Weird and wonderful bookshops

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John Pickup
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by John Pickup »

Here in Gainsborough we've got The Works and what must be the pokiest WH Smiths anywhere in the country. There's only room for about five in the shop including the sales assistant. I rarely use it, preferring Waterstones at Lincoln.
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Spitfire »

I visited Leakey's in Inverness about three years ago and would highly recommend it, though sadly despite the greyness of the day they hadn't lit the fire! My husband was doing a charity cycle ride from Inverness to Perth, so I took the opportunity to pop in when I dropped him off. A couple of hours of unhurried browsing, and I set off down the road to Blair Atholl with a lovely haul of books on the passenger seat, and not long after passed my husband and his group toiling grimly through the rain!

I'd highly recommend Baggins Book Bazaar in Rochester too. The children's section is right at the back but there are a few at the front, including rarer ones or first editions in an old-fashioned glass-fronted bookcase. I went there last about a month ago and came away with my first Worrals book (W.E. Johns) and an Enid Blyton nature book which I haven't looked at yet.

I used to visit Big Bairn Books on Castle Street in Dundee quite often until sadly they shut. It was a great little shop - a small book treasure cave - rather hazardous, with tottering piles of books everywhere and not much room to sit down and read - I usually end up sitting on the floor at shops like that - but stuffed full of (mostly) annuals. I got quite a few Rupert annuals and loads of Blytons from there.

Another bookshop worth visiting is The Old Children's Bookshelf on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. I haven't been there for a number of years, but I think it's still open. I remember it as a bright, clean, tidy, thoroughly unquirky little shop, with attractive well-ordered shelves of hardback books in very good condition. I seem to remember that many of the dust-jacketed ones had had protective covers added. The paperback books were relegated to the back room. It was quite pricey though.
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Eddie Muir »

I have been to Baggins Book Bazaar in Rochester several times and I can highly recommend it too. :D

I don’t know the Scottish bookshops mentioned, but I have made a note of them and will certainly keep a lookout for them when I am next north of the border, Sarah. :D
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by IceMaiden »

I've never been but this looks like somewhere you could happily lose yourself in for several hours:

http://www.astleybookfarm.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Ooh yes - Astley Book Farm looks very inviting, IceMaiden. The bookshelves are most enticing - and so are the scrummy-looking cakes!
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by John Pickup »

I must certainly pay a visit to Astley Book Farm. Every town should have one.
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Courtenay »

I agree! :D Unfortunately most of these shops aren't near me, but I ought to make a note of them for possible future travels. As I said, I live only a short train ride from Rochester, so must go and check out Baggins' Book Bazaar that Anita and Eddie have recommended. Here's their website: http://www.bagginsbooks.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Not a very impressive or up-to-date one, but that hardly matters if their book collection is so good! :D
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Let us know if you get to Baggins Book Bazaar, Courtenay. I bought quite a pile of Ladybird books from there a few years back and was also tempted by some annuals, which I didn't buy because we don't have the space for them.
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Machupicchu14 »

I've seen a good few of them, because as you can imagine, whenever I go to any place on holidays, we always go to the bookshops! :)
I'll tell about a special one I fell in love with tomorrow...
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Courtenay »

Machupicchu14 wrote: I'll tell about a special one I fell in love with tomorrow...
How could you have fallen in love with it tomorrow when tomorrow hasn't come yet?? :P :wink: :wink: (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Francis »

Courtenay wrote:Were any of them called Bernard Black, by any chance? :wink:
No he was much worse than that. Does take me a while to catch up with posts!
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Francis »

KEVP wrote:When I lived in Hastings, Sussex, there was a particular used bookstore I would often pass. It was always closed. Very mysterious.
Sounds like one of the two in George Street who only ran it as a hobby. occasionally opened it on Saturday afternoons.
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by Courtenay »

Francis wrote:
Courtenay wrote:Were any of them called Bernard Black, by any chance? :wink:
No he was much worse than that.
:shock:
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by KEVP »

Nope, it wasn't in George street, Francis. I don't know if I can remember exactly where it was, I think it was in Dorset Place, or generally in that area.
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Re: Weird and wonderful bookshops

Post by AlexH »

Wow - I'd love to visit that one in Inverness.

How about libraries? My favourite is probably Strahov in Prague: http://artial.net/wp-content/uploads/20 ... ague-3.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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