a book and its journey around the world. It’s a series of 12 stories about the people who find it. If I wrote one by myself I think it would be about social history.
Where do you want to travel to?
I would like to explore Italy some more. I love the food and the culture. Although it won’t be anytime soon as we have two elderly Newfoundland dogs. We couldn’t bring ourselves to put them in kennels, so we are tied to them at the moment – but not begrudgingly.
If you’d like to volunteer at the bookshop call 01803 839571
First published By The Dart May 2018 Issue
