My intellectual development has been greatly influenced by Oxford’s venerable bookshops. I have particularly fond memories of The Turl Cash, Thornton's, and Blackwell's (of course). I am gratified to discover an old essay, "Oxford Bookshops" by William Ridler, of July 1963, when the original Parker's building had been demolished, and the new one (that I knew in 1974) was yet only on the drawing board. The essay has a particularly rare (I think) and delightful description of The Turl Cash.
ps. Exeter College demolished the old Parker’s bookshop at Nos. 26–27, Broad Street, Oxford and built its Thomas Wood Building (1964) on the corner of the Broad and the Turl. (source) The new building housed Parker's at the old spot from 1964 until c. 1993 when Blackwell's Art and Poster Shop moved in.
Here appear occasional jottings of my random musings. Profound or jejune, they reveal the contours of my mental universe, with world history, intellectual history, civilizations, philosophy, religion, society, knowledge, and books as some major themes. Since May 2011, this blog has been exclusively focused on Singapore. All my other reflections are now posted in "Notes from Noosphere" (see link under "Miscellany" on the right margin).
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