History of Mainstreet Trading, St Boswells
Rosamund de la Hey
Tuesday, 14th March 2023
Eastgate Theatre, Peebles, 7.30 p.m.
‘Why St Boswells?’ said the bank manager to the aspiring bookseller.
Why would anyone set up a bookshop in a village in the Scottish Borders in 2008 amid the perfect storm of amazon, ebooks and global recession?
Rosamund de la Hey is co-founder of The Mainstreet Trading Company, and former marketing director at Bloomsbury Publishing. Join her in conversation with Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of Traquair, as they discuss the evolution of her business from launch to surviving the pandemic.
Mainstreet has won various awards, most recently Britain’s Best Small Shop 2018.
Rosamund de la Hey was formerly children’s marketing director at Bloomsbury Publishing.
She grew up in Scotland and returned with her family in 2003. Along with her husband, Bill, she opened The Mainstreet Trading Company in 2008 as a bookshop/café, extending in 2012 to create a deli and homeware department.
Catherine Maxwell Stuart is the 21st Lady of Traquair and lives at Traquair with her husband Mark and three children.
Catherine has been managing Traquair House and its associated businesses since 1990 and over the past 30 years has developed a strong, year round programme of events, activities and exhibitions.
