By Alan Burke, staff writer
MARBLEHEAD – the new owner of Artists and Authors bookstore is promising to be everything that the Much Ado Bookstore was - and more.
But Thom VanHorn is admitting that some things will not be the same without Much Ado’s former owners. Nash Robbins and Cate Olson not only ran the bookstore, but also the charity Comforts and Joys. The pair left Friday for a new life in England, opening a bookstore in Alfriston, about an hour’s drive south of London. It will be called the Much Ado Bookstore.
Comforts and Joys worked to help economically deprived children by providing them with school backpacks stuffed with supplies in the fall, said Reen Duffy, a friend of Robbins and Olson. Christmas packages were distributed in December. Once it was clear that Robbins and Olson would be gone, it also became clear just how much time and effort they put into the charity.
“It was another full time job and a half,” Duffy said. “They were very dedicated to it.”
IN fact, it was so much work that no one could step up and take it on. Thus the charity will now cease to exist, Duffy said.
Meanwhile, the bookstore was a local landmark, she added, particularly the end of the day. “At five o’clock Cate would set out a bottle of wine and invite people in.” Among those drawn to the bookstore was movie star Dusint Hoffman, in town to make the film “Moonlight Mil.”
“Cate is very charismatic,” Duffy explained.
Others in the company drawn to her included the film’s director Brad Silberling, who even agreed to hold its New England premier at Salem State in October, 2002, with proceeds going to Comfort and Joys.
Neither Olson or Robins were originally from Marblehead, Duffy said – he is from Connecticut, she is from Pennsylvania. But they still had a strong bond to the town – they met here.
When someone suggests that they will be missed, Duffy added, “You aren’t kidding.”
Selectman Bill Purdin agreed, “They’ve been wonderful corporate citizens and very fine people. They did so much for charity and community involvement.”
VanHorn, 39, has know the couple for nearly 20 years and sometimes kept watch over the store when they traveled to England. He won’t make many changes to the Much Ado formula. “We’ll still be a general purpose bookstore,” he said. “ Everything that was here with Cate and Nash will remain.”
But he will also offer rare first editions, “Like a fine copy of John Steinbeck’s ‘Grapes of Wrath.’” The store will also sell artwork. While it’s opening and operating today, VanHorn plans a formal grand opening in October after he completes stocking his new products.
Born in Minnesota, VanHorn lived in Marblehead before moving to Newbury. He worked in the software industry until the high tech downturn. He saw it as a chance “to do what I always wanted to do. Hopefully I’ll be able to do this for a long time.”
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