    
On our Welsh trip last weekend we went to Hay-on-Wye, right on the border. That small town has specialized in used book stores, of which it has dozens. It’s *much* better than Charing Cross Road in London. The photo has our purchases. Ben bought the Malaga book for 30p, and Trouble on Tracy Island. He and I both noticed Tank Killing, by a very good author, Ian Hogg. Elizabeth bought the book about a schizophrenic sister and the maths workbook. Amelia found American Adventures, and a book for Faith that I didn’t put in the picture, at the self-service “honesty bookstore” on the main castle hill (there are two of them, far apart, for some reason). I pointed out Ben Hur to Amelia. Hereward the Wake, Hypatia, Spencer’s Social Statics, and Paley’s Works are mine. Life of Pi I found for Helen, and the two Kipling books for the kids. Social Statics was something I couldn’t find at Oxford except in the Bodleian, which doesn’t check out books. Why?  They’ve discarded their copies– the one I bought is a Pembroke College discard.
At the Castle shop, I inquired at the desk as to whether they had the Church of England Books of Homilies recommended in the 39 Articles. They didn’t. When I came back to make my purchase, the girl said, “This is rather different from your earlier inquiry.” I’d come to buy Tank Killing. Â
You must have confused the salesperson no end! She probably enjoys constructing personalities from the books people choose – perhaps imagines you, pennants flying, rumbling into Jerusalem in an armored vehicle.