Founded by ex-employees of the closing-down Poole’s, of Charing Cross Road, the first Skoob Shop was a lock up, previously used for market barrows, in Neal St, Covent Garden. Myriad students, academics and office workers made the Sicilian Avenue manifestations of Skoob (two adjacent shops) their regular first port-of-call for out of print books, for 20 years. There was also a branch in Bury Place, opposite where the excellent LRB bookshop now is, and three far flung overseas shops. Eventually rising rents, and a decline in footfall led to the move to Unit 10 in the Brunswick at the beginning of the century.