Mary and Stuart Manley, who founded Barter Books in a single room of the former Alnwick Railway Station on June 30, 1991, say they had no idea it would become a tourist attraction drawing 350,000 visitors annually from around the world.
From a struggling model factory to a bookshop institution
The couple recreated a picture from opening day to celebrate the 35th anniversary. Stuart Manley told ChronicleLive the bookshop originated from a need to keep his model factory afloat. He said: 'We had a heavy overdraft, we had to do something! I had a model factory there which was struggling. Mary came up with the bookshop to help with overheads, the idea was it would help in the summer when there were more visitors.'
During the first week, a shopper commented, 'I give it a year,' which Stuart called 'Alnwick wisdom.' That prediction proved wrong as the shop expanded into most of the station by 2022.
Recognition as one of the world's most beautiful bookshops
Barter Books has been named among the most beautiful bookshops in Europe and the world. Stuart said: 'We had no idea it would expand to what it has become, obviously we're used to it now. Thanks to Mary's guidance, the bookshop became bigger and bigger and better and better. We did all the work to get it to where it is now, but didn't plan it to be like that. I think we're at a maximum, because at times we can't get more people in; the car park is full and there's queue for the buffet.'
Train sets and quirky features
One of Barter Books' most notable quirks is the train sets running over shoppers' heads in the 'second room' near the till. Although Stuart had the model factory, the trains were Mary's idea. He said: 'Everyone thinks the trains were my idea. Obviously I'm a train enthusiast. But the bookshelves wobbled so we had to do something about it and Mary came up with it to keep them steady.'
Passion and succession plans
Now in their late 80s, Mary and Stuart are working out a succession plan but say they will never retire. Stuart concluded: 'It's obviously very much our passion, we have really enjoyed doing what we do and we're handing over the reins to a lot of people. I don't think we'll retire any more than painters or singers do, but we pick the bits we enjoy rather than doing everything. The shop has become a destination and we love it.'
