Ash Green Book Company was started in 1986 and is perhaps unique. It is owned and run by a group of committed booklovers who feel passionate about books and also that they should be easily available to the local community.

Members of the group take on the different roles of running the business; serving in the shop; ordering stock; window displays and the finances. The variety of people involved brings many interests and enthusiasms to support the shop and help customers choose the right book.

Sarah, Christine and Alison are the company directors and manage the general organisation of the shop,
such as customer orders, stock control and accounts.

The shop is not large but aims to stock classics, up to date titles in fiction and non-fiction as well as study guides and travel books. Items not on the shelves can be ordered and are usually available within two days; often the next day if ordered by lunch time. There are regular special offers with sections of the stock being discounted for a week.

The shop also stocks instrumental, choral and sheet music and within the music department carries recorders, strings for guitars and violins, and their larger fellows, rosin and reeds for wind instruments.

	Margaret is in charge of the music ordering and has developed vast experience in hunting down music for use by individuals as well as local schools, choirs and other music groups.
	Valerie is well known in the Village as the founder and organiser of Music Workshop; Valerie's musical expertise is helpful to many customers. It is interesting to learn that this year the Bookshop and Music Workshop gave a jointly funded prize to the Gravesham Music Festival.
	Marion has a real flair for window displays and for keeping the shelves organised; with such limited space this is always an on-going task.

The shop has connections with many schools in the area and is able to offer book events in schools and for other organisations. Books are taken for display and can be bought at the event and orders can be taken for later collection. Recently during the week of World Book Day books were taken to a local school; stories were read to each class and the children were able to browse through a large selection of books and make a choice ready for collection and payment by their parents at the end of the day. Taking the shop to children can be an important way of helping to foster pleasure in reading and owning books.

The bookshop now sells a range of CDs. In stock are several hundred classical CDs on the famous budget label NAXOS. These are priced at £5.99 per single CD album. Copies of the full catalogue are available at the bookshop - just collect one to browse through. Items not in stock can be ordered. The catalogue includes a very wide range of Classical CDs but also growing lists of "Nostalgia" albums, Jazz, Blues and Folk "Legends" issues, and Musicals. A number of the classical recordings are available in SACD and DVD-Audio versions.

A separate catalogue lists the wide range of Naxos Audiobooks available. We can also order CDs from certain other labels, including the renowned Hyperion and Chandos catalogues.

As Christmas approaches, our stock will include a number of seasonal issues as well the usual monthly selection of recent releases.

Les & Angela Deacon deal with CD stock and orders, and are happy to advise or suggest items to match individual interests. They can be contacted through anyone working in the shop.

The shop is open from 9.00 to 5.30 Monday to Friday and 9.00 to 5.00 on Saturdays. You are sure of a warm welcome and staff who will do their very best to help you find the book to meet your needs.

The Bookshop can be contacted by telephone on 01474 874194.