Book shops: Our local islands of lost content

Every town should have at least one: a secondhand bookshop. Lucky us to have these lively treasure stores… BOOKENDS, Emsworth High Street (open Mon-fri 10.00 – 4.00, Sat 9.30 – 4.30; 01243 372154)

There was more than a warm, well-informed welcome from Jo Bray (pictured above) at the ideally positioned premises, a strategic magnet for readers since 1999.

There was a charming novelty – an introduction to fore edge painting on a £200 book about Portsmouth harbour. This specialised technique, applied to just one side of the book’s page edges, was like looking at a gloriously busy slice of horizon.

Jo recalled: “When former librarian Carol Waldron retired in 2018 I took Bookends over with the help of my partner, David, and all the current staff.

"For 20 years I had been working for Heffers Bookshop in Cambridge. We moved back to the south coast in 2017. I was fortunate to start working for Carol here that year.

“Although the shop is small we pack an amazing variety of books into it. Emsworth is a small town big on history, including the oyster fleet. Most subject areas are represented, so there’s something for everyone.

“Our stock is nearly all secondhand but we have a range of new books about the local area, and various titles by local authors, fiction and non-fiction.”

How important is that eye-catching window?

“Very,” says Jo. “Our regularly changed display of books and cards always attracts passing pedestrians. We can track down and order books that customers are looking for, secondhand and new.

"Not everyone wants to shop online, and many elderly residents may not easily be able to travel to other towns with bookshops.

“We also stock a good range of greetings cards, especially high quality art cards, and several ranges of cards featuring Emsworth and environs by local artists. The cards, competitively priced, have a loyal following in the town.”

She added: “We support local music events run by Wemsfest and Emsworth Music Club by selling their tickets. We often sell tickets for other local events such as plays and concerts. We have a notice-board to display events going on in the area along with adverts from local businesses etc.”

Books, of course, are the foundation and Jo concludes: “I am always interested in purchasing books, although we are constrained by space.

"I will come to look at books within a small radius of Emsworth if there are too many to bring in to the shop. Please enquire before bringing books in. There may be nothing we require at the time.

“We are always happy to receive donations of books and many people are very generous. It really does help our business to survive in these difficult times.”

READER’S GOOD BOOKS (Petworth, Market Square, daily 10am – 5pm, 01798 342090),

As an airline pilot Arthur Bullard (above right) was making pinpoint landings every demanding day.

Now his business survival partly depends on commercial precision: his handsome shop is parked with textbook accuracy plumb in the town centre.

Don’t be thrown by ‘Reader’s’, not a selling ploy, merely a (middle) family name borne with gratitude.

Step inside and you are boarding a business (never economy) flight to about 8,000 ‘destinations’, with another 2,000 in reserve off premises.

The shop’s carpeting, stylish hearth, leather chairs, strategic lighting and slightly quirky layout past elegant bookcases, out to a charming garden, all conspire to whisper ‘browser’s