21.12.07.
A happy Christmas and peaceful New Year to all our readers. Thanks again to everyone
who sent in updates, reviews, and news - or just words of encouragement. Add
a comment 20.12.07.
John Bacon has discovered that Invicta Books, Black and White Books, and Martin
Smith, all have books in the Hungerford
Arcade in Berkshire. Add a comment 17.12.07.
I don't know when Ike Ong sold Skoob Books
but a few days ago ckw622 put this movie
on You Tube. Filmed in the shop, Ike confesses that selling Skoob Books "was
quite a relief" and says that he now believes that "e-commerce is the
solution to selling books." Add a comment 13.12.07.
Richard Beaton visited Bedford yesterday and was impressed by The
Eagle Bookshop, which he describes as "well
worth a visit." Add
a comment 08.12.07.
I'm pleased to see that Roger Collicott, who for many years traded as the Honiton
Old Bookshop, has reopened in Moretonhampstead as Dartmoor
Book Gallery.
Add a comment 04.12.07.
A 29-year-old Newbury man who threatened Invicta
Bookshop's Simon Hall with a syringe, has been jailed for more than three
years ... more
Add a comment 03.12.07.
Angus O'Neill rather
belatedly contacted me to say that he had closed the Omega Bookshop in Cecil Court,
London, about a year ago. The good news is that the shop has since reopened as
Greening Burland, who continue to
specialise in Literature. Add
a comment 27.11.07
A recent visitor to our shop thanked me for producing TheBookGuide, but said that
he was unsure if we really wanted comments about the shops he visited. I have
to confess that I was surprised by this, as I thought I had alwas gone out of
my way to encourage visitors to comment.
So, just to
make it absolutely clear;
visitor's comments (along with updates) make the site a much more useful resourse
than it would otherwise be, so do please keep sending them in. Add
a comment 22.11.07.
Jeremy Briggs writes: "I was at Kinross
Saturday market recently doing my customary trawl through Mr
Mitchell's selection of children's annuals. He was talking to another customer
who was standing beside me and she was telling him that she had learnt about his
big stall on TheBookGuide.
When he said that he had
not heard of the site, she proceeded to quote my short review almost word for
word to him, and he seemed quite pleased to hear that good things had been said
about the stall.
I just kept my head down and smiled
to myself - they probably wouldn't have believed me if I had told them who I was.
The customer spent over £20 which, considering that his average price tends to
be around £2, was a lot of books." Add a comment 17.11.07.
On November 1st 2005 I wrote an article
entitled, Rumors
of the secondhand bookshop's death are greatly exaggerated, in response to
the stream of articles lamenting the passing of the secondhand bookshop. At the
time I stated that TheBookGuide listed over 1,000 shops, as opposed to the figure
of 600, which was being widely quoted. A little over two years later and I see
that we are listing 1,047 shops. It's certainly been a tough two years for many
full-time bookdealers, but bookshops at least seem to be holding their own. Add
a comment 13.11.07.
Fidra Children's Bookshop which will
stock new and old editions of classic children's stories, opened its doors for
the first time in Edinburgh last Saturday ... more Add
a comment
12.11.07. The
Invicta Bookshop has recently
had problems with drunks and druggies, so don't be suprised to find the shop door
locked. But don't be put off, as it's well worth making the effort to visit one
of the few shops that still resists the internet. Add a comment 08.11.07.
From the outside, the Barbican
Bookshop in Fossgate gives no hint of the treasures within. But if you continue
past the shop's bright front room, which sells mainly new Christian books, you
enter a labyrinth which is almost like a journey back into York's past ... more
Add a comment 05.11.07.
Richard Beaton says that he recently visited Sandgate Passage in Sandgate, Kent,
and found the shop stripped bare and shut up. And Martin Chandler sadly reports
that Keegan's bookshop in Reading, is no more.
Add a comment 03.11.07.
Jan and Ron Sear have reopened The
Amorous Cat bookshop on Lark Lane in Liverpool, after selling secondhand books
online for the past six years ... more
Add a comment 01.11.07.
For Charles Leakey, owner of Leakey's
Bookshop in Inverness, the Competition Commission's suggestion that Britain
needs yet more supermarkets was as unwelcome as it was perverse ... more
Add a comment 01.11.07.
