THERE was an expectant crowd outside the new Oxfam book shop in Skipton High Street on Saturday for the cutting of the ribbon by science-fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Mr Tchaikovsky, writer of the award winning Children of Time series, spoke of the importance of charities like Oxfam and how it was a pleasure and honour to open the shop, which has moved from its old premises at the top of the High Street to the former Yorkshire Bank building.

He said: "One of the benefits of being a science-fiction author is you get at least a sense of leverage against an often very uncertain and dangerous world. You get to write cautionary tales and road maps to a better future. Because the world is increasingly and rapidly becoming more uncertain and more dangerous for a great many people, we need organisations like Oxfam and all the good work that they do, and I feel that bookshops like this are the perfect confluence of what I do and what they do, and so it's an absolute pleasure to have the honour of opening it up."

It was a busy day at the new book shop, which raised more than three times the amount of its best day at the former premises at the top of the High Street.

Shop manager, Julian Fattorini, said it was an 'incredibly busy day' with high sales continuing into this week, despite the stormy weather.

He said: "It's been wonderful to hear so many people say such kind things about our new bookshop and all our hard work to get here."