A fan of Terry Pratchett described his trip to the Discworld Emporium store, following the news of the store’s closure.
Robert Armor visited the Wincanton store in 2018 on a bike ride with friends.
After passing through Basingstoke, Bristol and Wells, the group headed to Salisbury, then stopped at the Discworld Emporium.
Read more: Somerset’s Terry Pratchett Discworld store announces closure
Mr Armor said: “My memory of the shop is buying some pretty awesome librarian themed socks, chatting with the staff and sending an anonymous ‘Ankh-Morpork’ postcard to a friend who is also a fan. “
Wincanton officially paired up with Ankh-Morpork in 2002, in a rare case of a town twinning with a fictional location.
When asked why they decided to stop at Wincanton’s lair, he replied, “Why wouldn’t you do it? It’s legendary!
“Anyone who has read a Discworld book will feel the pull towards the hub. “
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The Discworld Emporium on the High Street has drawn fans of the fantasy author from afar since it opened in 2000.
The store is ranked as the best shopping attraction in Wincanton on TripAdvisor, with 5/5 rave reviews.
One reviewer described a trip from the United States on a “long-awaited pilgrimage” to visit the Wincanton store, as well as Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral.
Another reviewer described being left speechless as finally being able to visit the Discworld Emporium in person.
They said, “It was everything I hoped for and more. We were able to have a long conversation with Bernard and hear his absolutely wonderful stories about the store, Sir Terry and life in general.
Terry Pratchett’s blue plaque can be found on High Street in Wincanton (Image: Robert Armor)
“Being big fans, my [partner] and I was pretty emotional after the stories and cheered myself up by spending as much money as I could. This shop is a utopia for a Discworld fan and everyone should visit it at least once!
Still, the beloved boutique has announced that it will close its doors “for the foreseeable future.”
Boutique co-founders Bernard and Isobel Pearson announced that their mail order service had “expanded exponentially”, especially since the coronavirus pandemic struck.
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This side of the business is “busier than ever” and has caused the store to transform into “an incredibly frantic mailroom”.
The important Wincanton High Street building will remain in place, where the team will design and ship Discworld merchandise “behind closed doors”.
Mr. Armor said he wished the team “all the best” with the new management of the store.
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-06 14:53:29