I have sold second-hand books in three different shops on Stoke Newington Church Street since 1980. In the 1970s, my wife and I worked in a bookshop in Charing Cross where I was in the second-hand section until we were made redundant.
There used to be a shed on Woodlea Road, behind the shop on Church Street that is now Borough Wines. It’s a flat now. John was selling 1930s and 1950s antique items there that he had collected from the market.
We were living on that street at the time: my wife spoke to John and we agreed to share the shop. I sold second-hand books and John sold antiques.
I have been in my current shop since 1994, but I don’t think it will last much longer. The landlord wants to change the entire building. If he gets permission from the council, I will have to leave.
There was less competition in the years before the internet. I’ve been able to stay here for so long because Stoke Newington doesn’t have an Underground station, which increases rents.
Most of my sales are in the shop, but I sell some on Amazon too.
We used to rent a home in Finsbury Park in the 1970s, but a friend of mine told me we could move to Stoke Newington and get a mortgage for less than the rent from the local council. We didn’t even need to put down a deposit. I still leave in that house on Woodflea Road with my wife. She doesn’t work in the shop, she looks after our grandchildren.
We used to sell more books in the 1990s. People had more money then. But I think they now spend the money on eating and drinking. They still buy books, but they say the number of unread books in the house has increased.
