3 ▁edition ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁before ▁publication , ▁ ▁spot ting ▁a ▁sign ▁in ▁the ▁window ▁of ▁the ▁Magic ▁Sh op ▁in ▁Tot ten ham ▁Court ▁Road ▁in ▁London , ▁run ▁by ▁Ralph ▁Gold . ▁An ▁officer ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁shop , ▁bought ▁a ▁copy , ▁and ▁delivered ▁it ▁to ▁Bow ▁Street ▁magistr ate ▁Sir ▁Robert ▁Bl und ell , ▁who ▁issued ▁a ▁search ▁war rant . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁two ▁officers ▁from ▁the ▁vice ▁squad ▁visited ▁May flow er ▁Books ▁in ▁V aux hall ▁Bridge ▁Road ▁to ▁determine ▁whether ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁were ▁kept ▁on ▁the ▁prem ises . ▁They ▁interview ed ▁the ▁publish er , ▁G are th ▁Pow ell , ▁and ▁took ▁away ▁the ▁five ▁copies ▁there . ▁The ▁police ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Magic ▁Sh op ▁and ▁seized ▁ 1 7 1 ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁and ▁in ▁December ▁Ralph ▁Gold ▁was ▁summ ons ed ▁under ▁section ▁ 3 ▁of ▁the ▁Ob sc en ity ▁Act . ▁By ▁then , ▁May flow er ▁had ▁distributed ▁ 8 2 , 0 0 0 ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁Gold ▁who ▁was ▁being ▁tried , ▁although ▁May flow er ▁covered ▁the ▁legal ▁costs . ▁The ▁trial ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁The ▁defence ▁argued ▁that ▁F anny ▁Hill ▁was ▁a ▁historical ▁source ▁book ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁joy ful ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁normal ▁non - per vert ed ▁sex — b aw dy ▁rather ▁than ▁por n ographic .