By Bernie Bell
Tam MacPhail passed from this life on Tuesday, the 8th of September.
On Friday, the 18th of September, the people of Stromness came out to bid him their final fare-well’s.
At home, we lit a candle and raised a glass to – “Tam – the man who kept an independent bookshop going in Stromness.”
And I thought I’d ask Fiona (G) if she’d re-run the following article, as a tribute to Tam…………….
Published here with kind permission from: Stromness Book & Prints
Just like a cat, you never really own a bookshop, and the people who have cared for this bookshop have been Charles Senior, John Broom, Tam MacPhail and the current handler Sheena.
It opened in 1970 as a second hand bookshop run by Charles Senior. When John L Broom, the local librarian, took it over he began to sell blue penguin paperbacks. By the time time Tam took the reins in the late seventies maps were on sale. Tam, a blow-in from California via Argyll, worked for John Broom and the pattern was repeated when Sheena worked for Tam for sixteen years before becoming boss cat.
Stromness Books & Prints has also published several volumes, firstly Stone Built by Gunnie Moberg, Tam’s wife. Most recently the bookshop published Fiona MacInnes’ Iss.
But a drive in bookshop? Tam tells the story here at around 3mins 45secs…
Link: Stromness Book Shop
Here’s the link to the fuller version of Stromness Hometown made back in 2011.
Contributors at stop 5: Graham Place were
Bunty Mowatt
May Stockan
Eric Flett & Ian McInnes (c.1990)
Tam McPhail
Adrian Harray
Ella Duncan & Bryce Scott
Edgar Ramsay (1976)
Ros Bryant
Before it was a bookshop the premises were part of Stockan’s bakery. Before that the tiny building was a tea shop, a painters and a grocers.
call 01856 850565 or contact them here.
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