20.12.09. I'm simply too busy immediately before and after Christmas to do anything other than run our bookshop, so I plan to have a break from TheBookGuide until January 2nd. Before I go, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all you bookshop lovers who take the time and trouble to provide updates and reviews. The guide would be much less useful and entertaining without your contributions. A couple of these updates resulted in shops being wrongly closed (sorry again, Gordon) and some of the reviews have caused controversy … but I haven't been threatened with legal action, so I count it as a successful year :) I have all sorts of plans for the site in 2010, but for the moment I'll just wish you a happy Christmas.  Add a comment

16.12.09. Nancy Hamilton writes:'Fair Hare Books, in Botley, Hampshire, is closing this week after nearly a year trading or perhaps a year nearly trading! Thank you to those who braved the ultimately insurmountable problems of access and parking and supported the shop. As many of you already know we are in the process of a somewhat staggered emigration, and my partner being eminently more employable than I, will be off to Canada early in the New Year.
     Fair Hare Books, however, will retain a presence in Botley with the "Traveling Book Shop" making regular appearances in the Botley Market Hall, and other venues in the region. And I'll continue to run the Fair Hare Book Fairs in Dorset, the New Forest, Horndean and Havant. I look forward to seeing our shop regulars in the Market Hall and indeed those latecomers who appeared in our last two weeks saying they had been intending to pop along to the shop for the last year!'

08.12.09. Black Gull Books is a bit of an institution in Camden Market; owner Chris has been there as a stallholder from the market's birth ... more  Add a comment

08.12.09. Recently added: Zouch Books in the Melbourne Hall Visitor Centre, Derbyshire, and House Of Books, Keighley, West Yorkshire.  Add a comment

02.12.09. A rare and beautiful book, donated to the Oxfam shop in Tiverton, is being sold at a relatively knockdown price ... more  Add a comment
    There is only one copy on sale of the 1847 first edition on the internet at the moment at over £2000. It is a fine copy of the deluxe edition, being offered in California. I've no idea what condition the Oxfam copy is in, but I suspect it is closer to the 9 copies being offered across Europe at less than the Oxfam asking price. You might like to look at the site from where Oxfam no doubt selected their information. By the way, we sold an 1860's English edition this summer, also with the lovely hand coloured plates, and in a lovely binding, for just £500. So although I wish Oxfam well with their copy - and hopefully they've got the name of the person who donated it, so that they can claim the gift-aid relief too - I think it's misleading to imply it's a cheap copy. - Stephen Foster 03.12.09.

01.12.09. Opposite Highgate tube station is a tiny little treasure trove. Although it's got a bit of a reputation for being a children's bookshop, Ripping Yarns actually carries a wide range of fiction, magazines, plays, theatre ephemera, politics and poetry ... more  Add a comment

24.11.09. Hot off the press is a booklet listing the 149 UK bookshops run by members of the PBFA, which can be picked up for free when visiting any of their fairs.  Add a comment

20.11.09. Oxfam has attempted to patch up its differences with secondhand booksellers after they accused the charity of driving them out of business in the Guardian this August ... more  Add a comment
    While I sympathise greatly with the plight of booksellers who feel that charity shops have been encroaching upon their commercial interests, it is appalling to hear that the PBFA will now be allowed to step in and syphon off valuable books. Oxfam will be none the wiser if they get ripped off, and money that should go to charity will instead line the pockets of the PBFA (who only represent a small number of booksellers). A far better idea would be for any expert bookdealer to identify any valuable items and then suggest a realistic value for the item; if Oxfam then manage to sell it, the dealer can take a commission fee for providing the valuation advice.
     This new proposal gives bookdealers 'carte blanche' to hoodwink Oxfam, and will ensure that no interesting or obscure finds end up on the shelves, which is the only allure for the dedicated collector. Collectors will now steer clear of Oxfam bookshops because the only stock they are likely to sell will be low value reading copies of BCA reprints or cheap paperbacks.
     This new development is terrible news for Oxfam, non-affiliated bookdealers and the collecting customer. The only people who will profit are the PBFA. People joke about 'the book Mafia' and this smacks of racketeering. - Avid Book Collector 24.11.09.

Your correspondent 'Avid Book Collector' writing on November 24th. about the agreement between Oxfam and the PBFA makes several wrong assumptions and has misunderstood the agreement. But first. The piece in The Guardian copied in part an internal report by me to the members of the PBFA informing them of the meeting between Oxfam and the PBFA. It was not a Press Release but was leaked by a member to a journalist who contributes to the Guardian newspaper. A formal Press Release has now been prepared and has been agreed by both Oxfam and the PBFA. It is a follows:

