UST as you should never judge a book by its covers, so too you should not confuse the post-war romance of the film 84 Charing Cross Road with the harsh reality of the second hand book trade in the late nineties.

It is such a charming movie that most of us have been left with a warm impression of a business that unquestionably introduced thousands into the world of second hand books.

The true story describes the 20-year correspondence between Manhattan writer Helene Hanff, played by Anne Bancroft, and

one Frank Doel, a bookseller employed by Marks & Sons, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. The pair never met but through their correspondence they developed a relationship arguably much closer than many achieve after spending a lifetime together. Doel's wife was never jealous, and indeed revelled in the correspondence.

Doel takes great pride when he finds exactly the right volume requested by his client on the other side of the Atlantic. It may have taken him years, but it was worth it.

That was another age. The second hand book trade ain't like that any more.

''I call it the last bastion of manual labour,'' says Richard Booth, second hand book dealer extraordinaire.

''I go with five men and a container to cities like Glasgow, Manchester, and Birmingham and come back five days later with 30,000 books. It is all about being able to handle them. After all moving 10 tonnes of books is much the same as moving 10 tonnes of baked beans.''

He has just returned from the United States and has two containers full of books heading towards his Hay-on-Wye base, on the English-Welsh border. ''I handle 10,000 books a day,'' he boasts.

To him volume seemed to be everything. Sadly I don't think he was talking about any single work.

Nevertheless he did confess he would be delighted to come across a first edition of Hamlet for a fiver.

I could hardly believe I was listening to the words of the man who created the book town movement, a concept that has taken off all over the world. It has now even reached Scotland with Wigtown officially recognised as Scotland's first and Dalmellington about to set up in unofficial opposition.

By nature totally opposed to quangos and officialdom, Richard Booth is naturally giving his support to the Dalmellington project, even though he was an adviser to the committee that selected Wigtown.

We were speaking in a large, but rather shabby room in what was once Hay Castle. It is furnished by a massive desk, around which on his side there was one comfortable chair, and three not so comfortable on the other side, where I was perched. Otherwise it is bare.

''Bookshelves are the world's best invention,'' he tells me.

None of this fits your impression of how a modern go-ahead super duper executive in the book trade, who travels the world buying up for example the biggest library in New York among other coups, would conduct business. Even more it didn't appear to be the throne room of a king (more of that later).

To be honest it seemed more like the head office of Steptoe and Son. That suits Richard Booth. It is just his style.

Don't be mistaken. Hay-on-Wye is a laid-back blissful Welsh market town, with a population of 12,000, which would make a wonderful film set. In fact it has on various occasions.

My driver, Keith who comes from the metropolis of Hereford on the other side of the border, reckons it lives in the past . . . a hundred years at least . . . thanks to its remoteness.

Remote or not roughly 500,000 visitors pass through every year because of its reputation for being the world's first book town, which in turn has spawned the Hay Festival, which concentrates heavily on literature but also has a good programme of music.

This year the festival takes place between May 22 and 26. Among the many who will take part in marquees will be Stephen Hawking, Doris Lessing, Germaine Greer, Janet Street Porter, Robert McKee, Uri Geller, Roy Hattersley, Anthony Howard, Beryl Bainbridge, Claire Tomalin, William Boyd, Melvyn Bragg, Cleo Laine with of course Johnny Dankworth, and Muriel Spark.

There are no beds going spare nearby during this festival, which grows year by year.

The setting of Hay-on-Wye in itself is an amazing attraction. Lots of famous people have bought weekend homes here. Other well knowns just pass through. Most visit the Blue Boar Inn.

pril Ashley, who made headlines when she flaunted her sex-change, lived there and used to pop in for a pint, but was treated the same as everyone else, including Nigel Davenport who supped a couple the other day. Peter Snow has a weekend home nearby and Sir Robin Day has also put down a noggin or two in the premises.

''We see all the famous people here,'' said barmaid Ali Greeno, who has lived in Hay all her life. ''It is a fantastic place to live and its current success is down to one man . . . Richard Booth.''

Hay-on-Wye nestles at the bottom of the Black Mountains, where the SAS often play their war games. Overlooking the town is Hay Bluff. Of course the town has been built alongside the River Wye. They start a 100-mile raft race in the town.

The streets are narrow and although there is the occasional half-timber structure the buildings are mostly constructed in local stone. ''Stealing from the quarries is a local pastime,'' someone confided. Apart from the Blue Boar there is the Three Tuns run by Lucy.

I was told that, in her seventies, she pours the best pint of cider in Britain.

Hayon-Wye is very much a backwater and that has a lot to do with its charm.

Having graduated from Oxford Richard Booth had decided to set up a bookselling business in his home town. People thought him mad. It was a fast declining market town, much the same as scores of others. He would never make money there.

While he might have been eccentric, Richard Booth was certainly well ahead of his age. He became the spin doctor supremo, decades before the term was invented. The press was on his doorstep and he was going to take advantage.

hey gathered around to hear him declare independence for Hay-on-Wye. He wore a crown and purple robe. A crowd of about 200 applauded King Richard, first monarch of the independent state of Hay-on-Wye.

Quite a few jeered as he delivered his declaration of independence, which included the message ''big business kills small towns'', and also at the unfurling of the newly formed independent state's national flag. Nevertheless they all smiled as the new national anthem was played: Bridge over the River Wye.

Of course, being a bookseller, King Richard's coronation address emphasised that Hay-on-Wye was the centre of the universe for second hand books.

Today there are roughly 36 bookshops in Hay-on-Wye. The story goes that if you have a spare room you open it up as a book shop, but saturation point might just have been reached.

The smallest is B & K Books, but still claims to have the world's finest stock of books on bees. Builders have given up their trade to move into the second hand bookshop, one of them specialising in children's titles.

Daily the town's population is doubled as they come from all parts of the world to browse. At weekends and bank holidays, especially if it is sunny, you cannot move on the pavements.

The books come in in their tonnes and copy by copy they are taken away by visitors in their tonnes.

Locals love it because it has brought employment and a future to what was once a decaying market town.

Ray Jones, who was once head instructor for the Guide Dogs Blind Association based in Forfar and has now moved there, said: ''I can't think of a better place to live. It is quiet and laid back, but at the same time it is lively because of the book business.''

Barmaid Ali Greeno is also happy about the trade and jobs books bring to the town, but she concedes she thinks it a shame when a local business is shut down to reopen as yet another book or antique shop.