A couple transforms a post-World War II coalship into a bookshop to keep history alive
We’ve converted a post-WWII coal barge into a bookshop – it’s the perfect way to keep history alive
The owners of a former coal ship who wanted to preserve it for future generations have transformed it into a bookshop on the water.
The Hold Fast Bookshop in Leeds, within the Marjorie R ship, is located in Leeds Harbor and is owned and run by Victoria and Chris Bonner.
The pair described the ship as a “rusty old wreck” when they first took over and explained that they wanted the ship’s story to be told for generations to come – and a bookshop seemed like the perfect place to tell such stories .
Speak against BBC newsChris said the ship was the first boat built in the UK after World War II, with many British ships seconded to the war effort.
While the couple run the bookshop, they can talk to the locals about the history of the boating and maritime industry in Leeds.
The Hold Fast Bookshop is located in the former coal ship Marjorie R and is filled with books
The stairs on the roof of the nave lead to a peaceful space with hardwood floors and books on the shelves.
In the center of the store are tables full of books and benches where readers can sit and lose themselves in a novel.
It offers both brand new and used books for customers to purchase.
Victoria said, ‘We had the boat for about 10 years. We recovered it from, really, just a rusty shell.”
Located on Leeds Dock, the Hold Fast Bookshop is open to the public and sells both new and second-hand books
Chris and Victoria Bonner are the owners of the ship’s bookshop and renovated it about a decade after its initial purchase
Chris Bonner described the ship (pictured long before the renovation) as a ‘rusty old wreck’ when he and his partner took over
She added that she and Chris wanted to do something to “keep it safe for the future.”
“We like to tell people the stories about her past and the things that happened, and you know what better place than a bookstore to tell stories?”
Chris revealed that when the couple took over the ship, it was just barely afloat, but it needed a lot of work.
“If she were jeans, she’d have lots of patches,” he said.
Victoria argued that it is important to recognize the barges and narrowboats in the history of the UK, and Leeds in particular.
“Leeds wouldn’t be the city it is without the maritime industry,” she said.