Stanfords journey bookshop launches crowdfunding undertaking because it fights for survival | Journey

It’s a moist autumnal day, a second lockdown is looming, and like many within the UK I’m dreaming of faraway shores, sunny uplands and wild adventures. Something aside from the unholy pairing of pandemic plus British winter.

My bookshelves are well-equipped to help in my fantasies, bulging with reminders of travels previous: each nation map for motorcycling the Pan-American Freeway, a information to trekking the Sinai peninsula, the basic Michelin 741 Sahara map from my London to Cape City experience, a map of Tehran’s metro system, a kayaker’s information to UK rivers, and extra Ordnance Survey maps than you might shake a carbon-fibre climbing pole at.

This isn’t an uncommon bookshelf for somebody who has made a life in journey however there’s something else that binds this stuff collectively: all of them got here from Stanfords, the map and journey bookshop in central London. Established in 1853 and buying and selling in Covent Backyard since 1901, Stanfords is an establishment – and one beloved by anybody who has ever skilled the slightest whiff of wanderlust.

Judging by the outpouring of sympathy and help on social media, I used to be not the one one who felt ache on the information that Stanfords is dealing with closure – and this was earlier than information of the second lockdown. There’s something in regards to the considered shedding Stanfords that hits arduous. Like all the most effective outlets, it gives extra than simply that: it’s a home-from-home, a reassuring haven in a uneven sea, and (underneath regular circumstances) attracts travellers from everywhere in the world.

In response to the disaster, Stanfords has launched a crowdfunding scheme with an array of rewards obtainable for donations from £5 to £5,000, starting from a cup of espresso to personalised maps, books and excursions of its map archive. Its objective is to boost £120,000 to assist it to outlive till spring 2021, when it hopes London could have recovered and persons are capable of journey extra freely. As CEO Vivien Godfrey explains, this sum will allow it to proceed to pay the lease, taxes, wages and the additional prices incurred in making the shop Covid-secure.

For me, London with out Stanfords is unthinkable. It appeared that it will at all times be there – as a result of it has been for thus lengthy. Born in 1827, Edward Stanford began out as a map-maker, turning into the official cartographer to the Queen earlier than increasing into retail and happening to create and supply maps to the likes of Florence Nightingale, Ernest Shackleton, and Amy Johnson. Stanfords has moved with the occasions and, in recent times, has held occasions, together with guide launches and journey movie nights, plus establishing the Edward Stanford Journey Writing Awards. In January 2019, it moved from its Lengthy Acre website to a brand new dwelling (simply across the nook) at Mercer Stroll.

Behind the scenes, the cartography division has gone from supplying navy surveys to Neville Chamberlain to designing large-scale manufacturing maps for the James Bond movies. However from a buyer’s perspective, in a panorama of more and more bland excessive streets, Stanfords stays an instance of an unbiased retailer with a coronary heart, actively supporting authors and specialist publishers, and using workers with a love and information of what’s on the cabinets.

Cartographer Martin Greenaway has labored at Stanfords for 27 years and is fearful for its future. Footfall has collapsed in the course of the pandemic, inflicting a 75% drop in gross sales, and on-line gross sales have additionally fallen by 15% on account of restrictions on international journey. “The store survived a bomb within the blitz,” mentioned Greenaway. “So, I actually hope we will get via this, however I’m frightened. Stanfords has been such an enormous a part of expedition historical past, and there’s nowhere else prefer it.”

Legend has it that Stanfords survived the blitz bombing because of its massive variety of Ordnance Survey maps being so tightly packed, which helped halt the trail of the flames. It’ll take greater than a stash of OS Landrangers to beat the present disaster, however globetrotters, armchair travellers and lovers of Stanfords might help. Most clearly, we will nonetheless plan our future travels and purchase our maps and books straight from its web site. We will additionally donate to the crowdfunder, serving to to make sure that Stanfords survives because the traveller’s non secular dwelling and can nonetheless be there when the world opens up once more.