Against stiff competion, Astley Book
Farm has won the prestigious Godiva
Award for Best Shop in Coventry & Warwickshire, and they also took the Bronze
award in the Visitor Attraction category - no mean feat in are area containing
Warwick Castle, Coventry Cathedral & Twycross Zoo. To celebrate and thank their
loyal customers for voting they are holding a Big
Thank-You Weekend on 3rd & 4th November, with 15% off all stock. Add
a comment 29.10.07.
Steve Douglas writes: "I've just discovered your site and I'm checking out
the various bookshops in my area. I thought you should know that Abacus Books,
24 Regent Road, Altrincham, the first shop listed in the Cheshire list, closed
around ten years ago! It was very good, but long gone, I'm afraid! Add a
comment
What
can I say ... That means it had closed four years BEFORE I listed it! However,
one should remember that the sources I initially used to compile this guide, were
all notoriously out-of-date. What makes TheBookGuide unique is your enthusiasm
for updating it. - and that means that over time it's becoming more, rather than
less, reliable. - TBG. 25.10.07.
A novel written and signed by a famous film director, combined with a private
edition about a local clock-making family, could net an Aylesbury charity shop
the equivalent of an average week's takings ... more
Add a comment
Whilst
I can see that the clock book COULD make £500, can Michael Powell's signature
in a £20 - £40 book really add over £1,450 to it's value? -
TBG. 21.10.07.
Richard Knowles wrote that despite being in Horbury for six years, Rickaro
Books was not in the guide. I'm surprised that no one spotted them, but they
are included now. Add
a comment 16.10.07.
Jeremy Briggs tireless search for secondhand bookshops in the North East has turned
up the recently opened Berrydyn
Books in Berwick-Upon-Tweed -- which the owner describes as stocking "excessively
cheap books." Add
a comment 12.10.07.
Recently added, Snowdrops Book
Shop in Worcester, and Cormelian
in Hayle, Cornwall. Add
a comment 11.10.07.
Kensington and Chelsea council have adopted a radical package of measures aimed
at saving the small shops in the London borough. The plan could act as a blueprint
to protect the individual character of other UK town centers, and give some hope
to many beleaguered independent bookshops ... more
Add
a comment 08.10.07.
When Steven Foster reopened his father's old shop, Fosters'
Bookshop in West London, he told me that he hoped that in due course the opening
hours would be extend. I'm pleased to be able to report that a little over a year
later, he is now opening the shop from 10.30 to 5.30 on Tuesday to Saturday.
Add a comment 04.10.07.
Michael Gowen says that The Book Jungle in St. Leonards on Sea is no longer open
as a "shop", so I have removed it. He is now using the premises as an
office and storeroom for his internet business, however, he still occasionally
opens the doors to purchase books or sell those surplus to his internet requirements.
Coincidentally, I'm trying to come up with a more
inclusive definition of what we regard as a "shop". "Actively encouraging
the visiting public" is the phrase that springs to mind. Any thoughts?
Add a comment
If
you change your definition to “Actively encouraging the visiting public” you might
have to delete half your entries! What about “fails to impose sufficient deterrents
so as to dissuade personal callers” - Gary. 01.10.07.
Louise Abbott of Crabpot Books in
Norfolk has written to appologise
for being closed when Henry Middleton tried to visit in August. Whilst
many shop owners have no alternative but to close in exceptional circumstances,
far too many booksellers still seem to give little thought to the irritation and
inconvenience caused to potential customers by their erratic hours.
Add a comment 27.09.07.
The Oxfam Bookshop in Worcester
High Street has received one of the most significant donations in recent history
- 90 first edition hard back Stephen King novels in their original covers ...
more
Add a comment 26.09.07.
Lucy Baggott, co-owner of Wychwood
Books in Sheep Street, Stow, is looking the part of Sleeping Beauty for a
special exhibition running from October 6 to 21 at the antiquarian and second-hand
bookshop ... more
Add a comment 22.09.07.
A derelict barn in rolling North Herefordshire countryside has been brought back
to life as a progressive book store
in a £100,000 scheme run by two former HarperCollins executives ... more
Add a comment 21.09.07.
Antiquarian and rare bookseller Gardener & Cook is to open a concession at the
Foyles Charing Cross Road flagship branch.
Around 400 books on gardening, horticulture and food and drink, from the 18th
century to the present day, will be on sale instore, with prices ranging from
£10 to £10,000 ... more
Add a comment 19.09.07.
Stephen McClarence makes tracks around the country to train-related bookstores
... more
Add a comment 17.09.07.
