Cape Town - After our VoiceMap walk in upper Woodstock and Walmer Estate last week, Diva and I made our way down to the Albert Road area to explore some places there.
We popped in at the Woodstock Exchange, the Old Biscuit Mill, and the Salt Circle Arcade. I’d found out about this last one while trawling the internet and it sounded like a great place. In reality, it’s not quite what I expected, and mainly has expensive shops selling clothing, jewellery and décor.
There is a courtyard at the back with food trucks, and I guess this is where things happen on Saturdays with live music and games as mentioned on the website.
But one tenant it does have that I love is Blank Books, even if there was no complimentary glass of Champagne (again, the website). You can put me down in any book shop, old or new, and I’ll be happy for hours.
Blank Books has shelves up to the ceiling, racks and tables all filled with delights, from tatty comics to musty tomes. Buried in the middle is a couch where you can park off for a while.
It’s not cheap, like Cafda cheap, but there are some great finds in there. Like a Hildegonda Duckitt recipe book for several hundred rands. This grand dame of South African cookery lived from 1840 to 1905 at Groote Post manor house near Darling, which is now a national monument.
You can pick up paperback novels for around R40 upwards, and obviously I couldn’t leave empty-handed.
The nice young lady behind the counter chatted with me about what I had chosen, made some suggestions, and said they are happy to help find books for customers. If you can’t get to the shop, there is a huge selection online .
l For more information call 021 447 1595 or go to www.blankbooks.co.za. The arcade is at 368 Albert Road, Woodstock (diagonally opposite the Biscuit Mill).
Weekend Argus