The Imaginarium, a charming, independent bookshop in the heart of Lymington, recently celebrated its two-year anniversary.
This small, family-run bookshop located just off Lymington High Street is a must-visit for bookworms far and wide. It possesses a sort of magic within its walls that simply cannot be found in larger chain stores or online, with its shelves overflowing with carefully selected books and its cosy, welcoming atmosphere.
The shop focuses largely on fantasy and sci-fi books, but with the help of the wonderful Robyn and Jayde - who are always there to greet customers with a smile and endless reading recommendations - something can certainly be found for readers of all ages and interests!
For owner Robyn Parker-Hales, the Imaginarium was a childhood dream come true. She says, “When I was younger, I struggled to connect with people, but then I started reading and found that books were a great way to make friends. I have always wanted to have a space where people could come and feel safe and share their love of books.”.
This personal connection and commitment can be felt in every aspect of the shop and is greatly appreciated by all of its customers. Sixteen-year-old Indie Hughes, a regular customer at the Imaginarium says, “The Imaginarium has such a friendly atmosphere and I feel so welcomed every time I go.”.
The shop even makes a special effort to give everyone an opportunity to get into reading, with second-hand shelves selling books for very little money and a large children’s section stocking stories that will be certain to entice many young minds.
Opened in September 2022, the shop recently celebrated its two-year anniversary and owners, Robyn and Daniel Parker-Hales, were able to reflect upon the miraculous beginning of their bookshop-owning journey. Within these two short years, the Imaginarium has already been awarded ‘The Best Bookshop in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’ title by Muddy Stilettos, beating thousands of other nominees to the prestigious prize; has hosted countless author events; is home to extremely successful book clubs, and has been proud to welcome readers from all over the world.
When asked about the anniversary, Robyn says, “I feel really honoured that we’ve lasted two years and have such a loyal and supportive customer base. On our birthday we had a lot of customers come and celebrate- we had a dragon cake and drinks! It was so nice to share the anniversary with our customers who have helped us reach it.”.
So, in our modern world of online deliveries and millions of books being available at the simple click of a button, it is utterly inspiring to see an independent bookshop like The Imaginarium flourishing and managing to build such an incredible community of loyal customers!
