Hay-on-Wye: Once upon a time it was The Town of Books

Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye. Once upon a time the Town of Books. 
The Hay Festival is popular and the town is still an attractive tourist destination, but these days very little to do with antiquarian and second hand books. The annual Hay Festival is bigger than Ben Hur (in 2010 partially sponsored by Oxfam, who kill second hand bookshops in UK every day!), but the bookshops have mostly disappeared....
Richard Booth's castle, once a major focus of antiquarian book dealing in the UK is up for sale and the locals are up in arms...

Mikey and Jane Bullock's Hay-on-Wye Booksellers has long been one of the most successful bookshops in Hay. Usually ebullient and positive about book selling, Mikey is now contemplating withdrawing from "bricks and mortar" retail and concentrating on his incredibly successful website. (Having fabulous Phaidon Press 'Hurts' helps!)

And I bought quite a few...

I never understood Eccles Cakes until I had some in Hay on this trip. 
I always thought them dry, hard and unappetising...
Until I discovered these in Hay.
I only ate four at once. Maybe it was five.
Yum!

Was it Oscar Wilde who said:

" Try everything once, except Necrophilia and Morris Dancing" ?

"When a new book is published, read an old one" 

One of the two Addyman's Bookshops, (one His, one Hers) Hay-on-Wye.

This was Richard Booth's (The once self proclaimed "King of Hay") legendary bookshop. Now it owned by a rich American lady who has remodelled it into a gorgeous space: A cafe, a bar, leather lounges, an art cinema upstairs, beautiful bookcases, witty signage... The only thing missing is... interesting books.

The " 3 2 1" Bookshop in the Hay main street (I had originally suggested "54321"to the owner, as in the Manfred Mann song, but it didn't fit on the window...) Remainder books from one pound and one of the busiest shops during the Hay Festival.

I love that incomprehensible Welsh stuff.
Only 17 people actually seem to speak it.

Hay Cinema Bookshop. Rumoured to be about to close down.

"Honesty" bookshelves outside Hay Cinema Bookshop.
Strictly for tourists.

Francis Edward Antiquarian Books above Hay Cinema. Not restocked since I cleaned it out 6 months ago. Very nice and helpful staff, but all the stock has gone to their Charing Cross Road shop.

A particularly poignant picture for me... I took a photo of that hanging basket 20 years ago on my first visit to Hay-on-Wye. Since then, the owner Brian became one of my closest friends.

Now it's closing down.

My favourite pub in Hay : Kilvert's.
As in "Kilvert's Diary"

Goodbye Hay... Until next time. Love you to bits.
Pity about the books.