Oxfam and the Antiquarian Booksellers
"A meeting has been held at the Oxford Headquarters of Oxfam between David McCullough (Trading Director and Deputy CEO) and Sarah Farquhar (Head of Retail Services) for Oxfam, and Peter Moore (Chairman PBFA – The Provincial Booksellers’ Fairs Association) and Robert Kirkman (Chairman PBFA Home Counties North, and a Member of the ABA - Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association).
    The meeting was friendly and constructive and many of the issues which have been raised in both the book trade press and the national media since the beginning of August were discussed at length. A way forward which will be of benefit both to Oxfam and to the Antiquarian and Second Hand Book Trade has been agreed.
    Oxfam receives donations of at least 20,000 books each day. They accept that most of these books are unlikely to be of interest to the Antiquarian Book Trade but also that some shops may not have the expertise or resource to identify those books which may be of higher value.
    David McCullough said: “On the relatively rare occasions on which one of our shops doesn’t have the time or expertise to value a significant quantity of books, it makes sense for them to be able to draw on the extra resource available from a partner member of the PBFA to come in and look at the books. If an ABA or PBFA member could offer a fair price to take them away, it would probably work for everyone. This is a way for us to ensure that we operate even more effectively as a bookseller, and that we can repay the generosity of our donors by making sure we get the best value for their gift to us. We would get a fair sum of money which would go straight into Oxfam’s work, and they would be able to get access to some of the excellent donations entrusted to us by people across the country.“
    The plan has been entered into in good faith as a way of resolving some of the concerns the PBFA has brought up in recent months, to mutual benefit. At the same time it is accepted that Oxfam are chiefly interested in raising funds for their charitable activities. Members of the book trade would prefer to see the better books entering the trade". -Ends.

A careful reading of this will answer the points made by your correspondent. But I can assure him or her that there is no likelihood of the PBFA being, as they say, "allowed to step in and syphon off valuable books. Oxfam will be none the wiser if they get ripped off". The management of Oxfam are not fools. They will only invite members of the PBFA, or ABA, to make appraisals and offer for books when it is helpful for Oxfam for them to do so, and when an offer is made they can either accept or reject it. Oxfam's aim is to raise as much money as possible from the sale of the books (they are a charity and have a legal obligation to do so), and it is likely that only a very small percentage of the huge total of donations they receive will be of interest to the Antiquarian Book Trade.
    Your correspondent also says "This new proposal gives bookdealers 'carte blanche' to hoodwink Oxfam". Nonsense, it does nothing of the kind and your correspondent's comment that "this smacks of racketeering" is insulting.
    Both the ABA and the PBFA have Codes of Practice and Disciplinary Procedures, which have assured Oxfam that members of both Associations can be trusted to trade with integrity and fairness. - Peter Moore (Chairman PBFA). 26.11.09.

16.11.09. Thanks to Richard for pointing out that we had somehow missed the Saltburn Bookshop, and I've also added The Book Emporium in Middlesbough.  Add a comment

12.11.09. I'm delighted to be able to re-list David Herbert's Greenwich Book Place, after his long battle to save his home and business from demolition as part of the Bardsley Lane development.  Add a comment

09.11.09. Sadly, the Grange Old Bookshop in Birkenhead is closing on November 21st, but until then they are having a sale of books priced at a £1 or less. Paul Dearden says that they opened the shop in 1991 and managed to steer their way through the era of internet selling and the electronic media, 'but the present recession has been a serious blow to our book trade.'   Add a comment

05.11.09. Secondhand bookshops may seem like an endangered species in Bristol, but at least one is still going strong despite the recession ... more (Thank you Caro for the link)  Add a comment

04.11.09. John Hale tells us that although The Book Stop in Wolverhampton closed at the end of August, Wolverhampton Books & Collectables has recently opened in the town. And thanks to George Marshall for his additions to, and reviews of, the Hay-on-Wye bookshops.  Add a comment

02.11.09. The "dire situation" for the booksellers of London's Cecil Court was highlighted last week by local MP Mark Field who called on the government to defer the business rate rises he fears could force them out of business ... more  Add a comment

31.10.09. Whist touring the few remaining Cardiff bookshops, The Wanderer discovered Bear Island, in the city's Central Market. And he says there are still last minute retirement sale bargains at The Bookworm & Video Shop, in Hereford.  Add a comment

28.10.09. Charing Cross Road used to be the heart of the secondhand book trade in London. One of the all too few remnants of the those glorious days, is Any Amount of Books at No 56 ... more  Add a comment

27.10.09. Many thanks to Laurence for being the first to review any of Bristol's bookshops, and to another Laurence who reports that the only place you can now buy secondhand books in Ludlow ... is at the newly opened Oxfam Bookshop.  Add a comment

21.10.09. It's ironic that as I was about to link to the Londonist's feature on Biblion in Mayfair, I should discover that they are to close on December 24th.  Add a comment

16.10.09. PBFA founder Gerry Mosdell and his wife Glenda have recently opened The Junction Bookshop in Llandudno, North Wales.  Add a comment

13.10.09. Book lovers in Chard are looking forward to a new chapter at Hooked on Books in Holyrood Street as the shop prepares to re-open on Friday ... more  Add a comment

12.10.09. Second-hand bookshops, Cliff Richard, pandas . . . your time is up ... more  Add a comment

12.10.09. Chris Harte has nothing but praise for Claude Cox and David Shacklock Books in Suffolk, where Reed Books of Aldeburgh have recently opened a second shop. And many thanks to Corso for his reviews of shops in North and West Wales.  Add a comment

08.10.09. The recently added C P Books in Edenbridge advise that a chair is provided for visitors and toys are available for children to use while parents browse. As one engaged in active grandparenting, it sounds like bliss.  Add a comment

08.10.09.The final chapter in the 23-year career of Clitheroe booksellers Gordon and Gillian Hill ... more   Add a comment

