Holding(s) in Company

Smith WH PLC
2 December 2004

                                SCHEDULE 10
 
                  NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES


1)   NAME OF COMPANY

     WH SMITH PLC

2)   NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST

     FMR CORP & FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

3)   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of 
     holding of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a 
     non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
     holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

     SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 2 DECEMBER 2004

4)   Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the 
     number of shares held by each of them.

     SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 2 DECEMBER 2004

5)   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.

     N/A

6)   Percentage of issued Class



7)   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

     N/A

8)   Percentage of issued Class



9)   Class of security

     ORDINARY SHARES OF 2 13/81 PENCE EACH

10)  Date of transaction

     N/A

11)  Date company informed

     2 DECEMBER 2004

12)  Total holding following this notification

     8,636,490
               
13)  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

     4.79%

14)  Any additional information



15)  Name of contact and telephone number for queries

     MISS A LAM [phone]

16)  Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for 
     making this notification

     Date of Notification      2 DECEMBER 2004




Letter to: Smith (WH) Plc
Dated:  2 December 2004


Amendment # 34

NOTIFICATIONS UNDER SECTIONS 198 TO 202 -- U.K. COMPANIES ACT

1. Company in which shares are held:    SMITH (WH)PLC

2. Notifiable Interest:   ORDINARY SHARES

   (A)     FMR Corp.
           82 Devonshire Street
           Boston, MA 02109

           Parent holding company of Fidelity Management & Research Company 
           (FMRCO), investment manager for US mutual funds (See Schedule A for 
           listing of Registered Shareholders and their holdings.)

   (B)     Fidelity International Limited (FIL)
           P.O. Box HM 670
           Hamilton HMCX, Bermuda

           Parent holding company for various direct and indirect subsidiaries,
           including Fidelity Investment Services Ltd. (FISL), and Fidelity 
           Pension Management (FPM), investment managers for various non-US 
           investment companies and institutional clients. (See Schedule A for 
           listing of Registered Shareholders and their holdings).

3. The notifiable interests also comprise the notifiable interest of:

           Mr. Edward C. Johnson 3d
           82 Devonshire Street
           Boston, MA 02109

           A principal shareholder of FMR Corp. and Fidelity International
           Limited.

4. The notifiable interests include interest held on behalf of authorized
   unit trust schemes in the U.K., notwithstanding the exemption from 
   reporting pursuant to Section 209 (1)(h) of the Companies Act 1985.

5. These notifications of disclosable interests constitute separate
   notifications of interest in the shares and are combined solely for 
   the purposes of clarity and efficiency.  Nothing herein should be taken 
   to indicate that FMR Corp. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, 
   Fidelity International Limited and its direct and indirect subsidiaries
   or Mr. Edward C. Johnson 3d act as a group or in concert in respect of 
   the disclosed interests, or that they are required to submit these 
   notifications on a joint basis.

6. The disclosable interests arise under section 208(4)(b) of the Act,
   namely where a person, not being the registered holder, is entitled
   to exercise a right conferred by the holding of the shares or to 
   control the exercise of such rights, or under section 203 of the Act
   respectively.



SCHEDULE A

SECURITY: SMITH (WH) PLC                                          Amendment # 34


                      SHARES HELD   MANAGEMENT   NOMINEE/REGISTERED NAME
                                     COMPANY     

                      264,616         FIL        JP MORGAN, BOURNEMOUTH 
                       39,264         FIL        BROWN BROS HARRIMN LTD LUX
                    5,320,769         FISL       JP MORGAN, BOURNEMOUTH 
                        6,400        FMRCO       BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN AND CO
                    1,503,751        FMRCO       JPMORGAN CHASE BANK 
                        4,724        FMRCO       STATE STREET BANK AND TR CO
                      418,708         FPM        BANK OF NEW YORK BRUSSELS 
                       24,384         FPM        BANK OF NEW YORK EUROPE LDN
                       60,312         FPM        BANKERS TRUST LONDON 
                       92,296         FPM        CITIBANK LONDON 
                       16,356         FPM        CLYDESDALE BANK PLC 
                      122,787         FPM        JP MORGAN, BOURNEMOUTH 
                      116,868         FPM        MELLON BANK 
                       35,960         FPM        MIDLAND SECURITIES SERVICES 
                      484,041         FPM        NORTHERN TRUST LONDON 
                      125,254         FPM        STATE STR BK AND TR CO LNDN 
                    8,636,490                    GRAND TOTAL ORDINARY SHARES


CURRENT OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGE:                 4.79%

SHARES IN ISSUE:                       180,448,540

CHANGE IN HOLDINGS SINCE LAST FILING:   (2,080,065) ORDINARY SHARES



Letter from: Fidelity Investments International



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