When Vicky asked me to write a short page about Barter books I was temporarily lost for words. What she couldn’t know was the years where we had made what had become a pilgrimage across to Alnwick to visit what must be the largest second hand book shop in Europe.
Carlisle to Alnwick is 80 miles and it takes just under 2 hours. So why would we make this trip? The shop is just so large and so unique that sometimes the only way to do it justice is to explain the memories, the trips we have made with our daughters as they have grown. We first went when the oldest was 11 years old, she is now 25 and just finishing at medical school. Throughout these years she always found books to buy or more usually to entreat us to buy for her. Lately she has taken her new boy friend there, and so the circle turns.
Our memories tend revolve around the books we have bought. Sure there are times when I have come away with the latest Patricia Cornwall, but the real memories are of the coffee table and reference books we have discovered. The type of books you just can’t really get anywhere else.
I see from their website that you now have the opportunity to purchase on line. I am sure this is fine for some people but to me Barter books will always be the smell of books, the model trains and the nice coffee.
Self
catering holiday cottages Central Northumberland & Alnwick area
Central Northumberland general
information ~ Alnwick, Northumberland |