08.10.09. Mission accomplished - aged mother installed in attractive and friendly care home ten minutes walk away. I could write at length about the energy the process has consumed, but instead I will update the site and try and sell a few books ...   Add a comment

04.10.09. 04.10.09. Rehousing aged mother in Stroud and hope things will be back to normal by midweek. She's much better, thanks for asking.   Add a comment

28.09.09. Distant mother hospitalised again so out of office until the end of the week.  Add a comment

28.09.09. After 23 years trading, Gordon & Gillian Hill of Bowdon Books, Clitheroe, are retiring at the end of this year. Their retirement sale, when all stock will be 50% off marked prices, will start on Thursday 1st October and run until the last day of trading, which will be Thursday 31st December.  Add a comment

25.09.09. The ‘King of Hay’ is to be “executed” this weekend after rebels declared the independent kingdom he created some 30 years ago a new ‘commonwealth’ ... more  Add a comment

24.09.09. Slightly Foxed, the independent literary quarterly has taken over the Gloucester Road Bookshop in South Kensington ... more  Add a comment

18.09.09. St Giles Hospice, which cares for people living with cancer and other serious illnesses in their homes, has opened a secondhand bookshop in Uttoxeter ... more  Add a comment

17.09.09. Lancashire bookseller Bryan Seddon has shut his shop after an attack and arson threat ... more  Add a comment

16.09.09. Sedbergh, England’s Book Town is holding its fifth Festival of Books and Drama between 18th and 27th September. The theme this year is Travel and Adventure and the wide-ranging programme features some great travel writers, adventurers and entrepreneurs in the travel business ... more  Add a comment

09.09.09. Honiton bookseller Graham York is biting back against charity shops - by competing with them. "Instead of complaining, I'm under-cutting them," he says ... more  Add a comment

07.09.09. London photographer Mike Tsang specialises in portrait and documentary shots and has had a wander round the city's antiquarian book dealers for this collection ... more  Add a comment

07.09.09. Sadly, Sax Books in Saxmundham, Suffolk will close on 31st October, at lease end. Until then all books are reduced by 25%. More positively, Quiller Books, is a recently opened shop selling secondhand and antiquarian books, maps and prints, in Buntingford, Hertfordshire. Also in Hertfordshire, I have just added David Ford Books, which will be found above the Gillmark Gallery in Hertford.  Add a comment
    Sorry to learn this bookshop (Sax Books) is closing - always a welcoming hallo ! - Gavin 08.09.09.

03.09.09. The Ellwood Books versus Oxfam story makes it to the New York Times ... more  Add a comment

02.09.09. On August 25th customers were alarmed to discover a Notice of Forfeiture and the locks changed at the Quinto Bookshop in Central London. According to Quinto's Greg Coombes, this was the result of long-running problems in trying to renew the lease on the property. The good news is that the shop was able to reopen on Friday the 28th, but on terms that Greg regards as less than satisfactory. There has been a bookshop on this corner of Charring Cross Road since Joseph's opened in 1904, but it's believed that the landlords (who are now the Soho Housing Association) are trying to ease the bookshop out. The full story is too complex to go into here, but I hope to return to it at a later date.
     If you are concerned about the future of London's bookshops, details of the Cecil Court campaign for increased small business rate relief can be found here.  Add a comment

29.08.09. My mother has been rushed into hospital 130 miles away, so no news or updates until I can get back to the office.  Add a comment

21.08.09. I'm out of the office between August 22nd and the 31st, so no news or updates until then.  Add a comment

21.8.09. "A survey of sales and donations across Oxfam’s network of 700 high street shops today reveals the biggest names in donated fiction, in the first-ever high street secondhand bestseller chart." Here's their press release - essential reading for independent bookshop owners.  Add a comment

20.8.09. Elaine Beardsell is retiring from Holmfirth’s Toll House Bookshop after 28 years, but she is to continue to indulge her love of books by selling antiquarian books from home ... more  Add a comment

18.8.09. The Wanderer has been checking out some of the Lincolnshire bookshops, and rather uncharacteristically, has something nice to say about an Oxfam Bookshop. And many thanks to Tom Lawson for his update of the North Yorkshire bookshops.  Add a commentt

13.8.09. A couple of additons: the recently opened Evergreen Livres in Stow-on-the-Wold, and Brendon Books in Taunton, who are now selling secondhand as well as new books.  Add a commen

10.8.09. Browsing a dealer's list online is not the same as seeing a book by chance, flicking through it, smelling it, turning it over in one's hands, says Simon Heffer ... more  Add a comment

10.08.09. Oxfam's head of retail has defended the charity’s way of doing business after it was blamed for the closure of a Salisbury bookshop ... more  Add a comment

07.08.09. It has been a long time coming, but at last someone is questioning the benefit from charity shops, even if his motives are not entirely altruistic ... more  Add a comment

07.08.09. The debate around the perceived unfair competition between Oxfam’s 130 specialist bookshops and other second-hand bookshops has brought out strong feelings in support of the secondhand book trade and has suggested some lack of understanding of the present size and activities of Oxfam ... more  Add a comment

06.08.09. I'm slightly foxed. Secondhand booksellers are taking up cudgels against Oxfam. For those of us who count ourselves as devotees of both, it's a bit of a quandary ... more  Add a comment

