For years, Charlie and Malcolm Richards – she’s a former marketing manager, he’s a teacher and a researcher at Exeter University – dreamed of opening a bookshop. They imagined what titles they’d stock, what records they’d play, and how they’d make it a welcoming space, accessible to all. “But I don’t think I ever really took it seriously until the pandemic happened,” says Charlie. “It was just such a crazy year. And then a space came up in an area which is perfect” – Fore Street in Exeter, a haven for independent retailers – “and lots of things just fell into place.”