Keep Calm and Carry On (a sanctuary of a shop)

If you live in England, I'm sure you'll have seen this on posters, door mats, bags etc:

Well, the original poster was found at a wonderful second hand book store in Alnwick called Barter Books-link! It's just the most enchanting place for several reasons: 


1. It is the second biggest secondhand book shop in England so there's LOADS of choice.
2. They have real fires and comfy chairs; you're encouraged to curl up with a pile of books before committing to buying.
3. A lovely coffee shop.
4. You can take your old books and get credit for them which you can use to purchase other pre-loved books- although it's a thriving business, nothing about this place reeks of consumerism (which makes a change from most shops).
5. They also sell DVDS and vinyl.
6. Not only do they have a kids section, they have a special sections of older/ rarer/ early-edition books for a special gift. For Valentine's Day, we bought Ben a beautiful illustrated early edition of 'Wind in the Willows'. 
7. It has a train set that goes round the ceiling! 


Half of my degree was literature, I teach English and am an avid reader but regardless of your taste in literature, I would defy anyone not to love this place.


If you're ever in the North-East of England, I can highly recommend it.

{Loads of choice}

{Comfy seats}

{Fab children's section}

{Train that goes around the ceiling}

{Ben on one of the scooters for children to scoot round on}

{Me questioning Steve on which book to pick for Ben}

This is a place that is magical for both children and adults: a real sanctuary.xxx