06.08.09. The owner of Dylan's book store in Swansea is among those complaining that Oxfam has an unfair advantage when it comes to selling second-hand books ... more  Add a comment

06.08.09. Jeremy Briggs reports that Oxfam's flagship bookshop on Edinburgh's Royal Mile has recently reverted to an ordinary Oxfam shop.  Add a comment

06.08.09. It seems I am not the only one to find (Oxfam books project manager) Suzy Smith's comment that they are 'not operating for private gain, but to eradicate poverty' a bit hard to take.
    Obviously, Oxfam's army of volunteer workers and all the donators of books experience no 'private gain' (other than karmic) but what about the paid staff? Aren't wages 'private gain'? I thought what Oxfam actually did was use its bookshops PROFITS for the eradication of poverty. And profits are something most Independent bookshop owners are sorely short of at the moment.  Add a comment

06.08.09. Yesterday morning the BBC TV Breakfast Show featured the 'Oxfam killed my bookshop' story. And the article on their website includes a link to a discussion on the Today Programme, between Peter Moore (PBFA) and Sarah Farquhar (Oxfam).  Add a comment
     We all support any assistance given to those less fortunate than ourselves, but this is hardly a level playing field. Charities nowadays seem to be target-driven sales organisations and retailers, hardly the original aim when they were founded. What salaries are area managers and middle and senior management in the major charities earning? The general public and donors would probably be surprised if they knew. As an aside, the Glasgow Oxfam shop on Byres Road is probably the most expensive charity bookshop in Scotland, so the public certainly won’t be getting any bargains there! - Allan Campbell 05.08.09.
    It seems to me that, along with many other Charity Shops, Oxfam is rapidly becoming less of a charity and more a major business now. I don't know where the dividing line lies between the two, but I do have some sympathy with the independent book trade. When an organisation such as Oxfam becomes so successful it seems harder to justify the 80% rate reduction which, along with donated books and often free labour, give them such a terrific advantage. Sometimes the book trade has only itself to blame. For example, apart from one shop, every bookshop in Lewes charges £6 for a bog standard Observer book, many in poor condition. Now that is one town where an Oxfam Bookshop would certainly drive prices down, but in this case in the public's interest! - Steve Newman 05.08.09.
    I'd love to open a second hand bookshop. We no longer have one here in Boston, Lincs. Unfortunately there's at least 11 charity shops in town. Most occupy a prime position. Two have a very good book section, the others reasonable. When they get their stock for free, the staff for free and reduced rates how am I supposed to compete? - John Metcalf 03.09.09.

04.08.09. What's wrong with Oxfam selling secondhand books? ... more  Add a comment

04.08.09. Oxfam is the new Tesco ... more  Add a comment

04.08.09. True book-lovers will never love Oxfam. Hannah Adcock says the second-hand bookshop is here to stay, despite the rise and rise of its rival ... more  Add a comment  

04.08.09. Today's Guardian has a further report on the accusation that Oxfam is taking away trade from professional booksellers ... more  Add a comment

30.07.09. Marc Harrison closed Ellwood Books in Salisbury on Saturday, and says that Oxfam effectively put him out of business ... more  Add a comment

27.07.09. My thanks to Alastair Palmer for his Herefordshire update, Robert Brown for his Southport and North Wales reviews, and Chris Harte for his continuing reviews of Kent's bookshops.  Add a comment

22.07.09. As Oxfam celebrates its role as Europe’s biggest retailer of second-hand books, four Times writers see what used bargains they can find for £10 ... more  Add a comment

20.07.09. Visitors to Stroud this summer will have a rare opportunity to see a spectacular 212-year-old book, which documents the discovery of Woodchester's world famous Orpheus Pavement ... more  Add a comment

20.07.09. Waterfield’s, which has been selling secondhand books in Oxford since 1973, is to close at the end of the summer ... more  Add a comment

15.07.09. Paul Harris of Oxford House Books in Hay-on-Wye writes: "Oxfam claim to have sold over £17,000 worth of books during Hay Festival. They also claim to have filled a container (I don't know if that was a 20' or 40' container) with book donations from the public. It's difficult to be precise about what that exercise sucked out of Hay-on-Wye's traditional economy, and it's difficult to be seen criticising a charity, but if you have a bookshop, and the Oxfam team are on their way to your area, don't be too delighted. That £17,000 will help pay the annual bill for one of their bookshop managers, and it will do no favours for the independent bookseller."  Add a comment
    Heartened to hear that Oxfam had a good Hay festival. Great idea to have a second hand bookselling , in a town of second hand books. As a local dealer who has to pay for his stock and pay an ever increasing rates bill, my heart swells to see a competitor who presumably didn't pay for their stand, pays minimal rates on their businesses and nothing for their stock. Nevermind, if I'm out of business in a couple of years, I'm sure Oxfam will be there to help me out - Peter Harries, Boz Books 15.07.09.
    Endorse fully Peter's comments re; Oxfam. Love Boz Books, by the way. This is why I don't feel too bad about buying a copy of Elsie Oxenham's Biddy's Secret for £1.49 in Oxfam not too far away. So perhaps they don't don't know as much as they like to think - or as I suspect, this title is so scarce that they couldn't find a copy on the net to 'help' with their pricing. Why do I feel ashamed that I don't feel ashamed? - Jill Jones 21.07.09.

