What a boast! MOST enjoyable?? MOST BOASTFUL perhaps! The earlier motto was:
and this remains accurate. What we seem to be specialising in is SURVIVING, and we can only survive in this beautiful but congested and hidden place because we do try to offer the "Compleat" bookshop experience, despite the fact that, according to an old friend, Brian MacDonald
Actually how Scarthin Books really operates can now be read in verse by clicking on WHIMSIES and reading the Ballad of Scarthin Books or our authoratitive article The Ecology of Books or by transferring to our NEWSpage.
OR you could ask the opinion of GUARDIAN UNLIMITED for which we extend our appreciation of being included in such a short-list, or the Derbyshire interest site FABULOUS PLACES which includes, unsolicited, a poetical description and some very sweet reviews. Our thanks to the reviewers.For other Derbyshire locations you can click on shops, galleries and cafes etc.
So,welcome to Scarthin Books, a sort of One Stop Bookshop. People always ask what we "specialise" in,and the answer can also be in DIVERSITY. We are a major stockist of new books, with some forty thousand carefully chosen titles on the shelf (more than Foyles are putting into their new Westfield Centre shop, despite five times the floor-space) and an efficient and very resourceful international ordering service for individuals, schools and institutions. We buy and sell second hand and antiquarian books, with a stock of about 45,000 on the shelf and with rapidly growing worldwide sales via a net stock of over 3000 volumes. We just about keep in order a considerable range of second hand sheet music, recently (December 3rd.'07) put straight and enormounsly augmented by our scholarly Edmund. We also boast a homely cafe with many curious exhibits on almost the only un-booked walls in the building and a children's book room. We are publishers of books on Derbyshire, local history and the popular Family Walks series.
E-mails, to clare@scarthinbooks.com are as welcome or unwelcome as letters, faxes, phone-calls and ansaphone recordings. Barring mishaps, ALL messages will be answered, orders quickest of all, publishing enquiries slowest of all, offers of books usually within a day or two (the river of books is always in spate here, "for rain has been falling far off at their fountains"). We are now supplying virtually all new books priced at £19.95 or over at 10% off (or more, if subjects of "special offers"). In addition we have started an experimental Customer Reward Scheme. For the details see our News page entry under December 2008.
We like to link to other interesting pages, particularly literary, scientific, ecological and thought-provoking - as well as to other small businesses providing services which are useful or local or singular or run by friends/relatives - or all of these!
Oh, and a few more SUITABLE SLOGANS, about the only poetical outlet for a Commercial Gent. here they come.
DID WE DO WRONG? THE LIBRARY OF SAWN-OFF BOOKS describes one of our more recent commissions, which you may find amusing or, perhaps, outraging. Or for a more comprehensive rethink of the Book Trade, try clicking on The Ecology of Books
Our current mini-exhibition is a whimsical look at the changing face of <Children's Birthday Parties
> as depicted in books over the last half-century. We must examine at least three alternative hypotheses for the striking changes depicted. Is it that 1.The Country has gone to the Dogs, 2.We've loosened up a bit,or, 3.Nothing has changed REALLY.. If I can get it together I might run the gauntlet of copyright and post some pictures on the site.
See Micro Exhibitions for more details of this and previous displays, or best of all, visit us!