11.05.12 Aardvark Books in Brampton Bryan currently have more than 60 maps on show at an exhibition in their shop ... more Add a comment
8.05.12 Henry Middleton wrote to say that the shop he traveled out of his way to visit had changed its opening times, and was no longer open on that day. This shopkeeper has lost at least one customer - so come on folks - it only takes a few moments to update your entry. Add a comment
7.05.12 Oswestry Indoor Market Books (OIMB) in Shropshire has recently changed hands. It's now run by Tony Lake, who has renamed the business Powis Hall Books, and the phone number is now 01686 411137. Add a comment
4.05.12 The Olland Bookshop has recently opened in the premises of what was formerly Bardsley's Books, in Bungay, Suffolk. Under new management, they are offering a different stock of secondhand books on all subjects, plus new books. Add a comment
3.05.12 A new pop-up shop in the West End is giving Londoners the chance to swap their old books in a scheme to get London reading ... more Add a comment
3.05.12 Signs promoting the bookshop at Hay Castle have been taken down after a row over advertising laws ... more Add a comment
1.05.12 Recently added: Sue's Books in Jacob's Antique Centre, Cardiff, and Brian P. Martin Antiquarian & Collectors' Books in Godalming and Dorking. Add a comment
26.04.12 Caro called in at Avon Books in Clifton last Saturday and told me that they are closing down. I finally managed to find time to phone today, and Lou says that he's closing the shop because he "can't stand any more of the public" and that "a lot of the time I feel like a park keeper". Although he's closing the stop, he will continue to trade on the net, and until then he has 100's of books for sale @ £1. Despite what he says, I know his shop will be missed by many. Add a comment
24.04.12 Thanks for all our Easter holiday bookshop reviewers, and in particular M&O, Norman Davies, and Mandalay Bookshop - I've just about caught up with you all :) Add a comment
19.04.12 Tomes of Buxton have changed their trading name to Peak Volumes, but they say:" Don't worry, we're still the same secondhand and antiquarian bookshop with books on all topics - a bookshop the way they used to be." Add a comment
19.04.12 Jean Blacow, who closed her shop in Nottingham in May 2011, has reopened Books and Pieces at 19 West End Arcade, Nottingham City Centre. Add a comment
18.04.12 I've just added Cheshire Lines Transport Books, who say they have a wide range of secondhand non-fiction titles, as well as a large specialist Railway section. Add a comment I visited this super little shop today after finding the details on this site, and I was delighted with the choice and quality of books. A real gem of a find! - Francis 20.04.12. Smart, tidy, 'shiny' books. Excellent transport section. I suspect little for the trade but I wish them well. - Jill Jones 26.04.12.
14.04.12 Norman Davies reports that the popular Karls Bookshop in Nottingham is having to close on April 30th because of 2 years of trams works in the road. There is 50% off all books until then, and the good news is that the owners are keen to open up again as soon as they can find suitable premises. Add a comment
3.04.12 Mark writes regarding Dales and Lakes Book Centre in Sedbergh: "On a visit on 27th March 2012 the tourist information office which houses the book centre was closed, but had a sign saying it had been "saved" and would in future be open on Wednesdays and Saturdays only." Mark also reports that Bertrams in Back Lane has closed. Add a comment
2.04.12 Another couple of recently added shops: The Last Chapter in Sheffield, who say they have a "compact range of good-quality books", and the Epicentre Book Cafe in Paignton. Add a comment
2.04.12 Transport and industrial history enthusiasts should note that long-established Henry Wilson Books has closed its Sedbergh shop. The owner has retired and sold his stock to Axe Books of Aysgarth. Add a comment It is always sad when a bookshop closes but even more so in this case. Henry is a charming man of the old school and the conversations I've had with him over the years have been those to treasure. There are now not many left like him, alas. - Chris Harte 03.04.12.
