Helen Chick
I let myself visit the main Blackwell book store in Oxford today.
There are actually several Blackwell’s stores in Oxford, with a variety of specialities including rare books, music, and fine art, as well as regular books. The main store, in Broad St, has several floors of books, spread over three buildings (with a pub sandwiched between). Sooooo many books, so many possibilities.
With determined discretion, I only visited the Norrington Room … but since this is the biggest single room selling books in the entire world this was still extremely risky. It sprawls under all three buildings and the pub and part of Trinity College. It’s massive. I browsed a little but didn’t dare stay too long. I was actually on a mission for work-related books (professional library and all that), and duly managed to track down two of the books I was after and ordered the third … oh, and, umm, I picked up a fourth that I came across unexpectedly. That was almost inevitable.
I don’t think I dare go back on an unrestricted browsing expedition … otherwise I could have serious issues with excess baggage on my return to Australia.
My friend Lisa sat next to a lady on the plane from Dubai to Aust who had been to Blackwells too – and had asked if they would post books home for her. She was told they would be happy to – and at 3 quid a kilo it was a bargin and cheaper than putting them in the post yourself.
All of which means you are _perfectly_ justified in paying another visit, roaming widely and indulging yourself. For a small cost, your new friends could be waiting for you when you get home!
A girl can never have too many books (or earrings, or scarves…)
Now it’s an even more dangerous place!
I sense some serious indulgence of guilty pleasures coming up.