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Hatchards, St Pancras, London, by Terry Freedman

Hatchards, St Pancras, London, by Terry Freedman

Bookshops I like: Hatchards

February 14, 2018

It's the 23rd January, and I'm freezing. I don't usually feel the cold, but I've spent all day in a conference about educational innovation. I think a useful innovation would have been to turn the heating on. It was a good conference, but the temperature in the hall (Senate House, University of London), was lower than it was outside.

So, a brisk walk brings me to St Pancras station, and the branch of Hatchards there. (As an aside, if you ever want a signed book, Hatchards is the place to go. Foyles has a few, and other bookshops have them occasionally, but Hatchards has the most, and all the time.)

I'm now going to switch to the past tense.

I started looking in the non-fiction section, and an assistant came along, sat on a stool, and asked me if I was looking for anything in particular. I wondered if she thought I looked like a shoplifter! Anyway, I told her I was interested in Why we sleep, by Matthew Walker. She took me straight to it, and told me why she liked it. I asked her if it was fairly scientific, rather than anecdotal, and she assured me it was.

So, I bought it, and the young lady at the till was charm personified.

It was a nice experience. It left me feeling a lot warmer inside than when I entered, and not merely because of the temperature.

I like Amazon, but I don't think any algorithm can replace well-informed and pleasant bookshop staff.

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In Bookshops, Bits & bobs, Bookshelf Tags Hatchards, books
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My Books

This is my latest book, on how to get the most out of education conferences. Click on the pic to find out more.

This is my latest book, on how to get the most out of education conferences. Click on the pic to find out more.

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