Talking shop

     As promised, here are some pictures from last night's launch party for The Children's Bookshop.

A packed house enjoyed wine and super canapes:

and a chance to browse around and see what's on the shelves prior to the official opening on Saturday morning.

      Vanessa has a section devoted to her own Fidra Books, of course, and it was great to see them en masse, but there is a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction for all ages from tots to teens.

Many old favourites are there, including some of the ones mentioned in the comments on yesterday's post, and lots of new books which will become well-loved 'old friends', I'm sure.

 

     Having read Rebecca's post yesterday in which she was reminiscing about a wonderful department store, and then going to visit the bookshop last night, led me to think about the apparent lack of distinctive, individual shops nowadays when every town's high street is identical to the next, department stores are clones of one another, and service is lacking almost everywhere.

    It's great that we now have a specialist children's bookshop here in Edinburgh and it's run by someone who really knows the business so it deserves to succeed. Much is written about supporting small, local shops, whether they are the butcher and the baker or something a little less everyday (sadly, Edinburgh's brush shop, Cresser, closed down a few years ago after decades in business). What's the most interesting or unusual shop you've ever come across?

     From childhood I remember sweet shops with curtains made from liquorice allsort-patterned fabric; draper's and haberdasher's where payment was made by means of an elaborate system of pulleys and tubes to the central cashier; a butcher's shop with sawdust on the floor and a cashier in a kiosk - basic rules of hygiene being observed there, the butcher handling the meat wouldn't also be handling the filthy money; or how about a music shop with a vast stock of sheet music in which I used to browse as I would in a bookshop. These places have all disappeared or have changed in a way in which their charm has been lost. But on a more positive note, we do now have similar individual businesses with their own clear identity existing on the internet, for example, my favourite yarn shops Posh Yarn and (a truly local one) The Yarn Yard, so it isn't all bad news!

Comments

[Peter the Flautist]

Dark Puss suggests FairyGothMother of Spitalfields as the most interesting shop he has discovered recently! On a more personally useful level I make use of a number of specialised shops in London, for example two shops that only sell flutes and flute music, and one shop that only sells recorders. I try very hard these days to buy my things from individual suppliers as much as possible, for example small specialist bookshops rather than on-line or from a chain-store but it isn't always possible. In Edinburgh days Dark Puss used to patronise a wonderful "Dickensian" shop just off the High Street in Edinburgh which sold metal (brass/steel/aluminium) and associated "bits" (machine screws etc) from an ancient counter with huge wooden storage boxes and almost no lighting. Of course it has gone now, and I think so has the little street it was in too. I believe (and perhaps Cornflower can confirm) that there is a large hotel on the site near St Giles.

Keep the independents in business - you know it makes sense! Prevent everywhere from becoming the same. Make friends with your specialist retailers and find out what real customer service is all about.

[a simple yarn]

Oh Karen! Daughter-Kate would have her sleeping bag at the ready to camp out in that shop! Can you hear the sighs of longing from across the Irish Sea? WIll have to put that high on our must-see list when coming to Edinburgh! All the best to them and their success! And will wait for a second location in Dublin! :-)

[Margaret Powling]

Super bookshop for children. How I'd have loved that when our two boys were young (they're 38 and 34 now!) Yes, we must support independent shops, books or others. We recently bought a new TV but after recce work with the large chain stores decided to buy from a local shop which delivered free of charge, set the whole thing up with our new DVD/VHS recorder. One of the large stores (I think Comet) were going to charge £59 to deliver (and we live only 3 miles away.) They do not deserve our patronage.

[Simon]

The most niche one I've ever come across had actual just closed down - 'Jane's Armour-Trading'. One presumes Jane only set up the shop because of the pun on Joan Armatrading - how much call for armour trading can there be in Coventry?

[Anna]

You have bought some memories flooding back Karen with your mention of the pulleys and tubes to a central cashier - I remember being fascinated as a child by the procedure. The shops that came to us have also come to mind. Our greengrocer delivered fruit and veg in a horse drawn cart. Walls icecream was delivered by a man furiously pedalling a tricycle upon which an icebox was perched bearing the sign ' Stop Me and Buy One ' or similar words to that effect.

