It’s a crime . . .
We have lived in Sheffield for twenty years and until yesterday I have managed to avoid going to Meadowhall, Sheffield’s vast out of town shopping centre, except one occasion when I had to take our elder daughter to get some shoes not available elsewhere. Yesterday it was a similar story and I went with our younger daughter. At first I was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t seem as crowded as I remembered – apparently it’s worse on a Saturday -and I even spotted a Waterstones. But my pleasure was short-lived. When I actually went in, it was tiny. They didn’t have the book I wanted: too small to stock it. I did buy Michael Connelly’s latest, available half-price, but my prejudices were confirmed. Meadowhall is a temple to consumerism, mostly clothes and cheap jewellery – there is an M & S the size of a small country – yet it can’t support a decent-sized bookshop. It’s a shame.
4 Comments
Carol
July 23, 2014Ah, but compared to the US, the UK is a wonderland of bookshops. As you may know, one of our two large chains of bookstores went out of business a few years ago and the remaining one is struggling. Independent bookshops are disappearing at what seems a daily rate. The bargains and convenience of Amazon are too great a temptation for American readers..
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Christine Poulson
July 23, 2014I fear we are going the same way. I do make an effort to buy books in real bookshops, but Amazon is so convenient that it is a big tempation, particularly if you live some way from a bookshop, as I do.
Carol
July 23, 2014I’m afraid I use Amazon too. :0(
Christine Poulson
July 24, 2014A friend reckons to buy a book from a bookshop to match every one she buys from Amazon: a good idea.