I've been contemplating restarting this blog for a little while, but it was this week's bookshop that finally gave me the push I needed to commit to writing. Partly because it's a lovely bookshop, partly because of how much The Boy nagged me to come out of retirement to write about it.
The bookshop is called The Best of Times, and it was conveniently in its first week of opening at the same time as we were having a weekend away in Broadstairs.
We're regular visitors to the area, having friends nearby and also finding it the perfect place to stay when attending gigs at Dreamland. We love the calm of the beach, the compactness of the town and the good variety of pubs selling real ale (including one based in a secondhand bookshop). The one thing we always found a let down was its lack of a new, independent bookshop. Until now.
Located on a side road just on the edge of the main town area (still only a two-minute walk from Morelli's), The Best of Times is tucked alongside a bar in what felt like a mini community hub. The area was buzzing. Advertising itself as a bookshop and cafe meant a steady stream of people were popping in for coffee and cake, as well as those of us there to browse the books. As locations go, this one seems perfect for being near enough to draw in visitors while far enough from the beach to avoid the crush of sandy-footed tourists who are just trying to escape the sun (I'm sure they're welcome too).
Entering through the front door, a wall of bookcases draws your eye to the back of the small room, where we see a display of cakes next to a large, welcoming serving hatch. It was from here that owner Gavin Boyter was greeting customers. To the right are more books, and hidden behind that first wall is a staircase down to the main fiction area.
I was interested to see the layout of the books, with science fiction and crime novels the very first titles I set eyes on in that initial wall of bookshelves. Small bookshops often don't have the space to give science fiction its own area, so I found this a bold and welcome move. Opposite was an interesting selection of non-fiction, meaning there's no choice but to continue exploring downstairs to the cellar if you're looking for a beach read.
The steps down alternate white and Penguin orange, which perfectly complement the bright and cheery bookshop interior. They lead to what I found to be a very interesting recommendations table, balancing fiction (including the proprietor's own work) and non-fiction, before you turn into a cosy space where you can sit and eat your cake while browsing a truly excellent selection of books.
Another cleverly placed "wall" of bookcases allow the browser to walk around both sides, with the fiction on full display in the main area of the room, and more non-fiction behind. The behind area includes cookery books placed on part of an historic bread oven that's built into the wall, and a spooky book nook – the photos say it all.
But back to that excellent selection of fiction. Not an inch of bookshelf space felt like "filler". Everything on offer was intelligent, thought-provoking and highly readable. The Boy and I were both fascinated by all of it, with many authors on the shelf for their less obvious works, rather than their personal best sellers (there were obviously a few of those too). It made for very interesting browsing and had us both giving a lot of thought to our purchases.
In the end I picked up a Raymond Carver book of short stories called Cathedral, while The Boy chose The Rings of Saturn by W. G. Sebald, and Perec's Things: A story of the sixties, with A man asleep.
I should also reiterate that the excellent selection on offer was all in the bookshop's first week of opening: it still had that recently opened feel, with obvious spaces where books were spread across gaps as stock is being acquired, but not once did we find anything lacking. Seeing how good the bookshop is already, I cannot wait to return when it's at full capacity.
For now, I'm going to settle down in the garden at home with my latest purchase, reading my book and remembering recent sandy days.
The Best of Times
1 Chandos Road, Broadstairs, CT10 1QP
