AFTER a decade serving customers cakes and tales Dennis Harrison’s Albion Beatnik bookshop has closed.

The shop in Walton Street first opened in 2008, selling new and second-hand books, including 20th century literature, poetry and jazz.

It included a cafe selling speciality teas and cake, and hosted readings and writing groups, often staying open late.

Bookshop owner Mr Harrison was born in Kilburn, London, and went to Christ Church.

The father-of-three returned to the city where he studied after running a bookshop in Aylesbury.

He said in 2016 that when he first opened Albion Beatnik he ran out of money and ‘improvised’ by buying cheap tables and shelves made out empty crates.

But after a decade’s trading Mr Harrison decided he could no longer keep the store open.

He said on the bookshop’s website: “The sign ‘closed for business as usual’ hangs permanently now.”

He added on the site that the first ‘vibrant’ evening event took place in late 2009, ‘18 months into the shop’s timeline when it was all but done for’.

It was the first of more than 1,000 in-store events, including jazz performances, poetry, book launches, talks, yoga, films and even a wedding reception.

Mr Harrison said there were ‘haphazard’ opening hours, frustrated notes left on the door by customers, a whole pile of books, much gusto, and a shop that, like an Anglican church, had many congregations, none of each might have known of any of the other’. He added there were ‘so many people to thank, to some of these more than I can ever say’.

The bookstore owner said earlier that the first 18 months of running Albion Beatnik were ‘desperate’ but when he started the cafe and began hosting author events, its fortunes started to improve.

Party events ran through the night and Mr Harrison said it became ‘a hippy kingdom without the hippies’.

In 2011 international jazz artist Gilad Atzmon attracted more than 85 people and following the event’s success a seven-piece folk band was invited.

This time round so many people turned up that the band was forced to play outside, blocking the road.

In an email to his customers Mr Harrison wrote: “I haven’t closed the shop because of popular demand (the shop has always been subsidised by my work elsewhere throughout its ten years, it never met any demand), so am no more a victim of high rent or lack of interest than when I started.

“So the shop had no demise, it was closed.

“It has been great fun. Sincere thanks to all for patience, interest, support, and custom.”

He said he could still organise ‘occasional pop-up events’.