New chapter for charity bookshop manager

The ebullient outgoing Manager of the Thame Oxfam Book shop, Dick Jennens

THE man who has overseen a massive growth in the popularity and sales figures of the Oxfam Bookshop in Thame, is moving on to pastures new, and will, for sure, be missed by customers and volunteers alike.

Recognisable from his distinguished, sartorial individuality (more of that later!), Dick Jennens has been manager of the Oxfam Bookshop for most of the fifteen years since it opened in 2000. The shop’s sales figures over the 15 year period, are stunning, making it one of the top performing Oxfam Bookshops in the country:

Sales of over £2million of donated stock – books and music; over three quarters of a million items that have generated almost £1.7m of income for Oxfam; around 2.5 million items donated by the people of Thame – with about half a million passed on to other Oxfam shops; Single most expensive sold item – Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier, signed first edition in its dust jacket £1800.

Most interesting (Dick’s own choice), War In Iraq, published in 1918; book of photographs compiled by the father of the spy, Kim Philby, sold via the Oxfam Online shop to a customer in France for £1500. Oldest – ‘Art of Distillation’ published in 1653, a book on distilling Whisky and making Gin, sold for over £750.

Biggest single donation – £5,750 made by a donor following the sale of a family autograph book.

Dick Jennens with some of his volunteers outside the Oxfam Book shop in Cornmarket, Thame

Marianne Parslow (pictured right), Deputy Shop Manger, spoke on behalf of Dick’s army of Volunteers: “It’s hard to say what the volunteers will miss most about Dick when he moves up north to Matlock in the New Year. It’s not just his always-interesting ties and his stripy jacket, his cheeriness and good temper, nor even the photographs of his grandchildren on his desk, but we will miss his interest in every person, whether volunteer, community service person, or driver of a delivery van. He can sense what people are good at, and values us for it, whether it is doing up parcels, washing the tea-towels, skills with the till, the pricing gun or the computer, or doing the window displays.

“He listens to us, and then usually does his own thing, but that thing is always the right thing in the context of a busy charity bookshop. He is a truly professional retailer. He has also been a friend, mentor and an example for all the young people doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award or Work Experience with us, as well as to his nearly ninety volunteers, and it is as a friend that we will miss him most.”

“But don’t worry the shop will remain the same as always, so keep your donations coming in. Yes, we will miss him and we wish him lots of success.”

Up until he moves on to the next chapter in his career in the new year, Dick will still be managing the Thame Shop for two days a week, and driving up to Matlock for two days a week until a new manager is appointed for Thame – a manager who will find he or she has a very hard act to follow, but a bunch of wonderful volunteers and loyal customers to help him on his way.