"People have to feed their soul as well" - Up close with Chester's newest book shop
By Dherran Titherington 29th Apr 2025
Tucked away on Godstall Lane lies a passion project built on nursing careers and a shared love of literature.
Chester's newest independent book shop opened its doors on 5 April, specialising in antiquarian reads with a focus on second-hand literature.
Speaking to Nub News, co-owner Steve Aldous said the business began as a creative outlet for him and his wife Gina, both of whom have worked in healthcare for many years. Gina continues to work as a nurse, while Steve now works in clinical research on bladder cancer trials.
The couple, who describe themselves as lifelong readers, took on the bookshop after an established store at Liverpool's Bluecoat Arts Centre became available.
Six months after launching the Liverpool branch, they expanded the business by opening a second shop in Chester.
Describing his background in literature, Steve said: "I got an English literature degree when I was younger and then fell straight into nursing.
"But I missed it all the time. We've both always been big readers and it just seemed like something very different from the day job. We wanted something a little less stressful - it's definitely a de-stressor from the day job."
He said Chester's range of independent bookshops meant there was space for a slightly different offering in the city, with each shop catering to different readers.
"We have people coming in and spending an hour just going through the shelves," he said. "A city like Chester needs something like that, I think.
"We lean towards the antiquarian side, so we focus on older books that are out of print and harder to get hold of. The rarer type of books - that's our speciality."
Steve said supporting independent businesses and local culture was one of the key reasons for opening the shop in Chester.
"If you don't use these places, they'll disappear," he said. "Of course there's a place for new bookshops, but you won't keep local businesses thriving and I think that's important.
"Culture is disappearing. Without a second-hand bookshop you just lose things. We can't just be cafés and restaurants - people need somewhere that feeds their soul as well."
"Our day jobs look after other people, and this partly looks after us, but hopefully it also helps educate the next generation," he added.
Steve said it was important the shop appealed to a wide range of ages, reflecting its varied customer base.
"We have as many young people coming in as we have of my age," he said. "If I thought we were only catering to a certain demographic, I'd be really upset.
"In Liverpool we have customers from all backgrounds. I think people like that there's a safe space they can come to. It's a lovely mix."
You can find opening times and more at Aldous Books' website here, or follow them on social media.
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