A mystery customer has been spreading some cheer in Yarm, Yorkshire after leaving a £100 donation behind the till to cover the costs of other bookworms’ purchases.
Last month, a man bought several books for himself at Waterstones in Yarm before giving the store £100 to be split across 10 gift vouchers.
All that is known about the book benefactor is that he works in the offshore oil industry as he didn’t want to give his name. His only request was to give the vouchers to somebody who loves books.
Suzi Hunton from Waterstones said the gift spread a lot of joy.
“He bought some books for himself and then he just said ‘can I give you £100? I want to leave some money so people can have their books bought for them,'” she said.
“We suggested the ten gift vouchers and we loaded them up with a note saying they were from a mystery benefactor and that was it, he left them them here.
“Then it was just a case between the three book staff here in the store of giving them out.”
The store’s three staff decided who to give the vouchers to. The recipients included new grandparents buying books for a new grandson they were off to see for the first time, and also a little girl who is a regular customer and often comes in to buy a book with her parents who have always encouraged her love of reading.
“It was a lovely thing to be able to do,” Suzi said.
“We have never seen him before or since. It’s an anonymous little gift from the universe.”
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