For Lana Parker, Two Moorfields was once a bank. For Becks O’Driscoll, it was where she sat her driving theory test. Now the friends-turned-business-partners are giving the long-standing city centre site a new lease of life as Happily Ever After, a romance bookshop.
The pair aim to open on Saturday, October 31, which would mark the first use of the space in a number of years. The building has sat derelict for some time, with squatters occupying the space, seconds from the train station on the corner of Dale Street.
Inside, holes in the floors, crumbling walls, exposed wires and mouse droppings show the scale of the renovation. The pair outlined plans to turn the neglected building into something much more than just a book shop. Lana and Becks are undeterred, and said their builders couldn’t be “anymore excited” to get started.
A career break for a bookshop dream
Becks, 42, from Prenton, is taking a career break from her role as a business analyst to make the project happen. She told the ECHO: “I’m currently a business analyst but taking a career break to make this happen. I’m at the point in my life where if I don’t do it now, I won’t do it at all.”
Describing how the partnership works, she added: “Lana is the creative one with all the ideas, and I’m the one who makes the ideas happen, so we work really well together in that space. Our WhatsApps are constantly going off, saying ‘we’ll do this, and then we’ll have to do that’. It’s a really exciting time - we’re so excited one minute, and nervous the next.”
‘Much more than just a bookshop’
Lana, 35, a mum-of-one from Bootle, regularly hosts events and was drawn to the size of Two Moorfields. Her plans for the main area include rows of bookshelves, a mural wall, a grand chandelier and stained glass windows “to let the sun really shine in”, with a plant-covered mezzanine overlooking the space.
She said: “It’s going to be much more than just a bookshop, we want people to come for food, for drinks, for chats, for parties.” She added: “The space has been like this for a while and I think once the lights are on and the doors are open, people will really appreciate what we plan to do and will be intrigued to see what the space has become. Even if people aren’t readers, we want people to come in, love the vibe and the girls who work here and want to come back because of that.”
A terrifying viewing that changed her mind
The building was not an obvious choice for Lana at first. After two other properties fell through, she agreed to view Two Moorfields despite describing it as “terrifying”. But stepping inside changed her mind. She said she was “beaming like a Cheshire cat” when she looked out through the huge windows.
She added: “I just knew. This was it. I couldn't wait to get Becks down to see it, and she fell in love with it straight away too. Honestly, it's the windows. They're absolutely gorgeous. The location is perfect too, right in the heart of Liverpool city centre.”
Documenting the transformation
The pair are documenting the renovation on TikTok (@hea.bookshop), giving followers a behind-the-scenes look at the project ahead of the planned October 31 opening.