The small Irish town of Graiguenamanagh in Co. Kilkenny holds its 5th annual Town
of Books Festival from September 21-23, when the town will be transformed
into a Town of Books for the weekend. It's certainly a different approach, but
one which seems to be paying off, with a permanent antiquarian book market being
established in Graigue, and more bookshops planned for the future. Add
a comment 14.09.07.
As part of the George Eliot: Scenes Revisited Festival - celebrating the 150th
anniversary of her first book, "Scenes of Clerical Life" - Atherstone's bookshops
are hosting three events on Saturday 22nd September ... more
Add a comment 12.09.07.
It makes a refreshing change in these days of contracting opening times to be
told of a shop that has extended theirs. Sue Liddon, a regular visitor to Solway
Books in Scotland, says that they are now permanently open on Mondays, not
just in the summer. Add a comment 09.09.07.
About
a month ago John Hale visited a bookroom in Hawes, North Yorkshire. Details were
scant, but I added it anyway. Alerted by a friend, the the owner has just contacted
me with the full details for Bloomindales. Add
a comment
04.09.07.
After twenty-five years
Phil and Karen Woolley have closed their shop, the Black Cat Bookshop, in Leicester.
The landlord was unwilling to renew the lease as he wishes to redevelope the property.
However, you can continue to visit the Woolleys at their stalls in Leicester
Market, were they trade as Phil's Books and the Black Cat Bookshop. Add
a comment 01.09.07.
A rather belated reminder
(I seem to have dropped off their mailing list) that the Sedbergh
Festival of Books & Drama, continues until Saturday 8th September.
Add a comment 31.08.07.
"Just wanted to
thank you for a superb website, well organised, well detailed, and with very helpful
maps. You have helped me to locate several bookshops in Leeds that I hope to visit
today."
Tom Scott's praise is most welcome, but
much more important was his subsequent report that one of the shops we listed,
had recently closed. What makes this guide truly valuable is your efforts in keeping
it updated. To misquote Drif: The most important thing about a bookshop is that
it should be open.
Add a comment 28.08.07.
Roger Allen found what he thought might be an interesting open bookshop listing
their books on ABE. However, they gave no address or telephone number on the site
and didn't answer his emails. A wasted opportunity on their part, as he was passing
through East Grinstead last week but wasn't willing to spend a wet day looking
for the shop. However, I'm pleased to report that armed with Roger's info I've
been able to track down The Book Shop
and added it to our guide today.
Add a comment 24.08.07.
Clive Cheeseman has recently completed a trip round some southern and south western
bookshops, and has kindly provided updates and reviews for shops in Dorset,
Berkshire
and Wiltshire.
Add a comment
20.08.07. What
would the King of Hay say about Clarey Rudd invoking his name and declaring the
Southern California city of Ventura an 'International Book City'? ... more
Add a comment
17.08.07.
Thanks to both Clive Keeble and Richard Simms for pointing out that Kim's Bookshop
in Worthing closed on 4th August, after 36 years in the town. Declining footfall
is blamed, but Kim's Bookshops in Arundel
and Chichester are unaffected.
Add a comment
17.08.07. Just
added, Red Books, on the old harbour
in Weymouth. Sadly, they sent in their details while I was away on holiday ...
in Dorset! 13.08.07.
Henry Middleton writes: "Concerning Crabpot
Books in Cley, Norfolk (see News 12.07.07).
The shop is certainly there, and according to the board outside opening hours
are 10.00 - 5.30 Monday to Saturday. However, on an August Tuesday afternoon at
1.45 p.m. the door displayed a notice (untimed) which read "Back in 30 minutes".
It was still present (and the shop still shut) an hour later when I (and the other
potential customers I noticed with noses pressed against the window) decided to
call it a day and move on.
Perhaps I shall call in
next summer, if it is still in business. This was a shame, since the stock looked
good, and I spotted through the window several books in which I would have been
interested. What would Drif have said?!"
Add a comment
I'm so sorry to have disappointed Henry Middleton
when he visited in August. It really is very rare for us to have to close unexpectedly,
and I know exactly the day he refers to. I'd had to ask my partner to come and
pick me up from the dentist having had a tooth extracted; there were some complications,
and we were ages getting back. Still, that hardly helps. Do pass on our apologies,
and we hope to see him next summer. - Louise Abbott (Crabpot Books) 29.09.07. 04.08.07.
I'm joining the holiday exodus for a week away with my extended family, so no
more bookshop news until August 13th. 01.08.07.
