The Aardvark Blog

This week at Aardvark the Three Ps: Pevsner, Penguin and Pots
12/06/2021

We have had an incredible amount of books come into the shop this week, with the prospect of many more to follow next week. Some brilliant fiction, poetry, classics  and military books have found there way onto the shelves, but for me this week has been all about the Three P's: Pevsners, Penguins and Pots. Thats because they are three things that are very close to my heart.

To start with the first P we have had a good collection of Pevsners - most from the latest Yale editions, but also with a few of the smaller original Penguin gazatteers. Whilst there is no doubt that the latest Yale editions contain far more information - and fewer of Pevsner's peculiar dislikes such as his dissing of vernacular and victorian gothic architecture - they are not so useful for taking about. Still once I have finished processing them all today you can come in and make your own mind up.

Then on Tuesday we took possession of a great collection of mostly early Penguins ( some firsts, some with the over jackets). I love Penguin and all the amazing ideas that Allen Lane came up with - Penguin mini-scores, King Penguins, Penguin Poets, Penguin Specials - and we have lots of all of these to share with customers. It will take a bit of time for us to be able to process all of these, but they are coming.

Finally on Monday I picked up a great collection of books which included some superb garden books ( the previous owners had a garden to die for), some older puffins and Nancy Drew Mysteries and a good collection on pots - how to make them ( glazes, kilns etc), and the items and potters themselves. What a joy it was to see some titles written by the late Phil Rogers - world class potter and friend of Aardvark. His loss feels deeper with every day that passes.

So there you have it three more reasons to visit Aardvark that all start with P. And did I mention how wonderful it is to sit at our outside café tables surrounded by the most stunning Mid-Marches countryside. Home-made cake to die for, books galore, and your ever cheery Mr Aardvark to welcome you!