{"id":24535,"date":"2024-11-01T14:25:35","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T14:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=24535"},"modified":"2024-11-03T16:39:31","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T16:39:31","slug":"days-out-barge-biz-ely-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=24535","title":{"rendered":"DAYS OUT: Barge Biz & Ely\/Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tea time at Peacock\u2019s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Street detail, Ely.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After a leisurely and pleasurely mooch around the charity shops on Ely High St, where we picked up an item or two of clothing and some art books, we popped into Topping. Formerly my favourite bookshop in East Anglia. Poss\u2019 even the UK?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why formerly? Because I no longer feel welcome there. I shall relate today\u2019s experience below. Sadly it\u2019s not the first time I\u2019ve left the shop thinking maybe I won\u2019t go back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On my very first visit to this in many ways splendid bookshop, I was offered a complimentary coffee. That was a great move on their part. For a few pennies outlay, they shot up in my (already very high) estimation – not just for the amazing selection of books they have – but for the friendly welcoming atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays, when we visit, we might occasionally want to ask for a complimentary drink. But I feel that I ought not. Teresa always asks me to ask. But I don\u2019t want to. Why? Because I feel we\u2019re putting them out. I feel we are not welcome. Why do I feel that? Well\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wow! Found at Ely Oxfam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I believe that I\u2019m made to feel like a cheapskate interloper, for occasionally asking for a tea or coffee when we visit. When the complimentary drinks are their damn idea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there an unwritten rule that for every request for a warm beverage I must buy at least one book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s visit included a request from Teresa that I ask for a drink. I flatly refused. She had to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s already used their toilet. With no untoward effect. I went to do likewise. I\u2019d normally ask at the counter. But there was nobody there. I encountered a lady member of staff en-route to the loo, and politely asked could I use their facilities (as I\u2019ve done on many previous occasions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, I couldn\u2019t, as that\u2019s whither she was bound. So I stood outside in the corridor. Waited for her to finish, and then went in. She told me it was a staff loo. I said I\u2019d been allowed to use it before. And she grudgingly assented. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, she tutted loudly\/audibly, as we left the upper floor of the bookshop. I\u2019m not sure why? Perhaps because we left the tea tray upstairs? I\u2019d usually return it. But on this occasion I just couldn\u2019t wait to get out of the shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought about complaining to the lady on the desk\/till, downstairs. But I didn\u2019t. Instead I phoned another branch of the bookshop. And related my experience, and how it left me feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guy I spoke to, Duncan (in Edinburgh!), was very polite. And said he\u2019d raise the matter with their Director. Good! I don\u2019t enjoy being made to feel unwelcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I might make an inventory of books I\u2019ve bought there, and tickets we\u2019ve purchased for their author talks (which include Rick Stein, + book; Nigella + book, Paxman + book, Melvyn Bragg + book, and many, many more).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to recommend Topping to anyone bookish. Now I\u2019m less inclined to do so. And I used to feel happy to pay the full RRP, which Topping always ask, rather than get a book cheaper – often much<\/em> cheaper – via Amazon. I no longer feel that way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I\u2019m not welcome at Topping, despite all the years of buying from them? I\u2019ll shop for books elsewhere. It makes me sad. As I love Topping, the bookshop. But I very much dislike the snooty disdain with which I\u2019ve been treated on more than one occasion, by more than one member of staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hey ho!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But our visit to Ely was – apart from this – very nice. We had chips n\u2019 sausage, from the very good chip shop on the market place. We went to Ely City Centre Cycle Shop, where I bought an Airfix model, and Teresa looked in the haberdashery section. And we finished off at the Antiques place, followed by Peacock\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What a great place!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a leisurely and pleasurely mooch around the charity shops on Ely High St, where we picked up an item or two of clothing and some art books, we popped into Topping. Formerly my favourite bookshop in East Anglia. Poss\u2019 even the UK? Why formerly? Because I no longer feel welcome there. I shall relate … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “DAYS OUT: Barge Biz & Ely\/Home”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paGwUa-6nJ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24535"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24535"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24553,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24535\/revisions\/24553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}