I was pleased to hear from Jane McClement that Draycott
Books in Chipping Campden has opened again after the recent floods. (See 24.07.07.)
She says that opening times will be a little erratic whilst they cope with the
disruption caused by a foot of water in the shop, and suggests that visitors ring
first. Add a comment 31.07.07.
Many thanks to Clive Cheeseman
for his updates and reviews of bookshops in South
East London, Kent
and East
Sussex. Add a comment 24.07.07.
Draycott Books in Chipping
Campden has been hit by the floods in Gloucestershire."We have definitely lost
one book which is 400 years old and a beautiful old family bible, but there are
so many beautiful and valuable books, each worth £80-125, which were caught in
the water" ... more
If
you are thinking of visiting shops in any of the flood effected areas of Gloucestershire,
particularly Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, do ring first and check that
they are open. Add a comment 23.07.07.
Recently added, the Sanquhar Bookshop
in Dumfriesshire. The opening paragraph on their website begins: "To say
that the Sanquhar Bookshop is unusual is to make an understatement. For a start,
it is within what was a slaughterhouse - one that still has its original fittings."
Must be worth a visit! Add a comment 19.07.07.In
a further update, Mike Jobling has sent me contact details for the following:
Keimar and Riverbank
Books in Newton Stewart, Scotland, Cavern
Books and Knutsford Antiques
in Cheshire, and The Orchard Bookshop
in Huddersfield. Add a comment 19.07.07.
Caro Newland reports that the body pulled from the River Avon in Tewkesbury
on July 6th has been identified as Gershom Wood.
We
remember Gershom for his tiny Dickensian bookshop in Upton-on-Severn and as a
regular exhibitor at the Churchdown book fair, until his mother's death in 2004. Add
a comment 12.07.07.
If you think that in the twenty-first century it's easy to find contact detail
for almost anyone -- particularly those running shops -- you would be wrong.
For
instance, I've had a number of reports of a shop in Cley,
Norfolk. I've finally managed to obtain what I think is their postal address but
a telephone number still eludes me.
Similarly, the
Greenwich Book Place in London
--- which is the subject of a well publicised planning
battle and even has a website
devoted to the fight to save it -- provides no contact details. I'm
indebted to Roger Allen for at least establishing that it is currently open.
If
readers can help with phone numbers (or email addresses) for either of the above
I would be most grateful. Add a comment
09.07.07. Jeremy
Briggs has covered a surprising amount of ground recently, and provides further
informative reviews of bookshops in Aberdeen,
The Highlands and The
Lowlands.
He also suggests that I consider splitting
the Scottish shops into The Lowlands, Aberdeenshire, and The Highlands & Islands,
in an attempt to make the listings more coherent.
Any
other thoughts on how best to represent the shops in this huge geographic area
are most welcome. Add a comment
05.07.07. Bob
'the Beard' has been a stallholder at the Southbank Centre book market, under
the arches of Waterloo Bridge, for the last twenty years. He's the spokesperson
for the market which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and it's being
marked during the first London Literature Festival from 29th June to 12th July
on the Southbank.
You can listen to what he had to
say on the yesterday's Radio 4 Midweek programme, here.
Click
on the 'listen again' button - Bob is first up. (Many thanks to Steve Archer for
the link) Add a comment
03.07.07. I have
a simple rule for including a bookshop in this guide: I should either have visited
the shop personally or communicated by phone or email with the owner. Occasionally
this leads to readers asking why I haven't included a particular shop. A case
in point is the the Little Fleece
Bookshop in Painswick, just a few miles up the road from me. It's been "Open"
of about eighteen months, but on the half-dozen occasions I've tried to visit,
it's been closed, and currently sports a note in the window announcing "Open
Again Soon". As so many have asked, I've included it with a cautionary note. Add
a comment 29.06.07.
Margaret Davidson has
moved her long established Winram's
Bookshop from Aberdeen, to a more rural loction -- a converted outbuilbing
on her farm at Ballater. Add a comment 27.06.07.
I found little opportunity for bookshop browsing whilst looking after my mother
in Burry Port, West Wales -- not that I would have been spoilt for choice if I'd
had time on my hands.
If you are looking for anything
other than holiday reading or modern secondhand nonfiction, there really are only
two possibilities, Dylan's Bookstore
in Swansea and Carmarthanshire
Rare Books. Dylan's is stuffed to the ceiling, and treasure can be found
if you are prepared to negotiate the teetering mountains and recent avalanches
of books. Leo's Carmarthan shop is smaller and better organised, but I never leave
empty-handed. Add a comment 17.06.07.
