Tributes to popular author and bookshop owner Liz

TRIBUTES have been paid to a “warm and talented” author and bookshop owner who died earlier this month.

- BY EVELINA BLACK

ABOVE: Curiosity Bookshop's 25th birthday in May 2015; BELOW: Liz Howard with son and present owner of the Curiosity Bookshop, Chris Howard; BOTTOM: The shop on High Street, Runcorn.

Elizabeth Ann Howard, Liz to those who knew her, founded the Curiosity Bookshop in Runcorn in 1990.

Liz, 83, owned the independent, family-run bookshop for decades before passing ownership to her son, Chris Howard, 10 years ago.

She remained the landlady and continued working in the shop as much as she could.

Chris said: “She would always pop in and she was constantly doing things around the shop. It kept her busy and her mind active, which it certainly was, right to the end.”

Born in Frodsham, Liz's family moved to Princess Street, Runcorn, when she was a child before moving into a flat on the High Street.

She met her husband, Brian Howard, in the La Scala Ballroom on that very same street. The famous venue was known for hosting The Beatles twice, becoming a bingo hall in 1987 and eventually closing its doors in 2006.

They were married on September 23, 1961 and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2021.

Brian worked for many years as an electrician at the ICI site in Runcorn, before joining Liz to work at Curiosity Bookshop in his retirement.

The couple had three sons, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren together.

Brian died on January 1, 2022, aged 82.