One of the reasons I wanted to start writing about book and
record shops was the difficulty I have found in finding up-to-date information
on them. While researching this trip to York I found one BBC student guide to
the record shops from 2004 (including a good write-up for Borders) and a list
of booksellers in York the majority of which appeared to be private homes where
one had to request a catalogue before arranging a visit. The list of booksellers
turned out to be doubly useless when the first entry on it turned out to have
closed.
Rather than going through the twenty odd shop names I pulled
out, here is where we wandered and shopped. The first bookshop we visited was
Fossgate Books, which had lots of books though nothing to tempt us. After that
we found some books in an antique centre around the corner (I didn’t check the
name, they had about 400 records at £2 each if you fancy finding it). Then it
was our first crossing of the city centre, via the Shamble Market to Goodramgate.
On Goodramgate there are a number of decent charity shops
with both books and records. There was also a man who checked every hardback
copy he could find to see if it was a first edition. Uncharitably we thought he
was trying to find something to sell on at profit. From Goodramgate, across the
river to Micklegate, where there were a lot of race goers. There is also a very
nice Oxfam with a little cubbyhole of records in the back. And then off towards
the minster, for Minster Books.
We came away from York with about ten books. Unfortunately I
didn’t make a note of which came from where, though all the prices seemed
fairly reasonable. Particularly in Fossgate Books, staff were happy to offer
advice and see if there was something we were looking for. What I did come away
with was a reason to continue exploring the city for its literary treasure.
Fossgate Books, Fossgate
Books for Amnesty, PDSA, British Heart Foundation, Oxfam,
Goodramgate
Oxfam, Micklegate
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