Hunting books and bookplates in Port Perry Ontario

Port Perry by Lake Scugog

Considering how late in the year it's getting, we've been having exceptionally fine weather these past few weekends.  This means more opportunity to remain outdoors longer, and as such, I'm taking every chance to get out on the road and visit the many interesting bookshops and libraries nearby.  One of my recent trips took me down the road to a place called Port Perry, a picturesque community located on the edge of a man-made lake named Scugog.

Port Perry is a great place to spend the afternoon, and after lunch at a great little Italian place I headed across the road to a book store named The Grenadier.

This place is a military book lovers dream come true.  In fact I suspect it is the kind of place many of my friends secretly wish they could turn their homes into.  Located in Port Perry's old War Memorial Library, The Grenadier stocks thousands of military history books covering every period and every possible subject.  

The Grenadier - books and militaria

I made sure to get here early in the day as I knew I would easily spend a few hours wandering through the stacks.  I've been collecting books since childhood and have built a pretty comprehensive library, so I tend to be looking for the rare and obscure items that have so far eluded my attention.  Even so, I found many items here, including a few things I'd be hunting for some time.   The man in charge was very knowledgable and helpful, and I was also pleased to see that the prices were more than reasonable.  Needless to say I walked out later that afternoon with a good little pile of new old books.

Where to begin??

On this trip one of my best finds of the day was a near mint set of the 2 volume official history of the North-West Mounted Police, 1873-1893, by John Peter Turner, published in 1950.  My existing set, which I found in a yard sale some years ago, was in terrible condition so I was pleased to find a replacement for such a great price.  In addition, I picked up a couple of other military history volumes as well as a few cheaper items carrying interesting bookplates.  I'll share these finds in a subsequent post.