Albion Books in George Street, Hastings Old Town is a second hand bookshop with a
difference. Yes, it has that slightly musty smell and cluttered appearance that characterises so many of its antiquarian kin. But, there the similarities stop. This is not a place merely for academics or specialist book hunters. To call the array of reading matter available ’eclectic’ is something of an understatement, and the customer base owner Graham George has built up over seven years is just as varied.

Within seconds of entering I stumble over a pile of Mills and Boon paperbacks. Steadying myself on a stack of ghost stories, I look up at the crime section and catch the steely glare of Reg Kray from his book ‘A Way of Life’- sorry Reg I’ll be more careful in future. Safer to edge past the standard history and geography books and the numerous war volumes that always seems popular in these shops. Trying to interview Graham is not an easy task as he is constantly answering queries on possible items in stock, which without the aid of a computer he seems to know by heart.

So I head for the charming corner full of colourful old comic books. Alongside copies of the Beano and Dandy are the annuals Topper 1982 and Bunty 1974. These are now collectors items. Judy for Girls1974 will set you back £7.50, although there are the more recent copies at a cheaper price. This is the joy of the shop; it’s a delightful mixture of the old and new, for collectors as well as casual and avid readers.

Graham‘s stock is reflective of Hastings as both town and resort. With custom a 50/50 divide between regulars and holidaymakers, it certainly helps when a good summer brings the tourists down but even better is when it’s punctuated by the rainy spells that mean an influx of caravan and chalet dwellers who come in from the beach  to browse, keeping the kids quiet and themselves occupied. This is when the more contemporary comics, thrillers and romance novels, along with DIY guides and science and space fiction, fly off the shelves. There is even a style of greeting cards popular with the many bikers who visit.

‘Pagan Visions for a Sustainable Future’ is indicative of the ever growing local interest in the occult, new age, gothic and what is called wicca. Alongside the general ecological and spiritual books is a range of ‘Tree Free’ cards to ease your consumer conscience and, in case you thought it was hard, ‘Easy to use Zen’.

Cheap reads can be had for under a quid and bargains abound. But, there are also some unlikely valuables that may get you searching the loft. Graham himself possesses a rare edition of a James Bond ‘Live and Let Die’ value circa £6,000.

With shelves overflowing and every inch of available space already in use, books continue to flood in, so could there be any room for expansion? Maybe, but the proud Bonfire Boy uses the adjoining part of the shop for a Hastings Bonfire Society display and, in the spring, ‘Jack in the Green’. Truly a Hastings shop.