Lyall's Bookshop

Colin and Kate Lyall opened their secondhand bookshop on Rochdale Road in Todmorden in 2001, filling two floors with a stock they put at around thirty-five thousand books across art, history, fiction, science fiction, poetry and biography. A battered armchair sits by the art section for browsing, and a second chair hangs from the ceiling for anyone who prefers to read at an angle. Staff keep a running Want It list for customers chasing specific out-of-print titles, and the Lyalls will visit houses to value and collect large collections rather than insisting sellers bring boxes in themselves. Surplus stock is sold on through Amazon between opening hours. The shop keeps to a Wednesday to Sunday week, with books bought in only on Saturdays. Colin still handles most of the valuing himself rather than passing it to staff.