Roses Books in BBC Homes & Antiques Magazine - December 2005

Best shop for... children's classics

The slim, pale-pink frontage of Rose's Books in Hay-on-Wye belies its enormous interior - home to around 12,000 rare and out-of-print children's books.

Owner Maria Goddard has a passion for AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh books (at the time of going to press a first edition of When We Were Very Young was in stock priced at £3,200), but all the old favourites are here: Richmal Crompton's Just William books, Elinor M Brent-Dyer's Chalet School series and various editions of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.
'The nicest thing for me,' says Maria, 'is helping someone find a book they remember from their childhood. Some people get so emotional - it's lovely!'

Rose's Books, 14 Broad Street, Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
01497 820013
www.rosebooks.com