My elderly mother has been taken into hospital, so no updates until I return from
visiting her -- hopefully towards the end of the week. Add a comment 14.06.07.
My thanks to Dennis Beer for providing contact details for a number of shops in
the South West. So far, I've been able to verify and add, Chandos
Books, The End Bookshop and The
Good Book Shop in Devon, as well as Trigon
Books in Dorset. Add a comment 13.06.07.
A Greenwich bookshop owner is angry his home and business are to be bulldozed
to make way for a development he says is "a massive monstrosity" ... more Add
a comment 12.06.07.
Of interest to anyone concerned about the survival of independant bookshops, is
the announcement that one of Scotland's largest publishers has bought the first
in a series of bookshops ... more Add
a comment 09.06.07.
Sadly, a much-loved St Albans' bookshop is due to close after more than 40 years
trading in the city centre. Paton
Books in Holywell Hill, "a treasure trove of second-hand and local history
books", will close at the end of June. Until then they are holding a closing
down sale, and all the stock must go ... more Add
a comment 07.06.07.
According to today's Telegraph, notorious book scout and bookshop reviewer Drif,
is to be the subject of Iain Sinclair's next book ... more
Add a comment 04.06.07.
Lesley Reader's excellent "Book Lovers' London", lists iterally hundreds of bookstores
ranging from general and second-hand to those specializing in almost any arcane
topic you can imagine. And a book browser in London may be treated to an unexpected
literary connection ... more Add
a comment 01.06.07.
Two thieves swiped £200 from Barter Books in Alnwick using the scam known in criminal
circles as "ringing the changes" ... more
Add a comment 19.05.07.
I'm away in Cornwall until the end of the month, so no more upates until early
June. Although I hope to spend as much time away from bookshops as possible, I'm
sure I wont be able to resist checking a few out on your behalf. :) Add
a comment 19.05.07.
Sadly, I've just heard from Jeremy Briggs that Hencotes
Bookshop in Hexham is to close at the end of June, and until then they are
having a half price sale. On the plus side, I've been able to add some more of
Jeremy's informative reviews to the shops in Durham
and Northumberland.
Add a comment 14.05.07.
CNB reports that the Book Barn in Bristol has closed and since mid-February retail
operations have been based at Temple
Cloud. There is now a second Book Barn on the site, but this one is apparently
modern, bright, with a better grade of stock, and no sign of ex-library. Add
a comment 12.05.07.
Recent UK experience seems to have done little to diminish enthusiasum for the
book led model of economic recovery. Australia's Clunes, with it's classic - largely
intact - gold-rush era architecture, is just the latest to want to become a Book
Town ... more Add
a comment 10.05.07.
You may remember us reporting last year that Hurley Books had opened a seasonal
bookshop in the Old Weighbridge, Charlestown,
Cornwall. They have recently opened another bookshop in Mevagissey,
which is in much larger premises and is open all year round. Add a
comment
04.05.07. Eric
Moore, the founder of Eric T. Moore
Books in Hitchin, has died aged 94 ... more Add
a comment 03.05.07.
I was very pleased to hear from Roger Allen that Skoob,
central London's much missed bookshop, had finally been able to reopen - more
or less in it's old location.
A message on their website
states: "Despite the loss of 18 months while the Brunswick's concrete was
remoulded and developed, we hope to be a refuge from the chainstores and predictability
of London's retail environment, while providing quality books and a service second
to none. How it was, where it was!"
Roger,
who made a quick visit the other day, says the shop is in a basement with very
basic shelving -- but there's a lot of books at reasonable prices. Add
a comment 01.05.07.
Michael Shapiro recently sought an audience with the King of Hay ... more Add
a comment
30.04.07. I think
It's very difficult for readers to get an acurate picture of what's really happening
to secondhand bookshops in the UK, when every high profile closure is greated
by the press with more gloom, doom and hand-ringing despondancy.
I
hope to deal with the subject at some length in the near future, but what I will
say now is that we are currently listing some 1,078 shops -- slightly up on the
number listed at the end of 2005.
Visit them, and help to keep their doors open. Add a comment 28.04.07.
