By L.K. Hewlett
Walls Deluxe Record and Bookshop has been a fixture in St. Kitts for as far back as most people can remember. Adrian Lam became nostalgic as he described his youthful days hanging around what was then a record/equipment store.
“I remember as a little kid, the music store was very busy. People with bars and such that had jukeboxes had no other way of getting their records, so everyone had to come to the music store to get their 45’s and 78’s,” Lam said. “The Deluxe Record Shop was on the Princes St. side and on the Fort Street side, that store sold electronics.”
The legacy began in 1955, when Doris and Eustace Wall opened the store that initially sold houseware and general products. Walls also became the very first representatives for LIAT Airlines in St. Kitts and then on to becoming the first established record shop in the region.
“Walls evolved into a bookstore in the early 70’s when my Mom took over and started selling books, magazines and eventually greeting cards.” Mr. Lam said. “We didn’t become a full fledged bookstore till sometime in the 80’s, when we started off with children’s books and basic literature.” By the time Lam took over the store in 1991, the music section that had once occupied a whole store, had shrunk to just a CD stand.
Lam explained that the reason for the closure was two-fold; the growing interest and demand for prime location in the town area, and Adrian’s busy producing career with the Toucan Sound Company.
“I know that the closing of the bookstore will leave a void in St. Kitts in terms of the availability of a wide variety of books” The Owner lamented. “It is difficult enough right now to get people of any age to read. Hopefully someone in the private sector will come forward with a solution to that problem.”
Citizens went in droves up until last Friday to get reading material and cards that were being sold at a reduced price, but also to pay their silent respects and goodbyes to a Kittitian legacy.