13.07.09. The writing may be on the wall for the UK's secondhand bookshops, but what does it actually say? Mike Goodenough, long-time bookshop owner and editor of TheBookGuide, tries to make some sense of it ... more  Add a comment

07.07.09. I'm sorry to have to report the impending closure of The Crane Bookshop, Julian Nangle's latest venture in Chichester. Julian is holding a "fire sale" with 50% off all books, starting June 29th and running until the shop finally closes on August 22nd.  Add a comment

06.07.09. Is online bookselling the way of the future, or will we traditionalists, with our love of dusty bookshops and the pleasures of the browse, have the last laugh? ... more  Add a comment

02.07.09. Oxfam are launching their first national book festival, called Bookfest, from 4 to 18 July, with around 300 events taking place around the country. Bill Nighy, Alexei Sayle, Monica Ali, Joanna Trollope, Mark Haddon and Philip Pullman are all volunteering in an Oxfam bookshop to launch the campaign, sorting books, doing window displays and serving customers throughout the day on 4 and 6 July ... more  Add a comment

29.06.09. Steve Newman writes: "I have mentioned Greenwich Book Place before. The place looks even more derelict now, locked and barred, the adjacent property in imminent danger of collapse and much scaffolding/boarding up in evidence. I have now made 5 visits and the place is more derelict each time I go. Time to say farewell I regret to say. South London Book & Record Centre was part of the old Greenwich market that has now closed for redevelopment, premises locked and fenced off today, so farewell again. Now the good news. A new, well old to be honest, 'Junk Shop' that has a considerable number of books. Far more than Oxfam at Blackheath, and far cheaper than the nearby Bookshop On the Heath. Indeed, Observer Books that cost £20-£30 in the Bookshop on the Heath can be had for £4-£5 here. As the name implies it is a general antique/house clearance/book shop, but as it is only 4 doors down from Halcyon Books well and worth a look if in the area."  Add a comment

25.06.09. Kake Pugh points out that the Hellenic Bookservice in North West London has moved down the road to 49-51 Fortess Road. And the Hythe Bookshop, which has been selling new books for 30 years, opened a secondhand department in May.  Add a comment

20.06.09. Recently added: Scottish Ornithologists' Club Bookshop in East Lothian, Bix Books in Skipton, North Yorkshire, and Bondgate Books in Bishop Auckland.  Add a comment

15.06.09. Richard recently discovered Holybourne Rare Books in Alton, Hampshire (heavyweight stock and prices to match) and the Monkton Nature Reserve Bookshop (standard donated charity stock but very cheap).  Add a comment

15.06.09. Apologies for my belated return to the keyboard -- our otherwise most enjoyable trip cost us the car -- so the last few days have largely been taken up with finding a replacement ...  Add a comment

29.05.09. I'm out of the office until 11.06.09, so no news or updates until then. I shall do my best to stay out of bookshops whilst away, but you never know ... :)  Add a comment

28.05.09. Andrew Haddow reports that all three shops selling secondhand books in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lanchashire have closed. Let's hope it doesn't become an epidemic.  Add a comment

26.05.09. The Guardian gave actor Diana Quick and screenwriter/novelist David Nicholls a tenner each to spend in Hay's second-hand bookshops. How would they fare? … more  And The BBC's Aaron Heslehurst talks to Richard Booth, the man who came up with the Hay-on-Wye book town concept ... more  Add a comment

23.05.09. According to a visiting bookdealer, a long-time assistant in a friend's bookshop had applied for and been offered the managership of a local Oxfam bookshop. On her first day, as part of the induction process, she was apparently told "Oxfam's mission is to put all the other secondhand bookshops in Britain out of business". I related this story to an Oxfam manager I know well, expecting him to dismiss it out of hand. Instead he said that senior management were always stressing that Oxfam were the biggest secondhand booksellers in the UK, and that on the last occasion he had felt compelled to tell them that being the biggest didn't mean they were the best …  Add a comment
    I've just read the comments regarding Oxfam Bookshops supposed mission statement of wanting to put all other second hand bookshops out of business. Now I'm fairly sure that I'm not alone in having a slight dislike of their bookshops (over-priced, low quality, un-informed staff, I could go on...) and have always held a belief that they somehow consider themselves above all other bookshops, but surely this is an all new low? If this is some sort of company policy, how does this sit with their charity status and its aims? Is there any chance of asking Oxfam for an official comment on this? And if indeed this is true then do we, the lovers of the UK's second hand book trade want to continue shopping with Oxfam? Truth be told it's all left me speechless (and a little depressed!) - Mat 29.05.09
    It is not now and has never been Oxfam's mission or policy to "put all other second hand bookshops in Britain out of business". Oxfam's bookshop teams, which include 3000 volunteers who give their time to Oxfam unpaid, work tirelessly to provide a quality book offer to raise funds to fight poverty and suffering around the world. They work hard to deliver a well priced and unique selection of books and music utilising the generous donations that the public provide to support our work. Oxfam believes that the second hand book market is large enough to accommodate commercial second hand book retailers as well as charity retailers selling second hand books. - Suzy Smith Oxfam Books Project Manager 02.07.09.

