Good job I was driving back home today I thought as I hurled everything into the back of my car. Never would have made it back with all the books I had got. My friend Daphne and I had raided all the charity shops near and far her home and we managed to get quite a collection.
A few weeks ago I re-read Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers. I love it and re-read it often but my tatty old paperback is pretty dreary and so I decided to see if I could hunt down a decent edition. None were found but I was recommended the Folio edition of four of her titles, including GS. Now this is where serendipidty always comes to my rescue. Daphne and I had caught the local bus to Brighton and after an excellent lunch and then a foray into Hotel Chocolat we decided to take a look at this bookshop, Colin Page Antiquarian rare and secondhand books.
Glanced into the window before entering and blow me down there, in the window, was the very Sayers Folio set I was wanting. Shot inside and in a moment it was in front of me and at a reasonable price as well. Told the proprietor that I would have it please and then nipped off to look at the other books. On my return he had produced another Folio set of Sayers and would I be interested in these as well? Of course I would and so, after asking for a discount which I got, we stepped outside laden down with carrier bags.
We abandoned the idea of a walk along the front as it would have been more a Stagger than a stroll taking in the sea air. I will be back and Brighton and the sea will always be there. As part of my plan to visit in the UK next year, the Brighton Dome and the Pavilion are on my list as well.
So here we are - here are all the books that I have purchased or been sent this week.
All the other books I collected are a goodly mix of light reading, chicklit etc and most of them will be read and passed on but some I will be keeping. These are in the top left hand photo, the bottom left hand photo is of a simply delicious copy of Persuasion which I simply could not bear to leave behind. No matter than I already have three editions...
Top right hand are books that were awaiting my return and add to the heap and the other photo is of the Sayers collection. Think I did rather well.
I should also mention that as well as purchasing books from all the charity shops, we had a look at all the old china and bits and pieces on sale and I picked up two Hornsea storage jars, very seventies, one for tea and one for coffee. I used to have some of these years ago and was very pleased to spot them.
A pleasure to be with a good friend who is as potty about books as I and we are planning a week away together in a cottage somewhere in the UK in 2014. Before we think about where we are going we need to check if there are good book shops in the vicinity.....
