Vertical Pleasure: The secret life of a taxman

Scarthin Books is based in a three-storey, 2000 sq.ft. shop overlooking the millpond which powered Arkwright's world's-first cotton mill in the hamlet of Scarthin in the village of Cromford, Derbyshire on the edge of England's first National Park, the Peak District. Our ABE list comprises only some of our more valuable, fragile or esoteric stock; our main business remains selling new, second-hand and antiquarian books and music over the counter to flesh-and-blood clients. We also house a home-cooking cafe, serving vegetarian (and some vegan and gluten-free) hot and cold dishes and refreshments. The cafe also hosts meetings of the Cafe Philosophique and Conversation Cafe and regular meetings of Amnesty International and Buddhist Meditation groups, as well as occasional book launches and other gigs. With nearly 100,000 titles in stock, we have since 1974 been evolving towards what a bookshop should really be like. You will feel very much at home here. Our hours are 9-6; 10-6 on Sundays (last cafe orders 5.15)and we close only on Christmas and Boxing Days. Our website www.scarthinbooks.com is also fun.