Our Journey to Opening

17 Aug

Written By Richard Beech

We have been planning to open an independent bookshop in Dorchester for quite a while - we thought we would share some of the background photos and snippets of info here so that you can see the journey we have been on to get to this stage.

We went to view the old SKJ Watches shop

An early version of our name - before we had an ampersand

An early design for the shop

A 'high tech' mock up of the signage

The day we spent debating the ampersand

An early design for the shop fitting

We get the keys on 1 July 2025

Where David was when we got the keys!

The day we debated 'Gifts'

Measuring up for the bookcases and counter

David hard at work with the carpet cleaner

Measuring out for the furniture

Highly technical diagrams for our bespoke counter

Setting up the website

The window display takes shape

The corner unit is fixed in place

Ian (Richard's brother) helping to build

The shop coming together

The bookcases continue

Building bookcases for a weekend!

Shopfitting in a Heat Wave

Freshly painted

The books arrive!

More books

Beginning the long (and fun) day of opening and organising the books

The sections start to come to life

The shop comes alive with the arrival of the books

The new signage is put up

The shop is opened

The new A-Board completes the signage

Teasel & Skylark opens -4 August 2025

Richard Beech

Our Top Selling Books (15 August 2025)

Welcome to Teasel & Skylark