Big changes are the order of the day. Borders UK has finally been sold by its US parent company and I have moved stores to become interim manager at the Watford branch, ahead of a longer-term move to the company’s new Nottingham store in January.

The sale of Borders UK to Risk Capital Partners means things are looking very positive for the future. It’s been a long wait, but going forward as an independent operation we will now be able to make more localised buying and merchandising decisions and pick up on trends in the UK book trade a lot quicker and more easily than before.

On a lesser note, I spent three years at the Leicester branch without a catastrophe occurring, but disaster struck just days into my role at Watford. A pipe burst, flooding a section of the shop floor and I was forced to spend an exhausting night there. Thankfully, the staff handled the emergency well and we only had to close for a few hours, aside from some re-carpeting, it was quickly business as usual.

Moving stores has brought about personal challenges, but it’s been fun to experience a store with different people and new challenges. Everyone has their own way of working and I do like to see jobs done in a variety of ways. There are certainly plenty of tasks ahead: the autumn ranges are hitting the shopfloor and, this week, we start to build the Christmas stock.

Mike Rawling, Borders, Watford

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