First day back at work today after the non-event that was jury service, so at lunchtime I popped into the new bookshop which opened while I was off – Crockatt & Powell (The place Lisa keeps writing about.)

It is a great improvement on the old place, which was a boarded-up grocers. It looks a lot like a book shop should look. I’ll admit I always picture the archetypal independent book shop as a lot dustier, but I suppose thats an old fashioned attitude. I am glad to see that their renovation of the place only affected the interior and frontage and kept the grafitti on the side wall…

(Picture taken last year)

At first glance, it looks like there is not a huge number of books in the place, but that is deceptive. The shop is not stocked with multiple copies of bestsellers – and having 200 copies of the Da Vinci Code might make a shop look well-stocked but doesn’t really give much choice. What is there looks to be well-chosen.

I was worried that it might be over-dominated by fiction, and I was looking for something specific in the non-fiction area, but there is a pretty good non-fiction section. It mixes science, philosophy, politics and other stuff together which made me discover a few books that I now really must have.

I recently read a comment – perhaps on their website – that people often judge a book shop by whether it stocks their favourite author. Well I could not see any Christopher Brookmyre at C&P, but I did find the specific book I went in there for (The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell) which has to be a good sign. There was also a fair selection of Jorges Luis Borges to tempt me.

When I went to pay for the book, the chap pointed out that Gladwell has a new book about to come out. (Blink – out tomorrow in hardback) I did already know that, but its still good to get a bit of conversation and a relevant and useful recommendation at the checkout.

I wouldn’t say the shop was crowded, but it is certainly attracting customers even though it is off the beaten track. Its not far from Waterloo station and worth making a detour for if you are up in town. I’ll certainly be back there.