Page 328 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - London

326  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

At The Bead Shop in Covent Books focuses on mind, body language literature and study
Garden, you will find two and soul, while Marchpane materials. If you are looking for
floors stocked with thousands dedicates itself to Lewis Carroll newspapers and magazines
of items from Swarovski crystals and his Alice in Wonderland, as from abroad, Capital News­
to glass, pewter and stirling well as other British children’s agents stocks, among others,
silver beads. classics – keep an eye out for American, Italian, French,
Fans of Doctor Who and all signed copies of the Harry Spanish and Middle Eastern
things science fiction will love Potter books. Storey’s Ltd is publications. Gray’s Inn News
ScifiCollector on the Strand. an antiquarian bookshop is also worth a visit for European
It stocks a huge range of toys specializing in engraved prints titles. For those with a keen
and merchandise, including and maps. interest in vintage magazines,
items inspired by the time- London’s oldest bookshop there are more than 200,000
travelling Time Lord, Red Dwarf is Hatchards in Piccadilly. in the basement of Vintage
and Star Trek. There is also a Operating since 1797, this Magazines in Soho, dating
section for first day covers, historic store is a holder of from the early 1900s all the
stamp sheets and signed items. three royal warrants. It stocks way through to the present
Special events held at the new fiction and non-fiction, day. There are also all manner
store include appearances by and often hosts author of movie and popular culture
science fiction authors, artists signings. The beautiful memorabilia and gifts on the
and actors. Edwardian Daunt Books in ground floor of the shop.
Marylebone has a soaring,
galleried back room devoted
Books and Magazines entirely to travel titles and, CDs and Records
Though bookshops no longer unusually, related fiction As one of the world’s greatest
thrive as they used to, plenty organized by country. It is centres of recorded music,
can still be found across the worth a visit for its stunning London has an excellent
capital. Once a bookshop interior alone. selection of record shops
haven, Charing Cross Road Globe trotters should head catering to fans of all musical
(see p112) has a few stalwarts to Stanfords (see p116) in Long styles. Fopp sells a wide range
including Quinto & Francis Acre, which stocks guides to of music from pop to punk to
Edwards, which has a good nearly every part of the world. easy listening, and their
selection covering travel, It also has a great range of Covent Garden branch stocks
natural history, naval and maps. More travel books can a comprehensive range.
military history, and art and be found at the Notting Hill Small specialist shops tend
literature, and Any Amount of Bookshop, made famous by to cater to the more esoteric
Books, a shop with an eclectic the Hugh Grant and Julia tastes. Rough Trade was at the
mix of secondhand fiction Roberts film. Also in Notting Hill centre of the emerging punk
and non-fiction. is Books for Cooks, complete scene and still sniffs out
Charing Cross Road is also with café and test kitchen interesting indie talent today.
home to the flagship branch (see p281). It has a live music venue in
of Foyles. Spread across four Magma, a short walk from east London. For jazz, check
floors, this impres sive store Charing Cross Road, is excellent out Ray’s Jazz, which is now
stocks over 200,000 different for design subjects and housed in Foyles’ bookshop
titles. There is also a jazz shop avant-garde illustrated books. along with a café where you
and café (see below), an art Graphic novels and American can chill out to the vibe.
gallery and real live piranhas and European comics are the Secializing in jazz since
in the children’s department. speciality at Gosh! and Orbital 1974, Honest Jon’s also offers
Grant & Cutler, within the Comics, while fantasy and various types of music in both
store, is an unrivalled source of science fiction abound at the vinyl and CD format. In partic-
foreign books and DVDs. Over world-famous Forbidden ular, it carries an extensive
in Piccadilly, the flagship store Planet. Stocking all of the selection of soul and reggae.
of Waterstones (which has latest comic and graphic Flashback Records sells rare,
branches across the city) rivals novels, this megastore also hard to find music and collect-
Foyles for its vast collection. offers a huge range of merch- able records, from reggae
With over eight miles of andise and hosts signings with to pop.
shelving space, it is Europe’s leading science fiction and There is a high concen tration
largest bookshop. fantasy authors. For gay writing, of indie vinyl and CD shops in
Just off Charing Cross Road visit the pioneering Gay’s The and around Berwick Street.
is Cecil Court (see p105), a Word, near Russell Square. Sister Ray is the largest indie
charming pedestrian alley- The best selection of books record store in the West End.
way lined with dealers on movies is found at the For 12-inch singles, the medium
specializing in everything from Cinema Store. of club and dance music, one
illustrated children’s books to The European Bookshop in of the top places to go is
modern first editions. Watkins Kensington stocks foreign Phonica in Soho.

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