I'm sorry to have to report the closure of Ron Gabbott's Ye Quaynt at Newton Stewart
- particularly after Jeremy Briggs gave it such a positive review, just a short
time ago. Ron has returned to a warehouse in Dalmellington, which he may open
to the trade in due course. The good news is the Ron says that there are still
two secondhand books in Newton Stewart, and they will appear here as soon as I
can conform the details. Add a comment 26.04.07.
Geoff Martin reports that Oxfam have opened a book & music shop on Durham's
Elvet Bridge. He's heard that it's
quite good - although he hasn't visited it yet. (Thomas Krebs from Switzerland
has just emailed to say that he recently visited, and it's large and well-stocked.) Add
a comment 25.04.07.
I'm indebted to Jeremy Briggs for yet more of his informative reviews of bookshops
in the north of England, and in particular for the addition of Barter
Books in Seahouses, and Bay
Books & Records, in Whitley Bay. Add a comment 24.04.07.
If a week goes by without me spending some time in a bookshop I grow grumpy and
agitated, like a cow that hasn’t been milked ... more Add
a comment
It
is what Nicholas Basbanes calls a "gentle madness". A week without buying something
- even from a charity shop - is time lost. The one you wanted might have been
there on that day. - D Marcus. 19.04.07.
There's an all-singing, all-dancing opening planned for Amnesty's latest book
shop in Brighton ... more Add
a comment 19.04.07.
Poet and publisher Alessandro Gallenzi has stepped in to ensure that the Calder
Bookshop remains in The Cut and continues to be a focus for literary talks and
events .... more Add
a comment
17.04.07. Yealtaland
Books, owned and run by husband and wife team Andrew and Alexis Jennings, has
just opened in Scalloway, Shetland ... more Add
a comment
14.04.07. Corfe
Books in Surrey have revised and consolidated their opening hours, and now,
like an inceasing number of shops, are only opening from Wednesday onwards. They
have also, according to the owner, just bought a large collecton of railway and
industrial history books. Add a comment
13.04.07. In
his new book 'Pies and Prejudice', Radio 2 DJ Stuart Maconie refers to Gildas
Books in Chester as, 'the best located bookshop in Britain.' Owner Scott Lloyd
hopes this will help him sell the business, which he needs to do so that he can
concentrate on his post graduate research. Add a comment
10.04.07. Martin
Stallion has retired from bookselling and nolonger has books at All
Books in Essex. However, he reports that Philip Hopper (fishing books) and
Felicity J Warnes (fashion, costume, jewellery & needlework), are now installed.
Martin remains a book collector and says he will keep us updated on any shops
he visits.
Add a comment
03.04.07. The
end of the story has come for John Prescott and his Twickenham bookshop after
40 years selling books in the area. John, 81, began trading from a trestle table
in his Petersham Road garden ... more Add
a comment
31.03.07. Thanks
to Herne for his addition to and reviews of, the Broadstairs
bookshops. And
to Freda Reynolds for her updates and reviews of bookshops in Noth
Wales. Add a comment 29.03.07.
Paul Gentil of Avia Books closed his Cirencester bookshop on Saturday, and is
moving to an Industrial unit to concentrate on Bookbinding and internet sales.
He can be contacted on 01793 759108. Add a comment
26.03.07. Jeremy
Briggs maintains that Ye Quaynt in Newton
Stewart, is as good as, if not better than, any of the nearby Wigtown shops. Add
a comment 24.03.07.
Hilary Macaskill takes us on a tour of the UK's Book Towns ... more Add
a comment
23.03.07. Tributes
have been paid this week to the owner of a secondhand bookshop in Finchley who
"brought people together." Martin Gladman is believed to have taken
his own life after his shop in Nether Street, next to West Finchley Tube station,
was forced out of business in December 2005 ...more Add
a comment
I was deeply shocked to hear of Martin's recent
death. He was the epitome of the perfect bookseller. Nothing was too much trouble
for him and he always kept a book on one side for me when I popped in "I thought
you might be interested in this, George". Both of my daughters were helped in
their school studies by Martin who kindly found them all sorts of excellent books.
He will be sadly missed. - Dr George Grimble.
What
very sad news I found when I googled Martin Gladman to find out if he was still
in business. He was always so kind and helpful, with such a sparkling intelligence.
What a tragedy that he lost his shop. He will be very sadly missed. - Ruth Piazzon.
17.11.07. 22.03.07.
After more than four decades in secondhand bookselling, John
Prescott and his business partner Romy Rey will close the door of their shop
in Twickenham for the last time on Sunday 1 April, after an everything-must-go
75% off sale from 24 March.
