Having fun in London town - Part 3 - The purchases!

I promise we’re almost at the end. I could probably bore you for a whole month of Sundays about my trip to London but I promise that it is now pretty much at an end.

The theme of today’s post is less words, more pictures, you’ll probably be relieved to hear.

So I present to you The Purchases!

I spotted a couple of little independent bookshops on our travels and there was no way I was going to pass by them without walking in and buying something. Much as I love Waterstones and all other book chains, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, I love love love independent book shops and think it’s so important to support them and keep them in business by buying a little something from each one.

I always find something just a little bit different in these shops. There are no tables of 3 for 2 offers which are screaming at you to buy them, you are more free to wander aimlessly up and down, looking at the shelves for yourself and it is then that certain things jump out at you and grab your attention.

At Gloucester Road Bookshop (couldn’t tell you the name of the street but it’s about a 3 minute walk from Gloucester Road tube station) I came away with a hardback copy of On Green Dolphin Street by Sebastian Faulks. A great book that I have read but it was a borrowed copy so I am very pleased to have my own copy, and for a mere £3! I also snatched this tidgy copy of Lark Rise to Candleford. Couldn’t even tell you why I bought it. Just liked it a lot. Who knows when I’ll read it!

And at Nomad Bookshop in Parson’s Green (I think it was on Fulham Road but don’t hold me to it!) I came away with The Boy With The Cuckoo Clock Heart which sounds very fairytale-like – a story of a boy who has his heart replaced with a cuckoo clock and who mustn’t lose his temper for fear of setting it off. Apparently it’s written by a French popstar, which is, well, just bizarre. But I’m pleased I found it either way.

At the Tate Modern (everyone knows the best part of any museum is the gift shop) I picked up this little children’s book. “Who’s it for?” I hear you ask. Erm....me. I just wanted it ok?!

Also at the Tate Modern I got this which provided us with much amusement. I have 2 others in the series which are instructions for British servicemen in France and Germany in 1944. There are reproductions of actual pamphlets given to soldiers in the Second World War to help them assimilate in their host countries. You know what though? The American one is still relevant today – we really haven’t changed that much as a nation. I suggest copies of this are given to passengers on every flight from America to England.

It contains gems such as....

"Don't be a show off. The British dislike bragging and showing off..."

"Keep out of arguments. You can rub a Britisher the wrong way by telling him "we came over and won the last one." Each nation did its share..."

"The British don't know how to make a good cup of coffee. You don't know how to make a good cup of tea. It's an even swap."

And I know that you’re all dying to find out what I bought at the Marmite shop. Come on, admit it. You are. As I said in this post, I went a little overboard because the prices of everything had been slashed in an attempt to clear the stock before the shop closed down. So I came away with...

I know.

I wasn’t joking when I said I went overboard.

Pictured here you will find:
- 2 t-shirts
- The big bumper book of Marmite (which is hilarious by the way, they must have had such a giggle putting it together)
- 4 coasters
- 3 tea towels
- An oven glove
- A postcard in a frame

And not pictured is a big tote with a marmite jar on it. I’d got to the till and he rang the purchases up and said that they had the tote on offer for £5 when it was normally £15 and would I be interested? At that point I really felt that I’d gone so far, I might as well carry on so all my purchases went in that.

I am currently working on spreading all these things throughout the flat because I think there’s definitely a chance that there’s a bit of Marmite overkill going on.

And here ends the London posts. (You’ll be glad to hear.)

I think I did pretty well with my purchases, I tried to get things that I can’t get in Hull, nothing worse than coming home with a load of stuff you could have bought anywhere. (I think the Marmite products can definitely come under that heading!)

Now.

What the hell am I going to blog about for the rest of the year?!