19.05.09. Despite being told that World's End Bookshop in Kings Road, London would close at the end of March, Bernard Dixon reports that they are still trading and have a 30% off sale that still has several weeks to run. Ring 020 7352 9376 to check.

19.05.09. Since the 17th century it has been the street to visit for the connoisseur seeking rare and antique books and maps. But the traders of Cecil Court are warning that a unique piece of London life could disappear as rate rises and the recession threaten their businesses ... more  Add a comment

14.05.09. Roxann Bilger has all but 8 of the 612 titles in the Oxford World's Classics series and she will be driving from Glasgow to London, starting in mid-June. She's keen to visit as many bookshops as possible, so recommendations as to the best route (as well as individual shops) would be most welcome.  Add a comment

09.05.09. Jean Vaupres was hoping to reopen Lighthouse Books in Charmouth this Spring but Chris Barnard says that it has permanently closed. On a brighter note, just a few miles away a second bookshop can now be found in Bridport. Wild and Homeless Books opened in February and is conveniently opposite the long-established Bridport Old Books.  Add a comment

05.05.09. Just added: Simon Baynes - Books & Memorabilia in Shrewsbury, the Second Hand Bookstall in Enfield, London and Derek's Books in Preston and Chorley markets  Add a comment

01.05.09. I've recently added Macthorpe Books in Paignton as part of an update of the town's shops provided by Steve Newman. However, on ringing the shop to confirm its opening times I discovered that it is to close on June 30th. The problem of attracting those who still have an interest in books to England's traditional seaside towns, is seeing a decline in bookshop numbers on a par with those in city centers.  Add a comment

27.04.09. The recent death of Derek Belton, founder of the West Country's various Book Barns has heightened concern and speculation about the future of his remaining business, BookBarn International at White Cross in Somerset.
     I've been told that the theft of a computer at Christmas has led to difficulties in identifying books consigned by individuals and in paying for those that have been sold. And prompted by the scenes at Bristol's abandoned Book Barn at the end of February, a local bookseller attempted to discover what the future might hold for the remaining Book Barn.
     A member of BookBarn International’s staff told him that Derek Belton had handed over power of attorney to a firm of accountants which, it subsequently transpired, seems to be a small tax investigations firm and which now has overall responsibility for running the business. The staff member was happy to pass on the company’s name and the dealer duly phoned them.
     The dealer's interest extended beyond the future of his own books lodged there and he wished to know if the business would be for sale. Apparently the conversation became increasingly heated, with the company spokesperson demanding to know who at BookBarn International had revealed this information, as he said it was confidential. The spokesperson then initiated two further phone calls to the dealer, who described them as turning into 'a very unpleasant and threatening encounter'.  Add a comment

27.04.09. Oxfam claim that the recession has forced the closure of their Rochdale bookshop. Assistant manager Steve Cooke has been angered by the decision. He said: "It appears that Rochdale is too poor a town for Oxfam to consider viable for a continued presence." "It is well documented that Rochdale is a town with high levels of poverty and deprivation, but apparently Oxfam’s business plan has no underpinning policy that would allow this factor into the equation" ... more  Add a comment

22.04.09. Catching up with Bookride today reminded me that I had forgotten to mention Simon Callow's recent article in the Guardian entitled Rampant bibliocide. The piece ends by urging readers to write, urgently, to MP Mark Field, who is masterminding a campaign to save the Charing Cross Road bookshops.  Add a comment

20.04.09. Recently added: Tomes of Buxton in Derbshire, Periwinkle Press near Canterbury, Wolverton Books in Milton Keynes, and Judith Neal Books at the Clare Antiques Centre.  Add a comment

17.04.09. Many thanks to you all for the deluge of updates and reviews sent in over the past few weeks. It's been a struggle to keep up and space doesn't permit me to highlight all of them here. However, I must mention the well-travelled Chris Harte who has sent in reviews of 36 shops he has visited in the past 4 weeks.  Add a comment

14.04.09. Second Nature writes: 'Have just done a tour of Lowland Scotland. Vailima Books in Kirkcudbright is now permanently closed -- a note in the window says "Thanks to the summer visitors and to the very few locals who have supported the shop over the years! And Pend Books in Whitehorn is now only trading on the internet and is not open to visitors." SN went on to review some of the Wigtown shops.  Add a comment

11.04.09. Nigel Burwood writes in his Bookride blog, that he is reliably informed that "the great Shipley Art book emporium is soon to reopen in fancier premises."  Add a comment

10.04.09. Idwal's Books, late of Stourbridge have moved to 33 the High Street, Lye, West Midlands. And Robert Brown reports that Henry Bohn is in the process of reopening his shop at the side of Lime Street Station, in Liverpool. Unfortunately they were just putting the stock out, so he couldn't get in -- can anyone else provide contact details?  Add a comment

07.04.09. There doesn't seem to be much love amongst our readers for The Fifteenth Century Bookshop in Lewes, East Sussex.  Add a comment

06.04.09. Learning of the death of Brian Ives the owner of Simon’s Books in Somerton, Somerset, was a poignant moment for me. He was the last of a generation of truly eccentric West Country bookshop keepers, which included such off-the-wall practitioners as Robert the Book in Swansea, Sidney Martin in Cheltenham, and Thomas Bennetto in Ilfracombe ... more  Add a comment

