Sir: Auberon Waugh takes time off in his latest column
(29 January) to sling mud at W. H. Smith Ltd. As a small provincial publisher I would like to say a few things in defence of this much maligned firm.
I would have thought the reason that WHS own the largest chain of bookshops in the country is because they are good at their own business. Normally WHS shops offer the best selection of magazines to be found in any town where they are trading and if they do not want to sell Private Eye or Mr Waugh's latest book, that's up to them. They do not stop other shops from selling it. As for the book section, well, WHS do not pretend to compete with the specialist bookshops but then I suppose Mr Waugh would expect to be able to order a handmade shirt at Marks and Spencer. And as for his silly remark about the Monopolies Commission—can anyone tell me where WHS have a monopoly ?
If Mr Waugh's fortunes ever took a turn for the worse and he had to earn his living by managing such a shop I can imagine what would happen. He would upset all the staff on the first day of his appointment and order stock that he liked as opposed to what might sell. Naturally business would rapidly decline. He would then be sacked, and rightly so.
Having dealt with WHS as a supplier I can only say that I find them extremely well managed and a pleasure to do business with. Admittedly I have not seen Mr Waugh's 'miserable' WHS shop at Taunton, but if it is half as good as WHS shops usually are then the people of Taunton are being very well served indeed.
A. E. Dean Wensum Books Ltd, 33 Orford Place, Norwich
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