ImagesBrighton pictures of the week 28-8-2006

IMAGESBRIGHTON photography by david gray
	H A Y O N W Y E B O O K S H O P S
	P I C T U R E S O F T H E W E E K 2 8 - 8 - 2 0 0 6

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There are over thirty secondhand bookshops in Hay-on-Wye and, considering this is a tiny place miles from anywhere, the obvious question is - Why ? The answer is Richard Booth, the marvellous character who bought Hay Castle in 1961 and opened what rapidly became the world's largest secondhand bookshop. Other booksellers followed and Booth declared Hay to be the first "Book Town", independent from English rule and with himself as its king. Forty years later and, though Richard Booth still has his home-made crown, his book operations have been scaled back to just two outlets. One of these is in the open air beneath the castle and, unsurprisingly, the stock is not exactly of prime quality. But that doesn't matter, it's part of the fun of Hay and the town's bookshops are full of rare, valuable and interesting volumes on pretty much every subject you can think of. Richard Booth made Hay a paradise for book lovers and deserves all praise for doing so. The pictures in this set were taken in May 2004 and August 2006.

Richard Booth's outdoor bookshop at Hay Castle in August 2006 (image 2684-21)

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