The London Journal

Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer
November 2027


    For those of you who have followed my humble column over the years, you would know that I'm a huge fan of Leather Bound Books, located at 47 Cecil Court. One of the oldest of the antiquity shoppes along 'Bookseller's Row', the selection of rare books to be found within the store's crowded shelves is second to none. Built in 1858, this two storey structure has been in the Hallewell family for generations.

    When this columnist recently learned that the owner of the shoppe, Christina Hallewell, was planning on retiring by month's end, my heart nearly stopped. My many contacts in the area have reported whisperings of developers hovering over the Row, just waiting for any of that prime Real Estate to become available. Being the inquisitive journalist that I am, I learned from one of my most trusted sources in City Hall (whose identity will remain a closely guarded secret) that Madame Hallewell will be transferring ownership of the book nook to her granddaughter, Ms Joanne Hallewell.

    While the tenets of Cecil Court are a close knit community in their own right, it doesn't mean they aren't fiercely competitive for your hard earned money. The relief that possession of Leather Bound will be kept in the Hallewell family was tempered by the nagging question of whether the young inheritor could stand up to the heat of that competition? Or will the business falter, only to be swept up by the wolves lurking in the shadows, waiting for such a failure?

    Having posed these questions, I could not leave my dear readers to fret about the answers. After finding a suitable chaperon, Mr. Charles Sinclaire, who you may recognize as a Homes and Gardens contributor, I embarked on a little exploratory expedition to Leather Bound to meet the young Miss Hallewell. To my dismay, the subject of my inquiry had not yet arrived in London, but that gave me an excellent opportunity to chat with the octogenarian, Christina Hallewell. Mind you, I did much more listening than I did talking, but when Christina orates I doubt many would want to interrupt, anyway.

   During the two hours of my interview, which was sidetracked several times as customers entered or left the store, I learned many reassuring details about Joanne. It may have slipped by a less intuitive reporter, but when Christina talked about the summers that 'Jo', as she referred to her granddaughter, had spent with her at the book store it became abundantly clear that the younger Hallewell had long ago learned the ins and outs of running Leather Bound. Christina saw her granddaughter's visits as somewhat of a vacation for her, especially these past few years as she has become less mobile. When asked about Joanne's business acumen the room brightened from Christina's wide smile. There was so much pride in her voice when she spoke of her granddaughter's BA, with Honors, in English Literature from Cambridge University, and the MBA she recently earned from the Essex School of Business.  

    This information was all very welcome, as the prospect of success for the young woman seemed considerably brighter than I had imagined. When asked how soon we could expect her presence in the Court, I learned that she would make the move in two weeks time. Joanne's elder brother, Jonathan, who is an aide to Connor Kennington of the Home Department, will go up to collect her and escort her back to London.

    Not that I'm advocating turning your business away from the other fine book sellers on the Row, but if you happen to be on Cecil Court in the near future, do drop in and say hello to our newest resident owner. For your information, there will be a Grand Re-Opening celebration during the last weekend in November and I, for one, will not be missing it.