EDINBURGH'S HIDDEN TREASURE

It was time for Ishbel and I to hit the malls again this Saturday.  We don't actually plan, or say, which malls or which location.  After all, it is always an 'inventure' [very young Alastair's word for an 'adventure'] which means that we do not have a particular plan or route in mind. And, in this case, malls are not necessarily involved.   Like this 'inventure' ...

We ended up taking the train to Edinburgh to have a look at some bookshops.  There is a new one which has opened up not far from Auntie Ish's flat.  It is Topping and Company Booksellers of Edinburgh whose website is here.   https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk

Oh such a beautiful building. It's Georgian and was formerly a bank. It has lots of nooks and crannies (formerly meeting rooms) on several floors all of which are crammed with books on tall shelves accompanied by ladders on sliding rails.

The second floor window looks north and on to the driech day outside. There were small wooden tables and stools in the occasional corner. Unlike Waterstone's it did not have a café area but I did see a tray with a teapot and mug being set down on a nearby table for one customer.

Ishbel poured over the books in the Young Adults section; I explored the different levels observing an American style 'Colonial' rag rug in one wee room.  I hadn't seen one of those in years! I ended up getting more ideas than books and also chatting to the young staff one of whom belongs to the family business.

Ishbel has no difficulty choosing an armload of books.  Here she is in the corner looking at 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky.  We had a wee joke: she is learning ballroom dancing at school and is due to attend the upcoming school dance.   It seems nothing has changed over the years of the boys all sitting on one side of the hall and the girls on the other.  Being a wallflower is not a new phenomenon.  I told her that I thought she would look good sitting on the bench against the wall with this book held up to her nose; it would at least make her slightly different from the other girls all sitting on the bench along the wall of the gym!