Sarah's weird stories from world of Lichfield book barge
Getting 'fired' by an aspiring Alan Sugar protege and being reassured by a customer he is not notorious tyrant Saddam Hussein – it's all in a day's work in a bookshop.
Some of Sarah Henshaw's extraordinary experiences behind the counter of The Book Barge at Barton Marina are among those featured in Jen Campbell's new book More Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops.
Today she lifted the lid on the colourful characters who take centre stage as the stars of her shop show.
It was just a normal day at Sarah's floating bookshop just outside Lichfield when a man with a moustache called in.
"I know I look like Saddam Hussein, but don't worry, I'm not him," he said. Slightly confused, Sarah replied that since Saddam Hussein was dead, she was not unduly worried.
The man was taken aback back by her cavalier reaction to this imminent threat to national security.
"Really? Even with my moustache? You weren't even slightly panicked."
People really do say the strangest things in bookshops, as 29-year-old Sarah has found during the four years she has been running The Book Barge.
On another occasion, Sarah was challenged by a small boy with a bit of Alan Sugar about him.
"Does this bookshop make money?" he demanded to know. "I bet it doesn't. It's a bit of silly idea having a bookshop on a boat isn't it?"
After interrogating her about her business model and five-year-plan, the youngster concluded: "You don't know what you're doing, do you? It's not going to make you a millionaire."
As if that was not strange enough, the youngster returned a fortnight later for a progress update.
"If I owned this shop, I'd fire you," he said.
"Wow. Brutal," replied Sarah. "And how would you proceed?" "I'd buy a megaphone and shout people to buy my books," he answered.
"That's your problem, you don't shout at them."
Sarah is by no means the only bookseller who has been asked some strange questions during the course of her work.
Indeed, Jen Campbell and her colleagues at the Ripping Yarns antiquarian bookshop in North London have also been asked some strange questions.
For example there was the customer who asked: "Do you have user guides for antiquarian computers? You know from, like the olden days, when they had swords and stuff?"
And another visitor complained about the shop not having a kitchen to try out the recipes in the cookery books.
