Albion Beatnik Bookstore/Cafe, Oxford

This is a little gem I passed by a couple of times on my way to seminars/library, but never though of visiting until today. Quite possible because it doesn't really seem like much at first - small, dusty, quaint, with mismatched tables and peeling paint.

It's the little details that make it such a wonderful place. It's utterly and completely unpretentious. The books are stacked in piles on the wooden floors and coffee tables. You get to choose your own teacups - there is an assortment of them, ranging from what appears to be antique china to oriental tea glasses. The cakes are scrumptious. Even the music - light jazz - gives a certain bohemian "oomph" to the place.

The selection of books, both new and second-hand, is rather impressive, for such a small shop. There is modern fiction, poetry, drama, history, children's books, and biographies. Jazz lovers will find a wonderful collection of books about the genre. I chose a biography of Shakespeare, in wonderful condition and at only £3. What makes the "Beatnik" a great place for book lovers, however, is the fact that you can quite comfortably spend hours rummaging through the shelves, never feeling rushed. There are no uniformed shopkeepers, and no high-street glossiness of "Blackwells" to make you want to buy and dash. It's the sort of place to enjoy, to savor. The sort of peaceful hideaway that is a rare find today. Maybe this is exactly what makes it so special.


ALBION BEATNIK
34 Walton Street
Oxford
OX2 6AA
England

books@jazzscript.co.uk
Telephone: 01865 511345