Around Historic Kent

My brother bought me this delightful book 'Around Historic Kent' for my birthday. It was published in 1978 by Midas books and is written by Malcolm John with superb illustrations by C.A.T.Brigden.

Malcolm John was born near Tunbridge Wells in Kent and attended Gillingham Technical High School before training as a teacher. He taught in various schools in Kent. In 1976 he left teaching to open a small antiquarian book-selling business in Rochester, which became the largest new, secondhand and antiquarian bookshop in private ownership in Kent. Malcolm John built up a world-wide reputation as a dealer of Kentish Topography. So, why then can I find no trace of him or Midas books on Google? This is very curious. No doubt, Midas Books was a small publishing firm in the 70s that has ceased trading, but why no record of it?

Further investigation on the Internet turns up Baggins Book Bazaar, established 1986 and claiming to be 'England's Largest Secondhand and Rare Bookshop'. Location? 19 High Street, Rochester, Kent. Might this be the bookshop founded by Malcolm John?

A testimonial from 1996 says: "It is a bookworm's paradise. More than half-a-million hardbacks and paperbacks line the shelves, covering every topic under the sun. You will probably never have seen so many books under one roof -- there are libraries that are ill-stocked compared with Baggins Book Bazaar in Rochester High Street..." Does Baggins Book Bazaar still exist? Why are there no entries anywhere that I can find about Malcolm John?

I am enthralled by this mystery and I am determined to do more research to try and establish the roots of this bookshop, what happened to Malcolm John (deceased probably?) and Midas Books. In giving me the book 'Around Historic Kent' my brother has unwittingly sent me on a quest to investigate this historical curiosity.

If any of my readers can offer any information concerning any of the above, I would be delighted. Meanwhile I shall don my deerstalker and keep searching...