A flying visit to London this week gave me the opportunity to go into Daunt Books for the first time. I went to the famous Marylebone High Street branch with its skylights, galleries*, and striking arched window. There I rubbed shoulders with Charles Spencer, found the shelving system idiosyncratic but ripe for serendipitous discoveries, and was impressed by the stock: interesting things abound.
Mindful of what I could reasonably carry back with me on the plane I bought only two (short) books, Cakes and Ale, because I'd been meaning to read more Maugham since we did The Razor's Edge - and amazingly they had a copy, and Thin Air because Dark Matter was so good.
Most certainly a shop to return to.
*Beautiful, but in need of a good hoover.
I will be crossing the Pond to visit London again in January. Daunt is on my list of places to revisit. A great place to potter around.
Posted by: Mary | 12 October 2017 at 01:10 PM
Yes, I had a very pleasant browse, and there were a number of American visitors in when I was there, all remarking on what a lovely shop it was.
Posted by: Cornflower | 12 October 2017 at 01:54 PM
MY favourite bookshop. I've never noticed that they needed to get the Hoover out but then my housekeeping standards are at the lower end of the spectrum!
Posted by: Mary | 12 October 2017 at 04:29 PM
PS Do wish you'd relaunch your book group - but I must have missed this one, because I haven't read it. Maybe I should go revisit the list and fill in the gaps.
Posted by: Mary | 12 October 2017 at 04:33 PM
My own floors wouldn't bear close scrutiny, I hasten to add!
Posted by: Cornflower | 12 October 2017 at 04:58 PM
Kind of you to say you miss the group, Mary. I'll have to see ...
Posted by: Cornflower | 12 October 2017 at 05:00 PM
I have a HUGE issue with Daunt Books and advice from you and your readers is sought. The two local Daunt's to me (in NW3) insist in all weathers on leaving their doors to the street fully open. Now this in inclement/cold weather has two outcomes that irritate me to the extent that I have almost given up on using this otherwise commendable "chain". Firstly if it is cold then the first few metres of shelving inside the shop are extremely unpleasant to browse for any time. Secondly, and this I care about more, is the waste of heat (and fossil fuel and production of CO2). It is quite frankly not acceptable to use our precious resources in such a wasteful way. I have discussed this with the nice people who run the shops but clearly I am seen as a maverick and they do not change their ways. It's quite clear when these shops are open so why waste heat and make your customers experience (at least within 3 m of the door) unpleasant?
I am very keen to know if anyone else shares my views.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 13 October 2017 at 08:40 PM
How odd that they should do that at cold times of the year.
In the shop I was in, the tills were by the doors, so presumably the staff freeze along with the customers!
Posted by: Cornflower | 13 October 2017 at 09:25 PM
Yes! I am so cross about that sort of profligacy (as you can tell), but sadly (in my opinion) most customers don't care :-(
Posted by: Dark Puss | 13 October 2017 at 09:33 PM
In addition to his own shops, of course, the eponymous Mr. Daunt runs Waterstones, but to my knowledge they don't keep their doors open.
Posted by: Cornflower | 13 October 2017 at 10:11 PM
I am trying to recall who it was in a recent Who Do You Think You Are? series who discovered an ancestor who had run some kind of paper (?) works from the Marylebone Street Daunts building. They were shown a drawing of the place which I immediately recognised so wasn't surprised when the next scene showed them visiting the shop. But of course I can't for the life of me now remember who it was!
Posted by: Fran H-B | 15 October 2017 at 06:33 AM
Charles Dance!
I haven't seen that episode, but this article mentions the shop: http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/wdytya-location-guide-charles-dance
Posted by: Cornflower | 15 October 2017 at 07:17 AM
Of course! It was a great episode. Thank you for nudging my aging brain.
Posted by: Fran H-B | 22 October 2017 at 07:15 AM
It was about -1 C outsideas I passed Daunt's in Haverstock Hill (NW3) this morning. The front door was wedged fully open. Despite my potential interest in purchasing a book they are likely to have (for a present) I refused to enter.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 09 December 2017 at 09:35 PM
I wonder how they justify their policy at this time of year, but how much better if they were to shut the door and put a sign on it saying something like "please come in - a warm welcome awaits you!"
Posted by: Cornflower | 10 December 2017 at 09:16 AM
Exactly! Idiots :-(
Posted by: Dark Puss | 11 December 2017 at 08:34 PM