I couldn’t remember the name of this Ely bookshop when I saw the picture and chose it for a Picture of the Day. So I first went to Google maps, to Street View to find it. No luck, High Street in Ely seems to have been bypassed by Google’s crew. But, I thought, Ely is a small town, despite the fact that it has a magnificent cathedral, so how difficult will it be to find this shop? Well, not difficult at all, as it turned out. At the top of the results was the website for Topping & Company Booksellers and a quote from Alexander McCall Smith, “One of the finest bookshops in the world” as introduction.
I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know the picture reminded me of one of the most pleasant moments I’ve ever experienced in a bookshop, or any shop. After taking a short train ride north from Cambridge, where my friend in the picture lives, to Ely to see the cathedral, she asked if I’d like to visit a bookshop. Indeed, I would, said I and it was very near, in a high narrow building in the medieval heart of the town, just behind the cathedral.
There weren’t many people in the shop and we made our way upstairs where a clerk behind the counter we passed was just on her way to make tea and asked if we’d like some. Very shortly we were served at the small table you see in the photo, with a view of Ely Cathedral over the rooftops. The staff were, I think, the most cordial I’ve ever encountered, smart and educated as you’ll find occasionally in the best bookshops, the tea was wonderful and “on the house”.
Ely Cathedral is, in my experience, one of the most beautiful in England. The town is compact and everything is a short walk from the station, making it quite possible to visit on a day trip from London. I recommend it highly.
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