Bristow's Bookshop

Bristow’s Bookshop was established in 1968 by Giles Bristow in Bridewell Alley, Norwich. It became a significant hub for the counterculture movement in the city.

Giles Bristow, from a Bohemian London family, was a libertarian and a veteran of the Aldermaston peace marches. His vision was to create a space where like-minded individuals could access radical and underground literature.

The bookshop sold books challenging mainstream thought, including titles about Paris 1968, American anti-war protests, and poetry. It also stocked counterculture magazines like Oz, IT, and Friendz, which were pivotal in shaping the thoughts and actions of the era's youth. It ran into frequent trouble with authorities under the Obscene Publications Act due to its radical stock.

The bookshop's atmosphere was described as ‘cheerfully chaotic’ by Pip Mosley, an MA student at UEA who sometimes edited the poetry magazine Norch, produced on the premises.

The backroom and basement were regularly used for events and readings, often becoming a gathering spot for local poets and activists. Once a month, the basement hosted poetry readings.

Despite its influence, Bristow’s Bookshop did not survive long into the 1970s. Richard Barnes, a Norfolk publisher, stated that no other bookshop in Norwich then or since could compare to Bristow's in its impact on the local counterculture scene.

Sources:
Radical Bookshops Listing, Radical Bookshop History Project (November 2023) [Available online here, accessed 13.05.2025]
A look back at the 1967 ‘Summer of Love’ in Norwich
In Fond Remembrance - The Vine
Norwich Shops 7 – Bridewell Alley