A thought on the shop has come up with a slightly different idea. The library will still be available, but the book store will not (with the possible exception of British Import books). The new store name will be The English Cottage: British Import Shop and Tea Room. The books from the library will be available to read in the attached tea bar - that part of the plan is staying the same. However, there will now be a semi-formal tea room and a large selection of British import goods. Where's the idea from?

Store creator, Robin, decided that she also wanted to sell ballroom shoes in order to get the most out of all of her areas of interest. It occured to her that ballroom shoes and books were a bit of an odd mix, but what did they have in common with tea? Britain! So we're getting a few other imports in as well. And it works well with Robin's love of food, too. (Aero Bars in particular - but be sure, there will be plenty of Jelly Babies, Mars Bars, and Cadbury to go around.)

A new idea that just occured to us today. It could use some fine tuning, but here's the basic idea.

Happen to come to The English Cottage almost every day for coffee or tea to go? Have a tendency to forget your travel mug when you come in? Join the Cup Loan Program. For around $5 a month you get a pair of cups with an assigned number on it and a Frequent Business Card that states the cups' number and your name. We hold on to one cup at a time for you. Present us with your used cup from your previous visit and your Frequent Business Card and we'll give you your freshly cleaned cup with fresh coffee, tea, or whatever you'd like in it.

What's the purpose of the Frequent Business Card in all of this? For now, it's for identification purposes. That way, we don't give your travel mug to another customer who may have found your mug by accident. It also enables you to drop a mug off at the end of the work day instead of the next morning if you'd like. Having a Frequent Business Card means that you don't have to present a mug to get your other mug, but it also means that people can't present your mug to get your other one.

What happens if you decide to terminate your Frequent Business Cup Loan account? Bring us whatever mug you have left and your Frequent Business Card. All you have to do is not pay your account fee for the next month to terminate your account. However, we keep a credit card number on your account file. If you fail to bring your cup and card to us, we will charge five dollars a week for their return. Seem a bit extreme? We know, but we are trying not to waste resources. Should the plan become popular, we'll need your loaned cups for the next customer.