The Man behind The World Famous Southbank Second Hand Book Stall - Gareth, londoner #139

If you’ve walked along the Southbank, you’ll have bumped into Gareth and his bookselling stands. Gareth take us through his easygoing approach to sales. 1000 LONDONERS This film is part of 1000 Londoners, a five-year digital project which aims to create a digital portrait of a city through 1000 of the people who identify themselves with it. The profile contains a 3 minute film that gives an insight into the life of the Londoner, as well as their personal photos of London and some answers to crucial questions about their views on London life. Over the course of the project we aim to reveal as many facets of the capital as possible, seeing city life from 1000 points of view. www.1000londoners.com www.youtube.com/1000londoners www.facebook.com/1000londoners Twitter: @1000_londoners 1000 Londoners is produced by South London based film production company and social enterprise, Chocolate Films. The filmmakers from Chocolate Films will be both producing the films and providing opportunities to young people and community groups to make their own short documentaries, which will contribute to the 1000 films. Visit www.chocolatefilms.com Transcript: I dread the day that if this place ever closes down. I don't know what I'd do when it finally does close. I can't imagine working in an office, or anything like that. People tend to just come to us. It's more of a browsing place. So people just have a little look around, find something they want and then come over. It's very much a relaxed attitude we have around here. Things like secondhand markets and secondhand bookshops, they're kind of disappearing. There used to be a lot more than – well at least I think there were a lot more when I was growing up as a kid. And it's kind of a disappearing trade now, and I think it is because of things like Amazon and eBay that it's getting that way. I think people of my generation grew up with books, and that's what they know what to read. I think the next generation down, that will grow up with iPads and Kindles and stuff like that, they probably won't look to a book as their first choice. Obviously, different books come in and out of fashion.I mean, there's certain authors and certain books that always people want. Like, for instance, our most asked for book ever is George Orwell's '1984'. I don't think people are aware nowadays of books that are banned. I mean, obviously 'Spycatcher' was a big thing in the 80's. German tourists come over here and find a book about the Nazis, with a – you know, the Nazi symbol on it. And they'll tell us "We're not allowed to have these books in Germany." And they find it amazing that we sell them here. There's loads of people down, loads of tourists, everyone's all happy, friendly, the sun's out, trees are green.It's just a really nice place – you're outside in the sun, in summer, most people are kind of cooped up inside. Yeah, summer's the nicest time, and winter's the worst time. I guess – I mean if this market ever did close down, maybe that's what I would probably move into, is opening up an Amazon store and working out of a warehouse somewhere, or something but...Hopefully that day will never come because I do like it down here.

I dread the day that if this place ever closes down. I don't know what I'd do when it finally does close. I can't imagine working in an office, or anything like that. People tend to just come to us. It's more of a browsing place. So people just have a little look around, find something they want and then come over. It's very much a relaxed attitude we have around here. Things like secondhand markets and secondhand bookshops, they're kind of disappearing. There used to be a lot more than – well at least I think there were a lot more when I was growing up as a kid. And it's kind of a disappearing trade now, and I think it is because of things like Amazon and eBay that it's getting that way. I think people of my generation grew up with books, and that's what they know what to read. I think the next generation down, that will grow up with iPads and Kindles and stuff like that, they probably won't look to a book as their first choice. Obviously, different books come in and out of fashion.I mean, there's certain authors and certain books that always people want. Like, for instance, our most asked for book ever is George Orwell's '1984'. I don't think people are aware nowadays of books that are banned. I mean, obviously 'Spycatcher' was a big thing in the 80's. German tourists come over here and find a book about the Nazis, with a – you know, the Nazi symbol on it. And they'll tell us "We're not allowed to have these books in Germany." And they find it amazing that we sell them here. There's loads of people down, loads of tourists, everyone's all happy, friendly, the sun's out, trees are green.It's just a really nice place – you're outside in the sun, in summer, most people are kind of cooped up inside. Yeah, summer's the nicest time, and winter's the worst time. I guess – I mean if this market ever did close down, maybe that's what I would probably move into, is opening up an Amazon store and working out of a warehouse somewhere, or something but...Hopefully that day will never come because I do like it down here.