Nick Gibb MP visited Heygates Bookshop in the High Street, Bognor Regis as part of the national 'Books are my Bag' campaign, organised by the Booksellers Association. Heygates are also celebrating 48 years of selling and swapping second hand books in the town.
The shop is owned and run by Caroline and Patrick Ragless. Caroline Ragless is the daughter of Rufus Heygate who originally opened the shop in 1968. The Heygate family started business as green grocers in 1915 in London Road, Bognor Regis.
Nick Gibb said: "The Books are my Bag campaign provides an opportunity to celebrate our local second-hand book seller here in Bognor Regis. Heygates is an unusual bookshop. You can either buy books at a very reasonable price. Alternatively, if you bring in a book to swap, you can buy a book at a heavily discounted price.
"Heygates is an old curiosity shop of tens of thousands of second hand books of all types, including popular fiction, romance, science fiction, westerns, you name it. Some of my favourite authors were on sale as well as hundreds of books that are now out of print. The shop is tucked away at the western end of the High Street and is well worth a browse."
Photo: Nick Gibb with shop owner Caroline Ragless (nee Heygate)