John will be known to
many from his days at The Richmond Bookshop and Hampstead Book Cellar, and his
presence on the streets of London will be missed. Add a comment
20.03.07. Graham
Eastwood recommends Sharston Books
in Manchester, of which he says: "I spent just over two hours there and only
managed to look through British topography and architecture. Prices are also very
reasonable." Add a comment
19.03.07. Steve
Newman visited Browsers in Epping on Saturday, only to find the premises locked
and deserted. However, he has also discovered a shop we didn't have listed, Gillmark
Galleries in Hertford, which as well as specialising in county maps has two
floors of general secondhand books. Add a comment
17.03.07. The
addition of Mike Banwell brings the
number of secondhand bookshops we have listed in Tunbridge Wells up to six. Richard
describes his discovery as: "A small shop with a small - but interesting
and attractive - stock, and a few antiques." Add a comment
09.03.07. Sean
O'Donoghue reports that the Mad Monk, who had opened a bookshop at 1 Castle Wall
in Hay on Wye, closed it almost immediately. Other news
from the kingdom of Booth is that Mark Westwood's old shop has been bought by
Andy Cooke, and it is destined to become another remainder outlet.
As
to the King himself, Sean says that nobody really knows what he's up to, but it's
thought that he has finally sold his shop, possibly because of renewed concern
about his health. Add a comment
07.03.07. Joel
Segal Books are offering trade buyers 20% off all books until the end of March. Add
a comment 06.03.07.
Jeremy Briggs was not only as good as his word, but also rather faster than I
anticipated, in providing reviews of a further four Edinburgh
bookshops. And also in Scotland, Carol
Argyris finds Leakey's
Second Hand Bookshop, which has been transformed from a church into a huge
bookshop, entirely to her liking. Add a comment
03.03.07. Actor
and broadcaster Peter Marinker, creative director of The Bookshop Theatre Company,
has announced that he is pursuing opportunities to save the Calder Bookshop.
"Despite the apparent threat of a sharp increase in rent the bookshop remains
a viable business enterprise" says Peter Marinker. "It combines new and second-hand
books with a continuous programme of readings, performances and workshops at evenings
and weekends" ... more
Add
a comment 02.03.07.
In an opening ceremony on Wednesday 7th March, the Atherstone college refectory
on the Ratcliffe Road site will be officially renamed 'The Booktown Bistro', and
while continuing to serve its renowned high quality meals to students and shoppers,
will also stock a range of books tailored to their interests. You can read the
rest of their press release here. Add
a comment 26.02.07.
Chris Howell has closed WYSIWYG Books in Coleford, the Forest of Dean after little
more than a year trading. He writes, "unfortunately this is due to a number
of factors, including lack of tourists, wrong location, and possibly, lack of
enthusiasm from the local populace." Add a comment 23.02.07.
I'm indebted to Jeremy Briggs for his reviews of ten Edinburgh
bookshops. These range from Till's
Bookshop - "If you have only time to visit one secondhand bookshop in Edinburgh,
make it Tills" - to the half dozen charity bookshops, that have all proved to
be a good source of material for his current interests. Reviews of other shops
are promised, as the opportunity arises. Add a comment 22.02.07.
Just added: Unicorn Tree Books,
who specialise in gently read genre fiction, and Pegasus
Children's Books. Both can be found in Lincoln's Central Market. Add
a comment 19.02.07.
The Malvern Bookshop in Worcestershire
will be closed for the rest of February and will re-open on March 2nd. Add
a comment 16.02.07.
Tlon
Books at the Elephant & Castle, which claimed to be "the world's best second-hand
bookshop" has reopened after closing suddenly at the end of January, when the
premises were repossessed by the landlords.
To celebrate
the re-opening the shop is holding a sale with 20% off all books ... more Add
a comment
15.02.07.
Allan Campbell recommends the The Logie
Steading Bookshop, his favorite shop in this area of the Scottish Highlands. Add
a comment
14.02.07.
Evans and Short, who
trade in secondhand gardening and cookery books on Atherstone's Farmers' Market,
will be formally opening their new venture in the back room of Butler's
Book Emporium, at 2.00 pm on February 17th. On sale will be a selection of
books in a wide range of foreign languages, as well as large print, talking books
and art books - with wine and other refreshments for their customers and guests.