29.03.12 Charity chiefs are appealing to Burton Upon Trent residents to support its secondhand bookshop which raises vital funds for people with life-limiting illnesses ... more Add a comment
27.03.12 d'Arcy Books in Devizes are holding closing down sale with 50% off all books, starting on March 31st and running for a few weeks Add a comment
27.03.12 Maggs Bros. is one of the finest rare booksellers in the world. It is a literary treasure trove holding first editions of works from Shakespeare through to Burroughs ... more Add a comment
21.03.12 Steve Marshall says that the Beau Nash Bookshop in Tunbridge Wells will no longer be open on Mondays. The new opening times are Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10.00 - 4.30, Saturday 10.00 - 5.00. Add a comment
20.03.12 I recently added Camden Lock Books, who, although primarily new book sellers, have a back room devoted to secondhand and collectable books. And thanks to Chris Harte for some more reviews of Devon's Bookshops. Add a comment
19.03.12 Another good news story is that the Clevedon Community Bookshop has raised sufficient funds and support from the local community to open it's doors for business. Angela Everitt says that they have a stock of about 8000 books in the shop and a growing stock in their store, and that any profit will be used to enhance the stock and to host literacy and literary activities. Add a comment
13.03.12 Brigid Irwin has closed the The Book House at Brough but will be doing book fairs, conferences etc, and selling by catalogues and their website. Add a comment
12.03.12 It's good to be able to report on a shop which is expanding in these difficult economic times. Books on the Park in Sheffield have just moved into much larger premises, where, along with a wide range of secondhand books, they will also stock specially designed cards and a range of prints by local artists. Add a comment
12.03.12 The City Bookshop in Davey Place, Norwich, is hosting a week-long selling exhibition, featuring more than 1,000 old and antiquarian books and pamphlets of Norfolk's history ... more Add a comment
9.03.12 Frank Bush, owner of Othellos in Leigh -on Sea is counting the cost of a flood which has left some of his rare books ruined ... more Add a comment
8.03.12 Antiquarian bookseller Jeff Towns, owner of the internationally renowned Dylan's Bookstore, has closed his store in King Edwards Road, Swansea, after a career that has seen him do business with household names and rub shoulders with literary legends ... more Add a comment I spent many happy hours spent in the shop when it was at Salubrious Passage and I was student at Swansea more than a few years ago. It was a proper secondhand bookshop although Salubrious Passage was no longer a salubrious part of the city (and that is the most times I have used "salubrious" in a paragraph in my salubrious life). Thanks for the memories - and the books! - Pondcott 09.03.12. Visiting Jeff was part of my working life for thirty years or more, and I’m sure that he and his shops will be remembered with affection by his many customers. – TBG 09.03.12.
7.03.12 On board London's only bookshop barge, Word on the Water, Anoosh Chakelian discovers a vibrant alternative world of poetry, music and novel browsing ... more Add a comment
6.03.12 Jon Morgan writes of Harrowden Books in Northamptonshire: "Just when you begin to despair that the type and quality of second hand bookshop which existed in bygone days is in fact a thing of the past, along comes one which restores faith. You are offered a complementary cup of excellent coffee on entry by a very well dressed owner who is attentive, intelligent and well informed. The stock is extensive, varied in and between subject / genres. Price for HB and PB is excellent £2 upwards for the former and on average £1.50 for the latter. Cafe next door in this very pretty calm and quiet Northants village. AND you can park free right outside - Perfection itself. I urge, advise, exhort an early visit. If only there were more like this." Add a comment That's a fantastic review Jon, and very much apreciated. Can't think who this "attentive, intelligent and well informed" chap can be though ... does he work here? - Mike Sumner 13.03.12.
1.03.12 We were delighted to discover that fashion designer Holly Fulton had mentioned Inprint's bookshop in the Telegraph's Little Black Book feature ... more Add a comment
28.02.12 Laurence Penney has sent a note to say that The Mighty Miniature Book Space in Bristol has just been renamed Bud's Books. Seems a shame to me, I rather liked it. Add a comment
28.02.12 Chris Harte tells us that Calder Idris Books in Dolgellau have moved to the next door shop in the same building. Their old premises had become dangerous and it is quite possible they may be forced to leave. He also quotes a North Wales bookshop owner as saying: "Where have all the books gone? We want to restock. We have the money to do so but can't find anyone wanting to sell." Chris comments: "That's a new one in this economic climate." Add a comment My observation, as a bookshop owner who travelled more than 540 miles over the weekend looking for fresh stock, is that finding saleable books with a profit in them is increasingly difficult. I spent the princely sum of £55.00 and the profit on my purchases will just about pay for the petrol ... - TBG 28.02.12.
