Barter Books.
We’ve been spending a few days in Northumberland and were in the pretty, little town of Alnwick when the heavens opened, so, soaking wet, we sought shelter. The old railway station had a sign proclaiming that it now housed a second-hand bookshop. Our collective eyes lit up; this sounded the ideal place to steam dry whilst feeding our passion for dusty, bibliographic gems. The place we stepped inside is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!
Alnwick station was built in 1887 to replace the earlier original one. It is huge and very grand, reflecting the ambition of the North Eastern Railway to impress the royal visitors to Alnwick castle, but closed in 1968 as part of the Beeching cuts. In 1991, Mary Manley decided to open a second-hand bookshop in the redundant station, based on the barter system. Barter Books was born. It is now one of the largest second-hand bookshops in Britain, carrying over 350,000 books and a wide range of DVD’s, videos, CD’s, LP’s and tapes.
I haven’t had opportunity to investigate further yet, but first point of interest for me was that prominent in the wrought iron work outside the station are a number of ‘Star of David’. I may be way off mark here, but my guess is that the architect or main financier was a Jew.
Inside, visitors are greeted by a roaring fire, comfortable settees and coffee making facilities
, with an honesty box for buying biscuits. Then through into the main bookshop.
A colourful feature is a stunning mural of authors and some of their characters, which we were agog at, identifying all the ones we knew. A model train runs around the rafters to add to the entertainment for younger visitors.
On the opposite wall is another mural containing all the known names of the railway staff between 1850 – 1968. For whole families such as Blacklock, Douglas and Atkinson the railway was their life-force and I am left to ponder what roles Violet Weallens, Jack Grey and John Tankerville Hopper played in the smooth running of this station, unparalleled in size or grandeur for such a small town.
An art installation, by artist, Mark Handforth, uses the first lines of Tennyson’s great poem, ‘Crossing the Bar’, leading the eye on a journey down the shelves that stretch out like wooden carriages, holding safe their goods. On and on, down the length of the huge station, interspersed with little reading areas and comfy chairs. Around every corner there is a surprise. A tiny mural tucked down at child’s eye-level, an antiquarian map or a leather muffet that begs a story-time break. A section of flooring made from old crating provides the visual stimulus of exotic destination stamps. There are the plain 
ordinary books, but also some very rare antique folios that are fascinating to look at. The “Oh, I used to have that” and the “Wow, look at this” factors are there by the coal shovel full. The old waiting room has more seating for people to take the volumes they find and browse before buying; nobody even seems to mind you reading in the station buffet, which sells a good selection of snacks and drinks. A children’s room has a wooden engine and a fantastic selection of books, including some put together in sets at pocket money prices. The notice board shows a very lively lecture series (only wish I lived nearer!) and there is a bank of internet technology and printers available to
use. Original features like the drinking fountain and railway flags all add to the charm of the place.
I could quite happily have stayed in this bookshop for the whole of our stay. Sadly, I didn’t find the two volumes that I have on my current ‘track down’ list – one is an old HMSO book and the other a favourite childhood memory that I would love to share with my children – but what I did find was a copy of the ‘Poetry Now’ anthology that I had my very first published piece in – a melodramatic doggerel that wouldn’t stand the light nowadays – but it looked as though it had been well thumbed, so I felt a quiet pleasure in knowing somebody had actually read it and that it had been passed on to this illustrious place. 
It was a fortuitous storm that took us into this incredible shop, but, come sunshine or rain, I am determined to return there soon.
What an amazingly creative place, Elizabeth! And how lovely to find your ‘own’ book, well read!
It seems the perfect place to bring children, whom, I am so sad to say, don’t read anywhere near as much as we used to do when I was young. Maybe if every city/town had such a wonderful Barter Books Shop, children would learn to love reading good books again! I know that the Harry Potter series helped to bring reading to the forefront again, but honestly, kids are missing so much more.
Someone should do a blog on the books we used to read. I loved, and still do, Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons series, and my brother used to pass all his Biggles books on to me, and Enid Blyton was another favourite.
Sorry, I am rambling now, but when it comes to me and books, well……
This is a wonderful place, Kathy. I guess it attracts families who are in the habit of reading – certainly the children’s room was filled with little ones sprawled on the beanbags and carpet, or sitting on the wooden train, enjoying books and reading, which was a real pleasure to see.
Like you, I adore books and always have; enjoy the tactile quality and design as much as what is written there, but there is an interesting phenomena at play here. Three of my boys are as passionate about books as I am and they are slowly amassing their own collections. The fourth has no interest in holding or posessing books, but reads voraciously on screen and tells me that that will be the way that the next generation will engage with the written word.I confess that it took me a long time to accept that point of view, but I’ve gradually realised that we all have to find our own way through and just so long as he is reading and absorbing text for either pleasure or knowledge, in whatever way, then I must accept that.
I loved Enid Blyton too…and the ‘Little House’ books, ‘Anne of Green Gables’, ‘Paddington Bear’, ‘Chalet School’…I could go on and on…but my most favourite book as a child was, ‘The Silver Sword’ by Ian Serraillier – oh, how I longed for a silver paper knife shaped like a sword (I actually have one now, but still use the butter knife!!)
Now, who’s rambling? x
Another Arthur Ransome fan here, even though I was a bookish child, nothing like the Walkers or the Blackett’s- except maybe Titty. Two of my best moments in my early reading were when it was Titty who saved the day at the end of S and A and when I realised (maybe two years later) that there were eleven more for me to read.
I’m sure that Barter Books was featured in the Guardian a few years back and I have bought books on line from them but never been in there. I’d love to. It is most definitely my kind of place.
I’m sure you’re like me, Pat, and could probably quite happily set up home there! I’d never heard of it before.
I took a picture of another, enchanting, mural of a child sat looking into the flames – but my blog wouldn’t let me upload it for some reason – which really epitomised all we’ve said about childhood reading. x
Two friends of ours recently moved to Alnwick and they keep asking us to go up to visit them. When we go I shall now make a point of visiting Barter Books. Thanks for the tip. Did you by any chance bump into Moira and Steve?
I know you’ll love it, YP. Alnwick is a great place. x
Oh what an absolutely wonderful looking/sounding place – I am in love & am already thinking of ways to make money enough to pay for a visit. I love Northumberland but haven’t been for a while. Now I am aching to return primarily to visit this sumptous place.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful accidental find.
Kat
I so loved this post that I’ve shared it on Twitter (www.twitter.com/wrightstory) . I think many fellow tweeps will appreciate your bookshop find!
Kat
Thank you, Katina – that’s so kind of you. It certainly is a remarkable place. x