03.04.09. John Adams Books in Tonbridge was just days from closure but has been saved by last-minute negotiations. The shop is to be restocked following their closing down sale but will soon be back to its full glory, opening up to seven days a week and supplying new as well as secondhand books ... more  Add a comment

01.04.09. Avid Book Collector writes: 'I visited Blickling Hall National Trust bookshop in Norfolk on the first day of the new season and was appalled to hear the staff proudly claim that they now check every book carefully on the internet before pricing it at a comparable price. When I asked where the incentive was for book collectors they looked blank as though I was speaking a foreign language. When I went to pay for my half dozen books the lady at the till eyed a vintage Edgar Wallace paperback with great suspicion and said that if she'd priced it she would have asked for "much more" (the book cost £1 and there are several on the internet priced between £3 and £5). However, she failed to find anything remiss in the pricing of an early Jane Austen title at £1.80 (yes, one-pound-eighty) yet the cheapest copy of the same book listed anywhere on the internet is £600 (that's six-hundred-pounds). All of which goes to prove that the ability to switch on a computer to use Bookfinder is no substitute for actual book-collecting experience.'  Add a comment

31.03.09. Allan Campbell shares his thoughts on some of Glasgow's bookshops. And Barnacle Books (late of Londonderry) have recently reopened in Kesh, County Fermanagh.  Add a comment

28.03.09. On February 28th I wrote that Derek Belton, founder of the West Country's various Book Barns, had suffered a stroke and was seriously ill in hospital. I was told yesterday that he had failed to regain consciousness and has since died in hospital.
     I have also to report the sad news that Marion Richmond of Ming Books (one of the original Wigtown bookshops) has died of a heart attack. She was 64 and was buried in Wigtown on March 19th.  Add a comment

26.03.09. The Wanderer thought the Carnforth Book Shop lovely but was less than impressed by Past & Present.  Add a comment

23.03.09. Kellow Books in Chipping Norton have moved from 6 Market Place to 21 High Street. And ... it Takes Two in Wotton-Under-Edge has moved across the road to number 24 Long Street.  Add a comment

19.03.09. The Book Barge, which will retail from a converted 60 ft narrowboat at the popular waterside development of Barton Marina in Staffordshire, is the brainchild of local entrepreneurs Sarah Henshaw and Stuart Dixon ... more  Add a comment

13.03.09. It's been reported that Red Snapper Books in Cecil Court, London, has disappeared. Apparently they were still trading last Saturday but the shop was empty on Monday morning ... apart from a bowl of daffodils and a copy of Memoirs of a Bankrupt Bookseller in the window. And Stephen Foster says that Simon Finch has closed his shop in Maddox Street. However, the company website states that they plan to open again at 26 Brook Street in the near future.  Add a comment

12.03.09. Henry Middleton writes: "Galloway & Porter have recently opened an antiquarian book department on the second floor of their Sidney Street premises in Cambridge, though stock levels have yet to build up."  Add a comment

10.03.09. Tougher times are boosting sales at secondhand bookshops, says Peter Robins ... more  Add a comment

06.03.09. As a result of last week's media circus, endless people have been bending my ear about the future of Somerset's remaining Bookbarn. A few days ago Bristol-based bookdealer, Steve Liddle, took a look ... more  Add a comment
    Interested to read this article on the Bookbarn. My only experience of this company was in attempting to buy a book via Abe for around £15.00. After some weeks and chasing they admitted they couldn't find it but would send me a copy when they obtained one. I pointed out that this was a signed book and, as they would not be likely to get another signed copy soon, could they give me a refund. Despite numerous reminders (phone and email) this never arrived. Bunch of greedy amateurs swiftly going down the tubes I hope. - Dave Garnett 09.03.09.

03.02.09. The Wander is as forthright as ever in his examination of some of Glasgow's bookshops.  Add a comment

05.02.09. The Oxfam Bookshop in Henley-on-Thames has reopened in new premises ... more. And I've just added Dunkeld Books, a small, but apparently growing bookshop, just north of Perth.  Add a comment

28.02.09. Bristol's abandoned Bookbarn made both the local and national news this week when the building's owners invited people to help themselves to the piles of books left there by the company. Needless to say, there was much derisive internet chatter about the whole affair, as well as speculation about the future of the remaining Somerset Bookbarn. Such concerns will be reinforced by the news I received yesterday, that Derek Belton, the Bookbarn's founder and principle driving force, had suffered a stroke and is seriously ill in hospital.  Add a comment

23.02.09. Nancy Hamilton, organiser of a number of southern book fairs, has recently opened Fair Hare Books at the Mill in Botley Village, Hampshire. She says that the shop is small but her aim is to keep a good general stock, and is hoping to build up an oceanographic and exploration section, alongside the usual expected nonfiction areas. Although the decor is currently a rather forbidding cold industrial tiling, a warm welcome awaits all visitors. Parking at the Mill can be a problem but the shop is less than a minute from Botley Square, which has plenty of parking.  Add a comment

