“The hardest thing about following a dream is taking the first step.”
Being creative from a young age, Diane Park had hoped for a career that tapped into that, but life doesn’t always turn out the way we want. “I had all this creativity and knew that I needed to do something with it,” she says. “The hardest part was taking the plunge, but eventually I did it.”
That change came in her early fifties. Diane began her new career at vintage fairs and a pop-up shop in Barnoldswick, selling clothing she had made, as well as small items of furniture and crockery she had bought from charity shops and upcycled. This fitted with her passion for the environment and nature conservation.
Two years later, in 2015, she came across a vacant shop in Haworth and took it on. “I arrived on a Thursday afternoon and by Friday morning the shop was open,” she says.

And so begins Wave of Nostalgia
Calling the shop Wave of Nostalgia, Diane, together with husband Ian, continued to sell her vintage creations, but lockdown was the catalyst that changed the focus of the shop. “I started selling more books,” she says. “I love books but because I left school so young and am a little dyslexic too, I worried that to become a bookseller you would have to have a bookseller qualification - but you don’t – you just need a passion for them”
Such has been her success as a bookseller that over the past few years she has won or been shortlisted for numerous awards.

“I curate the books - if I don’t love it, it doesn’t get through the door. The focus is on strong women, LGBTQ and nature conservation.”
Diane’s aim throughout her journey had always been to sell items - whether books, clothing or gifts - centred around inspiring women, an apt theme, being in the village where the Brontë sisters lived.
“Historically, Haworth has been the home of strong women - it could not be a better place. The shop is filled with beautiful and unique items for all ages, from suffragette, feminist and LGBTQ items to beautiful stationery - our stock is designed by inspiring women, some local, some further afield but all in the UK. Our Maileg Mice being the one exception, they come from a family run firm and are designed by a woman in Denmark”

Support for local authors
Diane tries in particular to support local authors. In 2023 she created an event space in the shop’s cellar - now called The Book Cellar. “It has a vaulted ceiling and now looks really lovely. We hold small events like poetry readings - we have hosted well-known poets Ian Humphreys, Clare Shaw and Kate Fox. In the upstairs event space and other local venues we’ve put on regular events featuring such fantastic authors as Kate Mosse, Elly Griffiths, TJ Klune, Jennifer Saint and Elodie Harper as well as lots of local talented writers.” Ticket prices are kept low and there are discounts at the events to make sure anyone can afford to join them.

A welcoming place for every one
Being in a tourist village, Diane’s customers hail from not just locals from Yorkshire and the UK but all over the world. “I love talking to customers about books, and recommending titles that I think they will like.”
Each year we work closely with local schools on events such as World Book Day, donating over 3,000 books to children, many of whom would not otherwise own a book.
Watching youngsters exploring books in the children’s section gives her great pleasure. “We can help them and talk to them about what they like to read. We have a themed book area which interests children. It is important to make reading more accessible to people of all ages.”
They have a real focus on community activities with the introduction of four Climate Change Libraries across the district and free mending workshops.
Diane acknowledges that running your own business can be challenging, but she could not be happier.
“I have found my niche – it may have taken a long time but I am finally here and I am having the time of my life.”

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