Meet the creative pair behind Wellington's new micro-bookshop
A creative husband and wife team are penning a new chapter for Wellington with the launch of their micro-bookshop and performance space.
The smell of new books mingles with fresh paint in the days before Wellington's latest new business, The Book-ends, opens on Saturday in Duke Street.
Even with much of the stock still in boxes, the tiny store feels welcoming, homely and brimming with possibilities.
The beautifully renovated shop blends antique touches with modern decor, reflecting the new owners' artistic vision for a bookshop that breaks down barriers.
Children's events, live music, readings and more - the husband and wife duo behind the store have piles of ambition squeezed into the small, new shop on Duke Street.
Richard and Mercy Smartt have spent their careers putting on events in London, hosting poets, musicians and artists in venues around the big city.
Richard explained: "I'm a poet, Mercy is a vocalist. We've always been interested in live performance. In London, I was quite involved in the live literature, spoken word scene, and Mercy was involved with the live music scene.
"We've always had ambitions to have a permanent place for that, because very often we were hiring venues, putting on great events but not really in any permanent way where's the sense of place. So that's always been something we wanted to do."
During the pandemic, the couple packed up their lives and two small children, and moved to Leegomery, Telford, to be closer to family.