20.02.09. Steve Newman writes: "Had a look round various bookshops in SE London yesterday. Was rather surprised to find out Cassidy's Gallery, Greenwich, SE10 had been closed 3 years! You might have thought someone would have reported this one before now. After all Greenwich does have 5 shops (4 now) listed in your guide, so should have a few visitors. Also has a very interesting Antique Market on Saturdays, quite a few of the stalls had odd books etc. Greenwich Book Place was closed at the time of my visit 1pm, but I notice the hours are shown as 2 - 6pm. Does have a rather derelict look to it though, everything locked and barred, not sure if this is still in business."  Add a comment

18.02.09. With the help of family and friends, autism sufferer Brian Rafferty has opened a secondhand bookshop in Broughton Street, Edinburgh ... more  Add a comment

16.02.09. Joanna Chambers, one of the few surviving booksellers from the ill-fated Blaenafon Booktown, has reopened Broadleaf Books in Abergavenny. If the shop is as welcoming and the stock as interesting as its previous incarnation, it should be worth visiting - particularly if your interests lean towards the arts, photography and natural history.  Add a comment

16.02.09. The discovery of a long-forgotten wartime poster has proved a profitable find for a secondhand bookdealer in Northumberland ... more  Add a comment

12.02.09. Michael Ross reports that Griffith & Partners of Great Ormond Street, London, has closed. "It had been struggling and indeed had been put on the market. A shame - possibly the smallest bookshop in England? It was crowded if more than two people were in the shop at the same time."  Add a comment

11.02.09. You might assume charity shops are thriving during the recession as cash-strapped shoppers flock to pick up a bargain ... more  Add a comment
    Maybe one reason people are haggling in charity shops is because with books in particular, the prices are beyond what many people expect to pay in charity shops. In one such shop in our town, there is currently a book in the window advertised at SIXTY POUNDS - in writing. Gordon Hill 15.02.09.

09.02.09. I'm pleased to say that I have finally caught up with all the reviews sent in since Christmas, my thanks to all of you. Whilst it's impractical to mention all the reviewers, I must single out George Marshall who sent in additions, updates and reviews of 24 shops - ranging from London to North Wales.  Add a comment

05.02.09. Abbey Books has traded in Paisley for about 25 years, most recently at Wellmeadow St. It is now under new management and moved to 2 Well Street. I've also just added the Arcade Bookshop in Reading.  Add a comment

04.02.09. Charing Cross - the fading world of books An interactive guide to the corner of London once famous for its bookshops. (Many thanks to Hans Loef for the link.)  Add a comment

03.02.09. The first floor of the Oxfam shop in Caversham has been converted into an Oxfam Bookshop ... more  Add a comment

31.01.09. Appologies to all of you who have sent in shop reviews which have not yet been added. Since Christmas my inbox has been bulging with updates, corrections and additions which I have had to give preference to. With any luck I will have caught up with the reviews by the end of next week.  Add a comment

29.01.09. Is the Hay-on-Wye Festival ruining the UK's first Book Town? ... more   Add a comment

27.01.09. The Bookshop on the Heath's 6th Annual Winter Book Sale runs until 12th February. Books are half-price and most are not internet-listed.   Add a comment

22.01.09. Recently added: Jambala Secondhand Bookshop in Bethnal Green, London -- the first shop we have been able to list for East London, since Antique City Bookshop closed! And the Salvation Army Charity Shop in Bolton, Lancashire, which says it has good condition second hand books in all categories -- and if you can't see what you want -- just ask for Dave ... more  Add a comment

20.01.09. The second-hand book trade is not what it was. In the honesty bookshop in Llanwrtyd Wells, situated in a street where almost everything has closed down, there’s a sign. It’s fixed to a container with a slot in the top. It reads: “Honesty Box – Hardbacks £1, Softbacks 50p.” Below it is taped a second sign. This one says: “Someone is putting lighted paper into this box. This is very dangerous and I shall try to find the person responsible” ... more  Add a comment

16.01.09. A Dutch dealer visting the UK in early February is looking to buy a substanial lot of science fiction books. Please let me know if you think you can help and I wil pass on the details.  Add a comment

14.01.09. It's a pleasure to be able to re-list Unsworth's Booksellers at their new location in St Martin's Court, which is off Charing Cross Road, near the Leicester Square tube station. Add a comment

13.01.09. The booksellers of Cecil Court, located just off London’s Charing Cross Road, celebrated an unprecedented occasion on the drizzly November night last year – the publication of a new book about their famous street ... more  Add a comment

06.01.09. Murder One crime bookshop on London's Charing Cross Road will close its doors at the end of January, just five months short of its 21st birthday ... more. And the Kenny Gallery has forsaken Galway city centre and joined the internationally-renowned Kenny Bookshop in Liosbán Retail Park ... more  Add a comment

05.01.09. The Wanderer has been out and about in Lancashire and has a warning for anyone visiting The Old Pier Bookshop in Morecambe. Add a comment

01.01.09. Chris Mawson, whose CV includes spells at Foyles and Paton Books (St Albans) has opened Eye Bookshop in the small north Suffolk town of Eye. Although small at present, Chris hopes to expand the shop to feature a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction titles, with an emphasis on books in good condition. Eye is just two miles off the main A140 Norwich-Ipswich road and is unusual in that both the town's car parks are free. The shop is open from Monday to Saturday.  Add a comment

News from 2008