Holman’s Bookshop to celebrate 105th anniversary

The history of Holman’s has now been recorded in a commemorative book, just in time for Whitby’s first Literary Festival which is taking place between November 6 and November 9 – which just happens to be Holman’s anniversary weekend!

Holman’s – Whitby’s time-travelling bookshop

Authored by the current owner, Angela O’Connor, Holman’s – Whitby’s Time Travelling Bookshop is a compilation of writings, photographs and memories relating to the Holman’s buildings, its people, products, work environment and neighbours.

Angela’s research has been driven not only by the memories of customers, owners and staff both past and present, but by the town’s strong literary history in books and newspapers.

Whitby Museum has been a great source of information for the book.

Their library houses a large collection of Whitby Gazettes dating from the first issue in 1854.

By 2024 every issue of the Gazette from 1854 to 2013 was digitised in a project initiated and supported by the John Tindale Foundation.

Angela was able to search the archive to find advertisements and articles about Holman’s that had appeared in the Gazette over the years.

And the museum’s photographic collections of two of Whitby’s most famous photographers – Frank Meadow Sutcliffe and John Tindale, who had their businesses on Skinner Street – all form part of the book.

The book is now available for £15 and it is also available on the website www.holmansbookshop.co.uk.

Founding Owners

The Holman’s story began on November 1, 1920 when Ernest and Ada Holman, a grocer and a schoolteacher, bought an established newsagents and tobacconists’ business at 19 Skinner Street.

Five years later they bought the neighbouring property at number 21 and the Holman’s we know was born.

Being unable to commemorate the 100th anniversary in 2020, the anniversary of Mr and Mrs Holman’s purchase of 21 Skinner Street, on November 9, 1925, is being celebrated instead.

Holman’s is often described as a TARDIS – bigger on the inside than on the outside – as it has three floors to explore.

Over the years the business has expanded its range of products from news and tobacco to include stationery, greetings cards, books, toys, jigsaws and gifts.

But some products and services have come and gone.

For example, throughout the 1920s and 30s, Holman’s had a business relationship with the Spa Pavilion.

Holman’s was a theatre ticket office and supplied the Spa with cigarettes, newspapers, books and tennis balls!

You could get your tennis racquet restrung at Holman’s until the 1940s.

Whitby did not have a free public library until 1944 and so Holman’s operated a successful subscription library on its first floor between 1928 and 1960.

Subscribers paid 3d per volume per week.

And in the 1980s, Holman’s had a record department in its basement, which had previously been Ernest Holman’s office and is now its award-winning card department.

The People who made Holman’s

The business has had seven sets of owners over its lifetime, and many employees.

Three ladies’ employment at Holman’s have spanned the decades – Lily Pybus (45 years), Olive Poulter (approximately 30 years) and Lynn Brunskill who retired earlier this year after an amazing 48 years’ service!

But the tale starts much earlier than the 1920s as the buildings that the shop occupies had already been in existence for 152 years before Ernest and Ada Holman came along.

They were built by brothers John and William Skinner in 1768 – the same year that Captain James Cook commenced his expedition to New Zealand and Australia aboard HMS Endeavour.

The book also follows the building’s occupants from coaching house to surgeon, jet manufacturer to greengrocer, hairdresser to sub-postmaster and many more in between.

Good neighbours become good friends

There are currently more than 30 businesses on Skinner Street and several hundred since the street was first established in 1762.

Holman’s has had an extra special connection with three of them – Horne’s (who were also owners of the Whitby Gazette), John Tindale (chemist and photographer for the Gazette) and Botham’s.

Between 1899 and 1901 the Whitby Gazette had a branch office at 15 Skinner Street (now Sue Ryder).

In 1919 Fred and Harry Horne bought 2-4 Skinner Street (now Arch and Abbey) to establish an upmarket stationers and gift shop.

There were a lot of similarities between Horne’s and Holman’s businesses over the years.

Holman’s has advertised in the Gazette throughout its history and continues to sell the newspaper to this day.

For decades, Holman’s staff enjoyed a morning and afternoon tea break supplied on a tray by their neighbour E Botham and Sons.

The friendship between Holman’s and its neighbours continues to this day.

While researching the book, Jo Botham and Sarah Jarman, great grandchildren of Elizabeth Botham, gave Angela information about the professional and personal relationships between the two businesses and its owners over the years.

Holman’s will be celebrating the anniversary with a cake donated by Botham’s.

Holman’s has organised three fringe events during the Lit Fest:

♦ Friday, November 7, 2pm at Whitby Museum Library: Whitby's Time-Travelling Bookshop… and a cabinet of literary curiosities – Angela O’Connor, proprietor and historian of Holman’s and Rob Williams, museum archivist, talk to Kate Fenton, Lit Fest Patron, about Whitby’s fascinating literary connections. Tickets available in person from the museum reception. Advance tickets can be bought through museum reception or by phone 01947 602908. Tickets are free to Lit and Phil members or £2 for non-members.

♦ Saturday, November 8, 2pm at Holman’s Bookshop – book signing with CM Vassie, author of his third SCRAVIR book, Possession.

♦ Sunday November 9, 11am – Madame Peculiar’s Offbeat Literary Walking Tour. The tour starts at Captain Cook’s statue and visits various literary landmarks on Whitby’s West Cliff with Holman’s being its final destination.

The tour lasts approximately one hour and tickets cost £7.95 per person.

Pre-book via https://www.peculiartourswhitby.co.uk/events.