The Wardman Wire

I have just received this from a contact in Durham. The existing lessee at Durham Cathedral Bookshop has been evicted (at last) by the Cathedral. This is a major development in dealing with the running down and Asset Stripping of the ex-SPCK Chain of Bookshops, and it is something that I have been campaiging about for over a year. The bookshop chain taken over from SPCK by the organisation run by J Mark and Philip Brewer has been seriously mismanaged(to put it very mildly), involved bullying of staff – resulting in more than 30 Employment Tribunals, asset stripping of the shops, a fraudulent attempt at Bankruptcy, legal threats against reporters and more. The Durham Cathedral Bookshop is the flagshop bookshop in the chain, and keeps all the other shops afloat through its profitability. Taking this keystone out of the arch is likely to mark the beginning of the beginning of the end of the SPCK debacle. As the remainder of the chain begins to wind down, it means that the staff who used to – and in some cases still do – work in the various bookshops, can work with their local communities to rebuild locally-focused bookshops where possible. This is really excellent news. This is the statement issued by Durham:

The following statement has been made today (1st May 2009) by the Chapter of Durham Cathedral “Durham Cathedral has today served notice under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 on the current operators and occupiers of Durham Cathedral Shop requiring them to vacate the premises on 30th April 2010. A new Cathedral Shop under the Cathedral’s management will open on 1st May 2010 opposite the Undercroft Restaurant where, with the restaurant, it will provide a focus for visitor facilities. To enable the necessary work for the relocation of the shop, the exhibition in the Treasures will close at the end of 2009. A new exhibition will reopen in the Claustral buildings at a date to be announced.” Background Information: The Chapter of Durham Cathedral has announced plans for the first phase of a programme of improvements to its facilities for visitors. This was included as a commitment in the Cathedral’s Development Plan which was launched last year. In the first phase, the Cathedral Shop will be relocated from the Great Kitchen to the area presently occupied by the Treasures where, with the Undercroft Restaurant, it will provide a focus for visitor facilities and can include space for the Friends of Durham Cathedral and the Durham Cathedral Choir Association. The new shop will open, under the Cathedral’s management, on 1st May 2010. To enable the necessary work for the relocation of the shop, the Treasures will close at the end of 2009. The Cathedral is working with the University on a feasibility study for their respective visitor facilities in the Cathedral and University buildings on the Durham peninsula. This will also take account of other visitor initiatives in the World Heritage Site. This project has a high priority in the Cathedral’s Development Plan and includes a review of all the Cathedral’s existing visitor attractions. Details of the new exhibition, which will focus on Cuthbert, Bede and the Cathedral’s Benedictine heritage, will be announced later. Public access to the Great Kitchen will continue whilst the new initiatives are developed so that its historical architecture can be appreciated. The Chapter will make further announcements as the plans progress but no further statement will be made at present.

Contact I can be contacted for comment on mattwardman AT gmail DOT com. Notes For more information about the history of the SPCK Saga, check these links.

1. Durham Cathedral Shop Finances and questionable Saint Stephen the Great payments
2. Durham Cathedral Shop Adverts and Anagrams: Third Space Books = Crooks Ship A Debt
3. The SPCK/SSG Newsblog: http://spckssg.wordpress.com/
4. My original article back in December 2007, including an interview with Mark Brewer and others.
5. An introduction to the Dave Walker case (legal threats).
6. A recent visit to Durham Cathedral Bookshop.
7. Pursuing the Brewers: Contacts and Facts.
8. Questions for J Mark Brewer: SPCK Bookshops Asset Stripping. Ministry of Truth cross-post.