Sunday 8 September 2013

My favourite bookshop

 
This week I had a little trip to Derbyshire, mainly to visit my favourite bookshop, Scarthin Books at Cromford.

Here is a place where you really can get lost for hours. Three floors of rooms, passageways, and staircases all crammed with books. They have a good stock of new books, but the real fascination is with the old, out of print and obscure. If there is ever a book you are struggling to find, just email them and they will track it down if humanly possible.

I bought two in particular that will really help with my novel research.

There's a small cafe on the middle floor, serving vegetarian and vegan food.

Scarthin's even came in at number six in the Guardian's online list of the world's best bookshops. Note - not just Derbyshire's, or England's, or even the U.K's but the whole world's! 

Researching is thirsty work, you know. So I bought a new tea mug too. Like it?

22 comments:

Wendy's Writing said...

It's a shame I don't live anywhere near there, Joanne - it sounds heavenly.

Joanna said...

What a beautiful place, Joanne, and what an absolutely perfect book shop. I would love to spend a day there. And I love your new mug too! xx

PS: Good luck with the novel writing.

Jenny Woolf said...

Oh, strange old books and a vegan cafe. That sounds like my kind of place. Now, when am I next going to Derbyshire?

Old Kitty said...

I so want to visit this little gem of a bookshop!!! And it's got a cafe after my own heart!!!

Awwww it looks utterly utterly lovely!!!!

Yes, I totally love your mug!! LOL!! Take care
x

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

What fun! I am from a family of librarians and so I love bookstores--This one sounds like a real treasure and so is that mug! :-)

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

It is so sad that wonderful bookstores like these are disappearing from towns all over . Amazon and technology has put the padlock on many of them and it is hard for the little bookstore to compete.

joanne fox said...

Wendy - there is also a small second hand bookshop in Warwick which I go to quite often - maybe that is more in your direction?

Joanna - you would definitely need a day to root around in there!

Jenny - do go if you can. You will love it. You can stay in the area for a couple of days and see more of lovely, green, hilly Derbyshire.

Kitty - a little gem full of little gems!

Kim, bookshops and libraries are where I feel most at home too.

Starting Over - yes, that is a very good point. It's convenient sometimes to use Amazon, but I would much rather support an independent when I can. We need to hang onto these places, which have a character all of their own.

Rosemary Gemmell said...

Oh, I love that kind of bookshop, Joanne! I can just imagine the browsing and the wonderful finds in such a place. Great photo and I love the mug.

joanne fox said...

Rosemary - it's browsing heaven for booklovers!

Teresa Ashby said...

Oh my goodness, it looks lovely! The scenery and the wonderful bookshop! I love your mug :-) x

joanne fox said...

Teresa - what's not to love? I feel a poem coming on!

Sandy's witterings said...

I read but not at a spectacular rate like a few people I know. These kind of shops cause me a problem because I find myself buying books much faster than I read them. My bookshelf creak slightly but my cupboard of still to be read books is about ready to explode.

Nice mug. Books and tea go together (much like anything else and tea)

joanne fox said...

Sandy, there is such pleasure in buying books that it's a shame to deny yourself in the name of saving space. And anyway, is it any different from buying clothes which don't get worn for months until the exact right situation calls us to take them from the wardrobe?

Thanks for visiting!

Unknown said...

A lovely post and photos, Jo, thank you. It must have been a wonderful day out. I love the mug too x

joanne fox said...

Sharon - I was so lucky to catch the last of the lovely summer weather. Raining now!

Vikki said...

Sounds (and looks) like a great bookshop! Love the photo at the top of your blog too

joanne fox said...

Thank you Vikki.

hydra said...

I've been there AND eaten there. It's such a wild, wacky, wonderful place! I must go back someday.

joanne fox said...

Hydra - so glad to find another fan! Hope you manage another trip.

Keith Havers said...

I used to cycle out from Nottingham to Cromford but I never visited the bookshop. I'll have to check it out the next time I'm up there.

joanne fox said...

It's a lovely spot, Keith, but I wouldn't fancy cycling up the hills!

penandpaints said...

Wow, 6th in the world! That sounds fab, I love crammed book shops! So Olde Worlde :)