24.02.12 Many thanks to Jon Morgan who contacted us yesterday to say that our map links had stopped working. It was easily sorted out - but if we don't know it's broke, we can't fix it. Add a comment
22.02.12 Mark writes: 'Firstly, just to say how much I enjoy and value the guide, so thank you for all the work you put into it. Secondly, just to report that there are two small second hand bookshops in Settle, North Yorkshire. I don't have the exact details but will visit them shortly and report back (I tried today but both closed Wednesday). In addition, Langcliffe parish church (near Settle) has a large selection of books of all sorts. I know a lot of
churches have a box or two but this has six tables and four pews full. It's open every day.' Add a comment
20.02.12 I've just added Michael Bishop Books in the West Somerset Antiques Centre, Williton, where you will find general secondhand stock including local topography and history. Add a comment
20.02.12 Thanks to you all for the deluge of reviews I've received over the last couple of weeks, and particularly to Norman Davies for his reviews of shops in Bath and Bristol. Add a comment
17.02.12 The Dylan Thomas Centre's bookshop is closed ahead of deal to save venue ... more Add a comment
14.02.12 Nicholas Pendower writes: 'Oh dear - I was just tempting providence! Having complimented Oxfam on its Lincoln Bookshop it has gone and closed the place, and incorporated the books and music into a squeaky clean new shop with new sky high prices. What was wrong with the old place? It had a fascinating and varied stock and I usually found something worth buying each time I visited it. Gone are the interesting volumes, the collectors’ items, the topographical pamphlets, only to be replaced by coffee table rubbish and nearly new books. I found virtually nothing, and if I had I wouldn’t have paid their prices. This is no longer a good second-hand bookshop that was worth the detour, but has been turned into just another overpriced, vamped-up extension. Why doesn’t Oxfam realise that book collectors like shops that contain the quirky old stuff and don’t want this sort of thing. It was interesting to note that where the old shop was usually full of customers this one was virtually empty and there was certainly no money being exchanged, and I hope that it crashes and burns!' Add a comment
7.02.12 I've just heard that Paul Minet of Picadilly Rare Books died last night. A veteran bookshop owner and contributor to the trade press, he will be missed by many. Email me if you would like details of the funeral. Add a comment We are very saddened to hear this news, Paul was a regular exhibitor at our fairs and was ever ready to assist with his knowledge and expertise, always a perfect gentleman, very popular with both trade and visitors, we know he will be sorely missed by many. Our thoughts are with his wife Sheila and his family at this sad time. - Wendy Collyer and Peter Sheridan 07.02.12.
6.02.12 I've just added Spire Books in the Victoria Centre, Chesterfield, and a bookrom at Mount Stewart House in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. Add a comment
31.01.12 Graeme Rendall writes: 'I'd like to add one bookshop to your excellent Edinburgh listing, namely the Broughton Street Book Shop, which seems to be a completely separate business from the old Broughton Books across the road. I found it to consist of a single room with a small mixed stock of very cheap books (i.e. £1 each) on a visit on 14.01.12.' Thanks Greame. We posted a link to the Daily Telegraph article about the owner at the time of the shop's opening but couldn't find any contacted details. I'm pleased to be able to add it now. - TBG Add a comment
28.01.12 The Oxfam bookshop in Thame opened in December 2000 and has since raised more than £1m for charity within its 500 square feet of retail space ... more Add a comment
24.01.12 Ray Steptoe writes: 'Sadly we have closed our bookshop (Aligemker Books in Nuneaton) as of January 1st. We will however continue to trade via the internet, from our own site, Amazon, Abebooks and eBay. We will still be present at our Nuneaton Saturday Market stall selling general titles, and offer a booksearch service.' Add a comment
23.01.12 Jonathan Potter Ltd has moved to new gallery premises just north of Oxford Street, at 52A George Street, London W1U 7EA. Add a comment
23.01.12 Clive Keeble suggests that if you are concerned about the future of our High Streets, you might be interested in finding out more about the charity Healthy Planet and their Books For Free initiative. Their use of empty shops and the arrangements they enter into with landlords raise a number of concerns, which where discussed on "Radio 5 Live Investigates" last night. The BBC have now put up an article by Adrian Goldburg, presenter of the 5 Live programme. Add a comment
20.01.12 A different book barge is found on London's Grand Union Canal ... more Add a comment
19.01.12 Jeremy Briggs writes: 'I was in Northern Ireland at Christmas and got a chance to check out some of the shops so I thought that you might like an update even if it only to confirm that some of the list are still here. The biggest change for NI is that Harry Hall's (Arcade Books) is now closed. As I said in my review it was probably the best known second hand bookshop in Belfast if not the whole of Northern Ireland but in recent years it was a shadow of its former self and, for all its well known name, its passing wasn't even mentioned in the local paper. The Oxfam in Belfast's Botanic Avenue has taken over the next door shop and knocked through the wall so it is now twice the size and has an impressive selection of titles. The Barnardos book shop at Botanics, Bookends in Bangor, Stacks in Dundonald and Old Abbey in Holywood are all still there and as interesting as they have ever been. I didn't get a chance to check out any of the others but there are two that are not on your list - Atomic Collectables in Belfast, and World of Books in Newcastle.' Add a comment
12.01.12 I've just added the recently opened Cinque Ports Military Bookshop in Tenterden, Kent - but beware, it's only open on Saturdays. Add a comment
11.01.12 Luminous Books in East London is an artist curated bookshop specialising in second hand fiction, philosophy, art and curiosities. Founded in 2009 by Louisa Bailey, Luminous also stocks a range of artists' books, limited-run zines and hosts regular literary events, combining music, films and readings alongside pop-up projects throughout the city and two Luminous collections at the ICA Bookshop SW1 and Andor Bureau E8 ... more Add a comment
11.01.12 Recently added: BOOKS4LESS in the Inshops Centre on Wealdstone High Street. Add a comment
3.01.12 The Petersfield Bookshop - owner John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood is passionate about books and passionate about football. Add a comment
