Petition to save the Floating Bookshop
Public Petition
Save London's only floating bookshop by giving them a permanent mooring at Paddington Station.
Word on the Water, London's only floating bookshop, may be forced to close after the canal authorities turn down their application for a permanent mooring outside Paddington Station, instead awarding both the available places to a huge real estate corporation, who plan to replace the bookshop with the area's 13th coffee outlet and a tourist boat. The London Bookbarge has been open for four years, selling affordable books and running poetry events and live acoustic music performances on its stage roof. There are additional mooring spaces available on the site, but the Canal & River Trust refuses to make one available, despite using the Bookbarge in its own promotional magazines and websites as an example of the colourful cultural scene of London's Canals. They are aware that this decision means closing the shop permanently.
We fully appreciate that it is of vital importance to the Trust, and to all boaters and canal users, that the charity is able to secure funding for its work, and sustainable funding at that. We recognise and respect the Trust's commitment to achieving long term financial independence to replace the taxpayer subsidy that once sustained it.
However financial capital is not the only measure of value. Cultural capital, for any charity, is also vital. We believe that the Trust's stated purpose, which is to ensure that history and communities are central to everything it does, and its stated mission, to inspire and excite people to connect with the canals and rivers, describes perfectly what we have endeavoured to do at Paddington.
To sign or view the Change.Org petition click here.
Private Eye
Issue 1380, 28th November 2014
Statement from the bookshop owners
This was read out by David Fathers at the Friends of Regent's Canal meeting on 26th November.
In reference to the question of the third mooring at Paddington station, we fully appreciate that it is of vital importance to the Trust, and to all boaters and canal users, that the charity is able to secure funding for its work, and sustainable funding at that. We recognise and respect the Trust's commitment to achieving long term financial independence to replace the taxpayer subsidy that once sustained it.
However financial capital is not the only measure of value. Cultural capital, for any charity, is also vital. We believe that the Trust's stated purpose, which is to ensure that history and communities are central to everything it does, and its stated mission, to inspire and excite people to connect with the canals and rivers, describes perfectly what we have endeavoured to do at Paddington.
We are in no way asking to be subsidised, in fact the financial offer we made in our tender was the sum suggested by CRT. The additional offer we have made to fundraise on behalf of the Trust demonstrates our commitment to these shared values.
We take our obligations to the public very seriously ,and allow the wishes of our customers to guide our decisions, we are mandated by them to do our very best to find some solution that will secure the future of the London Bookbarge.
We would like very much to meet with you in person, and would love it if you were to visit the barge. We are very keen to work with you to find a way that we can all deliver an enhanced waterways experience for everyone.
Sincerely.
Paddy & Jon
Word on the Water"
CRT Response to the Petition
We are absolutely not trying to shut down the book barge, Word on the Water, and there is nothing stopping it from continuing to benefit from its roving trade licence, which allows it to pop up at different locations around the canals. We agree with many of the sentiments expressed about the business and appreciate that it is valued by those who have enjoyed seeing it around London over the last few years. Long may this continue!
Word on the Water, along with eight other enterprises, entered a competitive tender to secure permanent moorings at the very busy and popular spot outside the new entrance to Paddington Station. We appreciate that they were disappointed at not securing the mooring, but this does not stop them from continuing to carry out their business as a roving trader at different locations across London, as their licence allows them.
As a charity entrusted with the care of 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales, we have a responsibility to secure the best deal for the canal and its visitors, and to earn the vital resources needed to maintain the nation's historic waterways. We cannot give one particular enterprise special treatment or, as a charity, charge them below market rates for a high value location.
To see the online response and further comments click here.