Huge congratulations to Joff Gainey and Becky Lindley on fulfilling a
life- long dream!
This past Saturday, 4th May 2013, they opened the BookStop Cafe Lincoln. The idea is brilliant: a book shop that supports independent and local authors where you can sit and drink a fabulous cup of coffee and have some cake. Or, to stand the idea on its head: a coffee shop where you can sit leisurely and drink a fabulous cup of coffee… whilst also perusing, and purchasing if you so wish, some of today’s best fiction as brought to you by the local and independent authors that Joff stocks. AWESOME!
It was my great pleasure to be present for the Grand Opening and here are some photos for you to share in the excitement.
Cut, cut, cut that ribbon, Joff and Becky!
Done! The BookStop Cafe is open. And the sun’s come out and the bells are ringing. Amazing!
We are all terribly excited about this! With Lizzie Lamb and June Kearns
Proud coffee shop owner Joff and local author~Me!
TWO proud owners ~ Joff and Becky. Photo courtesy of Lizzie Lamb, with thanks.
Cakes. Did I mention you can get fabulous cake here? Photo courtesy of Lizzie Lamb, with thanks.
Woohoo! I am ON THE SHELF!
The BookStop Cafe is doing its magic! And I’m doing a quick signing. 🙂
Happy BookStop Cafe customers! They had cake, they found a book, they got it signed… Everybody’s smiling. What a result!
Huge congratulations again to Joff and Becky and wishing you every success. Rock on!
Find the BookStop Cafe here:
47b Steep Hill, Lincoln
Or, if you can’t get there, find it on TWITTER. Or visit Joff’s WEBSITE.
Nicky Wells: Love & Thrills 
This looked wonderful! xx
It was a great event, and lovely to see you on the shelf there too! X
This looks such a cool place, I am definitely going the next time I’m Lincoln way!
Excellent! Let me know when, and I’ll meet you there! X
Definitely!! We like a hotel near Lincoln, we meant to go there in September and we didn’t make it, so, maybe this year, then we could meet up 🙂
Wooohoo! I’ll be here, ready to go. XX
Keep telling Joff, we need one down Brighton way too!!!! Fabulous event, thanks Nicky for covering it so those of us who couldn’t be there can join in remotely at least! xxx
He could start a whole new chain, couldn’t he! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the post, Shani, and thanks for your lovely comment! xx
Nicky, this looks like everyone’s ‘dream’ bookstore! Best of luck to the owners!
Thanks for visiting, Patricia ~ it’s an absolutely charming place, and I’m sure Joff and Becky will appreciate your good wishes. Thank you! X
Brilliant photos, great post, Nicky!
Thanks, Gina! (I spied you on the Shelf, too, didn’t I???) XXXX
I almost feel like I was there – one day …
Thanks for the post, Nicky. x
One day, definitely! 🙂 Thanks for visiting and for the lovely comment, Sue! X
It was a fantastic day – wish I’d managed to get there in the morning now! Prioritizing children’s clubs! I’ll be a regular visitor as it’s on my doorstep and it offers my favourite tea and my favourite authors. Looking forward to lunch tomorrow Nicky, and thanks for sharing this. X
We can be regulars together, Claire! It was fab to meet you and I look forward to many a tea-and-cake over at Joff’s BookStop with you. See you tomorrow… can’t wait! #LincolnInspired xxx
Thank you very much to Nicky for this lovely Blog and for never ending encouragement.
And a big thank you to every one, far and wide, for their kind wishes and hopes for success. 🙂
You’re so welcome, Joff, and it’s fab to see you fulfill your dream. (And mine, by the way, but that’s a different story!) XX
Wow! I’m so jealous! Wish I had a place like this near me 🙂
Xx
Well, it’s virtually near you ~ contact Joff to see if he still has space on his shelves! And if you ever come this way… let’s do cake! XXX
Oh wow that’s so exciting!! Congrats Becky and Joff! And what’s even more exciting is when I finally sell up here in Portugal… Lincoln isn’t that far away from where I’ll be living!!
Wooohoooo! Is that right? You’re coming back??? What fun news! We must make a date for tea and cake in the BookStop Cafe then. Thanks for your lovely comment and rock on! X
I love that place! The low vaulted ceilings add to the atmosphere. Now, I have to ask, in one of the photos (I think from your gallery) on Facebook, is that The Crooked House in the foreground next to the the building the bookstore is in?
Back in 2005, hubby and I stopped over in Lincoln and wandered around by the castle and the cathedral, down Steep Hill and around the shopping are before coming back up and walking by The Crooked House.
Best of luck to Joff and Lindsey and I’ll definitely be dropping in the next time I get to Lincoln.
