SEVERAL thousand books in bags were moved by the car-load to Watchet Community Bookshop’s temporary home in Swain Street in time for its reopening today.

It is setting up in the former West Coast Angling Centre, which is moving to the former town council offices across the road.

The bookshop, which has raised over £200,000 for charity in the last ten years, is run by volunteers and depend on donations.

Last November, it was given notice by West Somerset Council to leave its building on The Esplanade as it did not meet the environmental standards required for letting.

Since then, books have been stored in chairman Jeff Bird’s home and in nearby barns.

“We have over 8,000 books but we’ll probably only get about 2,000 in, and the rest will remain stored here and in barns next door, until we can hopefully return to our premises on The Esplanade,” said Jeff Bird, chairman of the Community Bookshop committee.

“We wanted to trade and keep our presence in the town, and we didn’t want to lose our 40 volunteers, [so] for this summer are relocating to 53 Swain Street.

“We look forward to seeing old and new customers, and will open every day except Mondays, other than Bank Holidays, between 10.30am and 4.30pm,” he said.