Butler's Book Emporium itself only opened just before
Christmas, and Ian Butler reports that after a quiet January, trade in the shop
is picking up nicely.
It's hoped that Evans and Short
will eventualy open in premises of their own in Atherstone. Add
a comment
13.02.07. I've
met some querulous bookshop owners over the years in the UK, but they pale into
insignificance when compared to the owner of The Antiquarian Bookstore in the
Portsmouth, USA ... more Add
a comment
10.02.07. Admitting
defeat in keeping this guide updated in its current form, seemed to open my eyes
to a solution, which I have been blind to all the time. :)
As
a result, I have been able to process the entire backlog, and the Bookshop Guide
is now up-to-date. I have added some thirty shops, links to which will appear
in this news section over the coming weeks, as space permits.
Lets
start with the five shops Richard tracked down in Hampshire,
four of them along a one mile stretch of road in Southsea! Add a comment
09.02.07. Chris
Tyzack reports that the Jericho Bookshop, Oxford, has sadly closed at the end
of its lease. Add a comment
The owner was a sarcastic Northerner, one of the
type of bookshop owners who look as if they would like to charge for browsing.
Rather sorry the shop closed though. I last went in there about January as I have
on and off for six years or more - there was no indication they were on the verge
of closing. Seldom bought but enjoyed browsing. - Roger Howe. 28.08.07 08.02.07.
I can only apologise again for the delay in adding new listings, and ask for your
patience until we get all the data into the new databases. The promised
help in achieving this has been delayed by another project overrunning by about
six weeks, but an end is in sight. Add a comment 01.02.07.
Roy Meador was a writer and bibliophile who turned to his hobby for inspiration
when he wrote "Book Row," a history of the New York antiquarian book trade ...
more Add
a comment
01.02.07. Carlisle's
Oxfam charity store is the latest to be re-launched as a dedicated second-hand
book shop ... more
Oxfam
is the largest retailer of second hand books in Europe, selling in the region
of 11 million books per year. Most of the 750 Oxfam shops around the UK sell books,
and around 100 of these are specialist bookshops or specialist book and music
shops. Add a comment
25.01.07. The
world’s most dangerous bookstore? If you know of a UK contender, send us some
pictures. Add a comment
23.01.07. When
Jeremy Briggs was over in his native Northern
Ireland for Christmas he took the oportunity to go around some of the bookshops,
and provided us with updates. Sadly his report includes some closures, including
The Old Bookshop, Lisburn - "one of the best of the NI bookshops albeit with
far too many books for the size of the shop."
On
the other hand, he says that Bookends
in Bangor "has moved two units up the hill while apparently keeping the old
unit (although the only way to get into the old shop is to ask in the new one).
They have more that enough stock to fill both."
Jeremy
also comments that "one of Northern Ireland's best known politicians is a
second hand book collector and, on more than one occasion when there was a suspiciously
bulletproof looking car parked outside, I have gone into some of the bookshops
to find him (and his body guards) looking at various titles." Add
a comment
18.01.07. Islington's
last secondhand bookshop could be dealt a death-knell by the Council's decision
to sell more than 200 properties in a bid for cash ... more Add
a comment
16.01.07.
Steve Archer is well-impressed with the British
Heart Foundation Books & Music shop in South West London. Add
a comment 09.01.07.
The star of the escapologists is Driffield, or drif field, who nearly steals the
book: two contributions are about him and three by him.
Driff
was a book dealer – a specialist bookfinder and trade “runner” – who found fame
when he self-published an obsessively thorough guide to Britain’s secondhand bookshops
... more
(Thanks
to Nigel Burwood for the link.)
Add a comment 03.01.07.
The final chapter has closed on popular Ivor Simpson's second career as a bookseller
in Bromsgrove's Market Hall ... more Add
a comment 02.01.07.
Julian Nangle has sold Words Etcetera
Bookshop in Dorchester to Simon Rushbrook, who used to have a bookshop in Hungerford.
The shop will continue to be run in a similar fashion, with Julian offering selected
books for sale there.
However, Julian's plans to run
his business from home in Dorchester are currently frustrated by the need to evict
some 'bolshy' tenants. In the interim, he's temporarily operating from the Isle
of Wight and can be contacted on
07884 363225. Add a comment 02.01.07.
In the latest issue of the ever readable IOBA
Standard, Laura Smith chronicles her journey from online bookseller to small town
bookshop owner, in Hale, Michigan ... more Add
a comment
News from 2006
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