London’s only floating bookshop has been saved from closure after finally being offered a permanent home.
Word on the Water will be based at Granary Square, near Kings Cross station, after the Canal & River Trust agreed to offer the owners the mooring.
Owners Paddy Screech and Jonathan Privett faced having to shut up shop after losing their mooring in Regent’s Canal to make way for developers last year.
The barge was forced to travel between temporary spots for more than six months and could only stay at each mooring for a total of two weeks, with owners fearing they would never find a permanent home.
More than 6,000 signed a petition calling on the Canal & River Trust to find the second-hand bookshop a permanent home, including famous authors Michael Bywater and Elizabeth Speller.
A message posted on the Word on the Water Facebook page said: “We are so grateful to the thousands of people who offered their love and support, emails and advice to us during the campaign – without all your work we are sure this turn of events would not have happened.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">London Bookbarge is saved! Offered permanent safe harbour at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/kingscrossuk" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-32576-https://twitter.com/kingscrossuk" data-vars-event-id="c23">@kingscrossuk</a> Granary Square. Thanks for the support x <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&id=222025&p=http://t.co/9elX1XbXnM" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-32576-http://t.co/9elX1XbXnM" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/9elX1XbXnM</a>— Word on the Water (@wordonthewater) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/wordonthewater/status/606935997100789761" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-32576-https://twitter.com/wordonthewater/status/606935997100789761" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 5, 2015</a>
“So, to the 6,000 supported that signed our petition requesting that Word on the Water be given a safe harbour, impossible dream…achieved!
“And heartfelt thanks also to the new London and UK trading managers at the trust, who have shown us nothing but courtesy, flexibility and generosity in helping us find a solution.”