Oh, Mel, I wish I could answer your question rightaway but I’m going to have to do some digging. I’m not up on my Lincoln landmarks and historical buildings yet! Thank you for visiting and glad you liked the post, that’s brilliant! XX
Wish I lived there so I could go for cake and coffee and browse the great books I see on display – such as Sophie’s Turn.
Me too, me too! Well you know you have an open invitation to come visit, Anneli. And when you do, it’s certainly tea-and-cake at the BookStop Cafe! (Sounds like a movie title…LOL) xx
Those cakes look wicked….. Good luck with it, looks brilliant.
The cakes ARE wicked! Thank for your lovely comment and for visiting here today. Maybe see you in the cafe some time! X
Wow! Loving it! Well done, Joff and Becky – and Nicky. It looks fabulously cosy and cake-tempting. Perfect place to curl up with a good book. Lovely to see you’ve hooked up with Claire. Love her to bits! 🙂 xx
Thanks so much, Sheryl! Couldn’t believe it when Claire mentioned you two know each other. Don’t really know what that should be a surprise, but it’s lovely. What say you pop over here some time and we rock this town? (Um… not sure Lincoln is ready for that, haw haw). Thanks for your lovely lovely comment! XX
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Fabulous Nicky. Every village, town, city should have one.
ABSOLUTELY. Well said, Harvey!! 🙂 Huge thanks again to Joff for going this way and thank YOU for visiting and commenting. x
A brilliant creation, even if it does look far too posh for me to ever step into! I live in Aby near Louth, so I’ll be in next time I’m in Lincoln!
It *is* brilliant and you should definitely come and visit, you are most welcome, Ian. You don’t need to look posh and you definitely don’t need to wear a waistcoat like Joff ~ he likes to wear his book-adorned waistcoat for good luck, that’s all. 🙂 See you there sometime!
Wish I lived nearby – looks divine! And those cakes… congrats to all involved and your books grace that cabinet perfectly Nicky!!
Thank you so much, Linn. You can always visit one day! XX
Oh, looks like my comment disappeared. So I’ll add it again. Well done to Joff and Becky – I’m sure you’ll be a great success and I look forward to seeing you and the Bookstop Cafe in the summer with all FOUR of the New Romantics 4 this time. Power to your elbow(s)
Hi Lizzie ~ so sorry about that, no idea what happened! I certainly didn’t see the comment so who knows where it went. But you’re here now, thank you for persisting and for your good wishes for Joff and Becky. Would love to meet you and the other New Romantics when you next come over so don’t forget to let me know! XXXX
Lizzie, thank you for your kind comments.
It would be lovely to see all four of you. Perhaps a book signing event should be the order of the visit?
Joff
I’m so glad the opening went so well! Thanks for the photos, Nicky, so those of us too far from Lincoln got to live the event vicariously! Best wishes to you, Joff, and to Becky, and wishing you both every success.
Love to see new stores opening like this. Used to love going into the book stores in the USA with big sofas and open fires and coffee and cake. Way before it was trendy here you could read and no one asked you to buy and kids lay on the floor doing homework without being moaned at. Our bands did ‘unplugged’ sessions at Borders and many other stores across the USA – there would be Poetry readings, author events and so much more….all helping keep books and book stores alive. Good luck Bookshop Cafe….;)
Thank you very much Jane Risdon. Your kind words are very encouraging to us. 🙂
Of course if you open near me I would never leave and you’d have to take out an injunction to physically remove me! Much good luck and lots of customers and sales. Whatever would the world be like without books and places to buy them….somewhere I wouldn’t want to be! 🙂
HAHA! No one would ever take out an injunction to remove you, physically or otherwise. Not if you tell stories, Jane! xx 😉
Now what makes you think I tell stories? Lol. I could come and do an author evening….or since my two published efforts are in anthologies I’d have to do an ‘almost author’ evening. I used to give lectures years ago and loved it….not about writing I hasten to add. Once I get going….there’s no stopping me!! 🙂
You and me both! x Let’s do it together and then we’ll really rock this town!!!
Cripes Nicky, do you really think Lincoln is ready for two rockers on Yeast-vite and Philosan? Dangerous talk. 🙂
It sounds magical ~ you’re making me nostalgic for days gone by! (Good song by UK rockers, FM, that, btw). Thanks for your lovely comment, Jane, and if you’re ever in the region, stop by and say ‘hi’ (and let me know so I can join you in a cuppa or three!) xx
Great place for those who are Paperback Writers (Beatles) eh! I was in Lincoln in 2011 at a cousin’s Bollywood party…..it was such fun. Had a great drive back stopping off at the cathedral and other lovely places. Took loads of photos (well, I would) but none came out….the memory card jammed or something and all was lost. Yep we could have a pot of tea, cucumber sandwiches and follow it up with a large bottle of something naughty! Fun would be the name of the game (Abba)….:)