Book lovers remember ‘legendary’ Uncle Spike

Those who have known the packed shelves of Uncle Spike’s Book Exchange affectionately started calling its owner Uncle Spike.

When news broke this week that George Yates (82) died, grief-stricken book lovers shared fond memories of their time there.

“That’s the only shop where you can get most of the antique books. He was so kind and helpful,” remembers Elia Kaiyamo, who says he has been Uncle Spike’s customer for the past for 40 years.

Kaiyamo, who is Namibia’s ambassador to China, says as a former history teacher the shop has helped him a lot in collecting history books.

“Back then, we didn’t have a lot of money, so at Uncle Spike’s, you could get discounts on your books,” he says.

Kaiyamo says Yates’ vast knowledge of books made it easy for him to assist customers in search of the perfect book.

“You could exchange books, but I usually buy books there, because most of the books that were out of stock at the usual book stores, you could always find at Uncle Spike’s.

“He has helped us with the liberation of our minds by reading all kinds of books in his shop, a true Namibian patriot,” Kaiyamo says.

“I extend my condolences to the whole family, and to Clifford [his son] to continue with the spirit of his father for the legacy to continue,” he says.

Clifford Yates confirmed the death of his father on social media on Tuesday.

“It is with tears in my eyes and sadness in my heart that I have to let everyone know that my father, George Yates aka Uncle Spike, passed away peacefully today.

“He was an absolute legend in Namibia with a lot of knowledge from reading thousands of books over his 82 years,” he said.

He was the fourth and longest owner of the book exchange shop, since taking over in 1982.

The shop’s shelves are crammed with old and new books, reaching up to the ceiling and holding infinite stories across all genres.

It was opened by Neville Edgar Bauser, who worked with long-time friend Jan Dreyer.

Dreyer eventually bought the shop from him.

In 1980, the Millers bought the shop and moved to its present and iconic location, and in 1982, George Yates took over.

Clifford says he took over the little nook of a shop with a few thousand books, and even sold pot plants, CDs and watches for a while, until the books became too many and he ended up selling only books.

“The shop got bigger and more popular over the years, and even now it is ready to burst at the seams.

“He spent almost half his life here, and enjoyed every minute here meeting fantastic and awesome people along the way,” he says.

Clifford will now continue his father’s legacy and hopefully create many great memories for all current and future readers.

Yates is survived by his wife, Suzie, five children, and 10 grandchildren.

The family has asked for a moment of mourning for Yates, and the shop will be closed for the rest of the week.

Many of the business’ customers this week took to social media to remember him.

“I will always remember taking sweets at the counter before entering his shop and paying them together with a bucket full of books, both new and old,” Walter Haseb said on Facebook.

Another customer, Stella Ipinge, said Yates used to offer her a space to rest in while her mother was running errands in town.

“I remember his shop was the epitome of a rare visit to town from Katutura. He allowed my mom to let us sit in the store and read while she ran errands. It nurtured my love for books in my early primary school years.

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