It hasn’t been a good weekend for old beardy blokes in Australia. First Bill Hunter passed away. Then Bob Gould quickly followed yesterday.
Although I’ve enjoyed Bill Hunter as an actor over the years, it’s Bob Gould I’ll be raising a pint to tonight. His musty old bookstores – first on Goulburn Street and George Street and then on King Street in Newtown – had a formative effect on me.
I remember my mates having to drag me away from the one on George Street every time we went to the Adam’s Apple discotheque next door. (The fact it was called a discotheque tells you how long ago that was). The bookstore was open similar hours and to be honest, I was more interested in the dodgy pirate LP’s hidden out the back than whatever Boney M song I’d have to shuffle to at the AA.
And the one up on King Street in Newtown was where I bought my first copy of ‘Vagabond in Europe and North Africa’ by Ed Buryn. Boy, did that book open my eyes. If Bob hadn’t bought that job lot of remaindered hippy-shit books God knows where I’d be now.
Bob wasn’t a saint, by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t think he actually liked serving people. He’d rather you just fossick through his store until you found something than direct you to it. I remember disturbing him from his newspaper once to ask if he had a copy of a particular book and he just shrugged his shoulders and dismissively waved me towards a pile of books at the back of the store. I don’t think he knew exactly what he had. Or didn’t have.
That was – and I hope still is – the great thing about a Gould’s bookstore. You never knew what you’d find. A lurid panel van art style poster of bar breasted Goddess. A poorly pirated LP in a white cardboard sleeve with a photocopied cover. Or some out-of-print travel classic that would take you off to the far corners of the globe and fundamentally change your life.
R.I.P. Bob. My life has been unimaginably richer because of your book stores.
Cheers.
This is where you'll find everything you need to know about me and my books.
Some people do this to us. Be a lasting effect that steers your life. I hope that Bob will stay i your mind and his way of life will guide your through your life.
I never knew Bob… But i will drink one on him… And all the people like him!
Johan
Thanks Johan!
Hi Peter, long time no see and looks like you’ve been busy and productive here getting the ebooks out and revamping your site. it all looks great.
Gorgeous epitaph for your old mate too. Wonder if bookstores themselves will become a thing of the past one day too?
I’ve been busy too with all manner of things but have started writing my Naked Travel Stories, posting them on my blog and dreaming of the big book deal.
Hope to catch up with you again soon!
Cheers from Australia! Annabel
Hi Annabel – great to hear from you again. I have been lurking around your site and saw ‘The Naked Traveller’ stuff. I was planning to link to it when you had a few more stories up but hey – anyone else reading this, go and check out Annabel’s stories at http://www.getinthehotspot.com/.
I also saw that you and the boys came over to these parts. You were so lucky – the weather has been abnormally good this year from early April on. It’s still sunny – so much so that the locals are complaining that there hasn’t been any rain. Can’t please some, can you?
Speak to you again soon
Peter
Thanks for the big shout out Peter:) I’m stoked you’ve been reading my little bits and pieces! I did think about visiting you while I was there but had to stick to a very rigid plan involving a LOT of aunties. But at least the sun shone on us. Lol, they were complaining about no rain when I was there!