A frequent feature in my life since I was very little right up until this weekend has been the second-hand book stall on London's Southbank, under Waterloo Bridge. Anyone vaguely interested in reading will always feel a little leap of excitement when the rows and rows of books come into view. There are plenty of bargains to be had and a really eclectic range of titles, from classic novels to chick lit, from modern prize-winners to comics. There's poetry, children's books, illustrations, maps and plenty of non-fiction there too. If you're a Top Gear fan, you won't be disappointed... apparently Jeremy Clarkson recycles well...
Sheltered under Waterloo Bridge, you always feel (despite it always being packed with people) like you've stumbled across something secret. The prices are reasonable too and it takes great will power to walk away empty-handed. I even picked up some of my university course titles here.
Once you've had a browse around (and give yourself some time as there's a lot of books...) you can walk into the BFI bar/cafe and have a drink or some food. It's a nice setting, not cheap admittedly but not wildly excessive either - standard London prices. If you're really making a day out of it, you can even go on to the BFI itself and see a classic film in its old-fashioned movie setting. The whole area has got to me one of my all-time favourites and am always dragging people along!
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