Cool Places
Boswell’s
1–4 Broad Street Oxford OX1 3AG
There’s something of the ‘Are You Being Served?’ about Boswell’s, despite the lack of lift ‘going up’ in a central atrium. Perhaps it’s the way the pharmacist is almost on top of the ‘Oxford Souvenirs’ department, the certain age of the ladies behind the counter, or the faint air of the mundane. Nevertheless, Boswells’ nonchalant dowdiness is what gives it its cool edge – not to mention its independence from the high-street chains. The fact that you really can buy almost everything here will leave you to explore both the bizarre and basic for hours on end. One of the Old Guard, Boswell’s has had its place in Oxford since the late 18th Century and with business still going strong it should remain for many years to come.