I am not a great shopper unless it is a plant nursery or bookshop that I am visiting so the arrival of online shopping has been a real blessing !

[Lizzie]

What a wonderful book shop - I shall make sure I visit next time I'm in Edinburgh. Another lovely chidren's book shop (although of the antiquarian and used variety) is Stella and Rose's in Hay on Wye and Tintern. I am all for the small shop - my father had a butcher's shop sounding just like the one you describe - and in the university holidays, it was me taking the cash! I remember sugar being sold in blue bags and biscuits sold loose from large deep tins. And in the draper's shop, there was an upright bentwood chair beside the counter for the use of customers. Oh yes, and the pulley arrangement for the cash and the change. I suppose though the most unusual shop I've been in was in Bishop's Castle in Shropshire - from outside it appeared to be selling small gifts, but the display inside was of coffins and funerary items. I must say the coffins were unusual- beautifully hand painted and decorated. A bit of a surprise, but why not?
And on department stores - that reminds me of Darlings on Princes St (probably now House of Fraser),
especially the tearoom, full of Edinburgh ladies in hats - very rarefied!

[Rebecca]

Gosh, the shop looks wonderful, a real treasure, Edinburgh is very lucky, thank you for sharing the images with us. I am so in agreement over the march of generic blandness in our high streets and my goodness, I had forgotten all about sawdust in the butchers! We were always getting sawdust from the butchers when we were children, I have no idea what we did with it all, various scientific projects I think! I am lucky enough to still have an excellent butcher and green grocer in my nearest little rural town, fingers crossed the big names don't come this way, it would be terribly difficult to shop locally at the other nearest town, not an independent left, could be a town anywhere.

I cannot think of one single shop that stands out but I do love a dusty little hardware store, often wonderful treasures to be found in these shops and the staff are generally a lot more charming than their warehouse style big name equivalents.

[GeraniumCat]

Bliss! the perfect excuse for an Edinburgh visit.

My favourite shop when I was growing up was the stationer's - there wasn't very much stock on display really, because the front shop was tiny, but the necessary items were to hand: notebooks, pens, pencils etc. Best, though, was that through the open doorway at the back you could see a proper old-fashioned printing press at work, clattering away with the - to me - heady smell of ink. Thrilling.

[Kathleen]

I remember a dress maker on our main street. My grandmother took me with her so she could be measured for a dress. I haven't thought about that for years. I love to see shops like this opening up again. Everything has gotten so generic.

[Peter the Flautist]

People, the power is in your hands! If you would like to see small, independent shops opening up again, then you have to use the ones that still exist and stop using the mass-market chains as much as you (and I) do.

Dark Puss (in soapbox mode). Off now for a cooling saucer of milk (well Noilly Prat actually!)

[Nan]

I love the way all the books look. These are beautiful editions (and beautifully photographed, as always). Having just finished The Careful Use of Compliments, I can picture you walking along the streets. And wouldn't Isabel love this store for her new Charlie?!

[Nan]

I love the way all the books look. These are beautiful editions (and beautifully photographed, as always). Having just finished The Careful Use of Compliments, I can picture you walking along the streets. And wouldn't Isabel love this store for her new Charlie?!

[adele geras]

What lovely pictures, as always. The shop looks grand and I am so looking forward to my visit!

[rosie]

The most memorable shop I've come across is the fishing tackle shop in Cheterton on the outskirts of Cambridge. (I went there to buy fishing line to hang pictures with!). One big window is totally obscured by that old-fashioned chipboard that has round holes to take pegs on which you hang your products. At the counter, an old man and a young lad in tabacco-coloured overalls and the mangiest, most ancient cat ever. As well as the obligatory tub of magotts. They were wonderfully helpful.

And that reminds me of the most unusual vending machine I've ever seen. It was outside a fishing shop in Brive (France) and sold, yes, maggots!

[tara]

The shop looks wonderful - thanks so much for sharing the photos. I cannot think of a particular unique shop, but I keep coming back in my mind to those tiny shops in Paris, each one like a beautifully wrapped gift, each with its own personality and wares.