BOOKASAURUS has officially taken over from KomiX at the Roundhouse, transforming the shop into a secret garden, inviting children of all ages to come along and find the perfect book for them.
The children’s book shop started life on the first floor of the Roundhouse above KomiX in March this year, but since the departure of KomiX, Bookasaurus has expanded its range of books, now inhabiting both floors of the building on Church Street.
The book shop is the first one in the town to open since the closure of What the Dickens in 2009 and owner of Bookasaurus, Hayley Spencer, feels that it is about time. “Every town should have a book shop, even in this day and age when you can buy things online,” she said. “When you look for a book online, you can’t really browse. There’s no chance to walk in and have a look.
“This is just the beginning of something really exciting for Melksham. I’m really excited for this new direction for the shop.”
The first floor caters for younger children with a range of picture books, puzzle books, brain games and educational titles covering topics such as growing up, through to global warming. The area encourages encourages visitors to sit down on a toadstool or on the grass and become more familiar with reading.
“I love it up here, it’s so much fun, it’s like a secret book garden,” said Hayley, who is also a town councillor. “We don’t want children to be afraid of books, we don’t want them to come into the store and be afraid to touch a book.
“The whole point is that they come in here to enjoy the experience and want to choose a book, take it away, read it, absorb it and want to come back and find another one.”
The downstairs of the shop caters for the slightly older reader and even includes a section for parents, with books helping the mums and dads of Melksham to navigate topics such as surviving teenagers through to helping children with their homework.
The staff at Bookasaurus promise a personal experience for anyone coming into the shop, with staff taking the time to find what people enjoy reading and what their interests are before making any recommendations.
“We want Bookasaurus to be a community bookshop. All our staff are parents, so we read a variety of things and can help our customers and recommend books. If you come in as a family, there is something for everyone.”
Bookasaurus is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm.
![Melksham Times Past
A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis
The Independent Chapel and Women’s Rights in the 1840s
A document I recently transcribed lists the baptisms performed at the Independent Chapel. This record is especially helpful in that, along with baptisms, a lot of them include birth dates - one of the ways I discover which day someone was born.
The following is taken from a Wiltshire Times article published on 9th November 1878 which reports a speech given during the 100-year services and to celebrate their renovations (what we now know to be the Rachel Fowler Centre).
One speaker, Rev. T. Mann, minister in Trowbridge, talked about the Chapel’s origins when he related how Rev. Honywill came to Melksham and how he’d gone on to remain as the minister for the Independent Chapel for almost 60 years. [Honywill and his family lived on King Street in what we now call “Legion House”.]
Read more on our website, the link is in our bio.](https://scontent-lhr6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/505444438_18038424887647822_3264519508333556874_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=gXZQJoHTNiEQ7kNvwHezuPI&_nc_oc=AdlrJvMDapuork_EjycPOcegNeMnCA37GEIudkxkTeCfTgvB5iijE05ojpwlYCd5gN8&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr6-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=0ZY31jxOGx2M8z1ZqYNvEg&oh=00_AfPY_C0B8EndpVcx78sVp9qVJgtm368WREf36ZX1_jO3mg&oe=6855C74A "Melksham Times Past
A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis
The Independent Chapel and Women’s Rights in the 1840s
A document I recently transcribed lists the baptisms performed at the Independent Chapel. This record is especially helpful in that, along with baptisms, a lot of them include birth dates - one of the ways I discover which day someone was born.
The following is taken from a Wiltshire Times article published on 9th November 1878 which reports a speech given during the 100-year services and to celebrate their renovations (what we now know to be the Rachel Fowler Centre).
One speaker, Rev. T. Mann, minister in Trowbridge, talked about the Chapel’s origins when he related how Rev. Honywill came to Melksham and how he’d gone on to remain as the minister for the Independent Chapel for almost 60 years. [Honywill and his family lived on King Street in what we now call “Legion House”.]
Read more on our website, the link is in our bio.")
