In the course of which we came across this receipt from the glory days of Foyle's, the days when having selected one's book one first queued at the floor desk to obtain a bill. You then left the book behind and queued at the wooden cash kiosk in the middle of the shop, a small kiosk manned by a large fierce lady of uncertain origin, probably somewhere in central Europe, to pay the bill (cash or cheque only) and to get it stamped. You then queued for the second time at the floor desk to get your book back.
Arrangements which were relics of a more leisurely age, relics kept in place long after other large bookshops had moved to more modern ones. Other relics of this more leisurely age included the terms and conditions of employment for the often bad tempered and sometimes knowledgeable staff, terms and conditions which included being hired, paid & fired by the day. Zero hours contracts before their time.
But it was a very good bookshop. Not quite as good now, they are trying to make a profit, but it has held its place in the rankings and it is the best bookshop in town by some considerable margin - certainly for my purposes - although what is left of Dillon's might be better for some university purposes.
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