I’ve been intrigued by the Reason Coffee shop for a while, located near the pond it looks from the outside like some kind of charity shop, and in fact it does sell a huge array of well categorised and arranged second hand books, everything from Richard Dawkins to Winnie the Pooh. There are a few tables and chairs outside but I chose to sit in so that I could look around at the contents of bookshelves whilst enjoying my chai latte (it came with a little biscuit which always feels like a bit of a bonus!)
There was also some heavily populated blackboards and a notice board with details of local and community events going on. It seemed like a good place to go to find out about local events and community groups. It was clear it has been set up as a social enterprise but it took a bit of googling to find out by whom (Reason and Science LTD in case you were wondering) and why. Their website reveals more but they seem to have a number of aims including promoting sustainability, supporting communities and raising money to help people attend their Thrive Programme.
In the absence of a decent bookshop in Watford after Waterstones closed down I’d recommend visiting the Reason Coffee Shop for its books alone. Next time I visit I will take an extra £3 to purchase the full set of Winnie the Pooh books!
ihertwatford 