Halcyon Books
1, Greenwich South St, SE10
You know, sometimes a place is so obvious to write about that in my increasingly muddled mind, I think I've already done it. I could have sworn I covered Halcyon Books bloomin' months ago but since I can't find it anywhere, presumably I didn't...
A dying breed, secondhand book shops in Greenwich. We seem to be losing them all, one by one (most recently Marcet Books in the little passageway between Nelson Rd and the market) but one that is clinging on - and still seemingly doing pretty well, is Halcyon in that little row of stores in Greenwich South St that includes Stitches & Daughters (or whatever it turns out to be next) and the Junk Shop.
Handily, whilst googling Halcyon for the exact address, I found a fun competition from abebooks where the prize was visiting 10 booksellers around the world, including Halcyon - my kind of competition. Shame it's finished...
Apparently the owner, Matthew Hubbard, started the business as a stall in the market in 1988, moving to an actual shop in 1995. So it's 20 years old this year. Nice one. Congratulations, Matthew.
I'm always rather suspicious of neat second-hand book shops, but that's not something you can level at Halcyon. While the shelves themselves are pretty well-ordered, there seem to be veritable landslides of volumes at the foot of each section, more than ever just now, waiting, tantalisingly, for space on the racks themselves.
It's bigger than it looks from the outside, going right back into the recesses of the shop, but I'm yet to see a good secondhand bookstore that had enough room for all its stock (at one I know on the south coast you literally climb up piles of books to get to the shelves) and Halcyon, happily, is no exception, bulging at every seam. There's a small local section, a lot of geographical stuff and an enormous amount of military books - hardly surprising, given the history of the area. The classics shelves probably have a little more room now after my own last visit where I cleared them of Trollope. Sorry chaps - but I guess you probably have more. I still need The Warden, btw...
Much of the bog-standard stuff is 'priced to sell,' but very little costs huge amounts (well, not that I've seen.) Staff are friendly and helpful - on my last request they double-checked and then cross-referenced my query. No luck - but that's not the point. They made the effort and believe me, I ask obscure...
From a vibrant selection of secondhand bookshops in Greenwich we have gone to a paltry couple plus a remainder shop and a mega-chain. I did wonder whether Halcyon keep afloat by selling on the internet, but although the domain name is taken, I can't find any website, save a rather obscure bit on abebooks. So for now it's still a proper, hands-on vistors' bookshop. We need to keep visiting to keep it that way...
You know, sometimes a place is so obvious to write about that in my increasingly muddled mind, I think I've already done it. I could have sworn I covered Halcyon Books bloomin' months ago but since I can't find it anywhere, presumably I didn't...
A dying breed, secondhand book shops in Greenwich. We seem to be losing them all, one by one (most recently Marcet Books in the little passageway between Nelson Rd and the market) but one that is clinging on - and still seemingly doing pretty well, is Halcyon in that little row of stores in Greenwich South St that includes Stitches & Daughters (or whatever it turns out to be next) and the Junk Shop.
Handily, whilst googling Halcyon for the exact address, I found a fun competition from abebooks where the prize was visiting 10 booksellers around the world, including Halcyon - my kind of competition. Shame it's finished...
Apparently the owner, Matthew Hubbard, started the business as a stall in the market in 1988, moving to an actual shop in 1995. So it's 20 years old this year. Nice one. Congratulations, Matthew.
I'm always rather suspicious of neat second-hand book shops, but that's not something you can level at Halcyon. While the shelves themselves are pretty well-ordered, there seem to be veritable landslides of volumes at the foot of each section, more than ever just now, waiting, tantalisingly, for space on the racks themselves.
It's bigger than it looks from the outside, going right back into the recesses of the shop, but I'm yet to see a good secondhand bookstore that had enough room for all its stock (at one I know on the south coast you literally climb up piles of books to get to the shelves) and Halcyon, happily, is no exception, bulging at every seam. There's a small local section, a lot of geographical stuff and an enormous amount of military books - hardly surprising, given the history of the area. The classics shelves probably have a little more room now after my own last visit where I cleared them of Trollope. Sorry chaps - but I guess you probably have more. I still need The Warden, btw...
Much of the bog-standard stuff is 'priced to sell,' but very little costs huge amounts (well, not that I've seen.) Staff are friendly and helpful - on my last request they double-checked and then cross-referenced my query. No luck - but that's not the point. They made the effort and believe me, I ask obscure...
From a vibrant selection of secondhand bookshops in Greenwich we have gone to a paltry couple plus a remainder shop and a mega-chain. I did wonder whether Halcyon keep afloat by selling on the internet, but although the domain name is taken, I can't find any website, save a rather obscure bit on abebooks. So for now it's still a proper, hands-on vistors' bookshop. We need to keep visiting to keep it that way...
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
09:12
8 Comments:
We do also have Maritime Books on Royal Hill. As yet unreviewed by the Phantom I believe and, I have to admit shamefully, somewhere I have yet to visit. To be rectified tomorrow.
I've walked past it so many times - I even stopped outside yesterday and had a look in - and yet - and I know this is going to sound so wimpish - I feel a little intimidated by it. I must go in - there look some good books in the window and I'm sure they wouldn't eat me...
I assume that most of its business is done over the Internet or through specialist catalogues, it always seems quiet inside. It is a great shame that it moved from its central Greenwich location - especially as I think the vacated shop is still empty. Not sure if it is another case of Royal Hospital School increasing rents that has resulted in so many interesting shops moving/closing.
I don't know - but I'm guessing someone will...
Ah, I know this shop! Nice to see it still going. Do you remember the book shop up the road from this? Can't remember it's name, but it was a great book shop full of aged paper scents. I can only remember it was very small and run by an American guy.
Martin - you mean at the end of South Street, right? If so, I remember it well when I lived in the street around 1987. It sold loads of comics too. Quite ramshackle - it was impossible not to trip over something. (I think the Poppadom takeaway is there now. )
So much has gone from South Street. Burmese restaurant (first in London?), doctors, one of the first coffee places... At least the local music shop for local people is still there - I think.
Halcyon is a lovely bookshop.
Yeah, that's the one! :-) Now that you mention it, I do remember the comics being there. It had a wonderful eccentric and cluttered vibe to it. Me and a couple of friends would visit it every so often to stock up on books. If I remember he had an ancient black cat that used slink about.
Such a shame it's gone!
Halcyon is still one of the best bookshops around. I love the overflowing piles of books a sure sign of an interesting bookshop that will provide a great hunting ground for interesting books. I always buy something on the way past, theres so few good bookshops left. Also they have a huge catalogue of stock not on the shelves if you ask them they will check it for a title.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home