History

The Bookshop Hampton has been part of the local community for more than 50 years.

Originally a WH Smith station bookstall, the little shop beside Hampton Station has a history as distinctive as its location. From the late 1970s, it was run on charity lines by Joy McKay and a team of volunteers, turning the former station bookstall into the community bookshop Hampton residents know and love today.

Joy ran the shop for many years before retiring in 2015, when then volunteers James and Sally Bell took over, continuing the tradition of selling donated books and giving the proceeds to local charities until 2026.

Over the years, generations of Hampton residents have browsed its shelves, donated books and discovered unexpected treasures. Some customers even remember visiting the shop as children with their own parents.

The shop itself still carries reminders of its past, including the original WH Smith bookstall blinds, which were carefully restored during a major refurbishment following the COVID-19 closure.

Today, The Bookshop is beginning a new chapter, building on more than five decades of community history while bringing fresh ideas, longer opening hours and a renewed sense of fun to this much-loved little shop.