Lost at Sea bookshop opens a permanent home on Victoria Street in Morecambe

Morecambe has always been a good place to lose an afternoon, and lately it has become a very good place to lose yourself in a book. The latest addition to the town's bookshops is Lost at Sea, which has moved into a permanent home on Victoria Street.

Lost at Sea opened its doors at 19 Victoria Street on Tuesday 1 September. The book business is run by Chris Wood, and it previously traded from Morecambe's Festival Market before the move into a shop of its own.

That history means many local readers will already know the business. As the shop itself puts it, it is an established business that has simply changed location, and regular customers from the market days have been welcomed back.

The shelves cover a broad range of reading, with a changing mix of new and second-hand stock. There are crime novels, science fiction and fantasy adventure, war titles and biographies, alongside children's books and colouring books. The shop's aim is that getting lost in a good book should not cost a fortune.

The opening was warmly received by the town's other booksellers. The Old Pier Bookshop on Marine Road Central, Morecambe's long-established secondhand bookshop on the seafront, posted its congratulations, calling it fantastic news that an established bookseller had opened a bookshop in the town.

Another newcomer also sent good wishes. The team behind The Borrowed Book, a preloved bookshop due to open at 19 Pedder Street in October, said good luck and that they would try to pop over and say hello.

All of this has led some to wonder whether Morecambe is on its way to becoming Britain's latest book town. The comics and culture site Down the Tubes asked exactly that question, pointing to the cluster of independent bookshops in the resort, with more book and comic shops close by in Lancaster and Carnforth. It is not a formal title, but it is a pleasing idea for a seaside town better known for its views across the bay.

For visitors, it means a walk along the promenade can now easily turn into a bookshop crawl, with the Old Pier Bookshop on the front and Lost at Sea a short stroll inland. The shop posts updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Lost at Sea is at 19 Victoria Street, Morecambe, LA4 4AE.