Wigan Album

Brilliant photo, Veronica! I loved the days when there were "SILENCE" notices in the library and you had to obey or face a stern look from the librarian! Now the assistants have the radio on or groups of children doing "activities". I attended the Powell Children's Library in Wigan almost every Saturday in the early-mid 1960s, and also the mobile library which came to Higher Ince every Tuesday. I recall when After-Eight Mints first came out and we had a box at Christmas...I would have been perhaps 8 or 9, and my schoolfriend Christine and I stuck the empty little brown "envelopes" that had held the mints inside the front cover of my books. We made little cardboard "library tickets" to fit inside them and oh! the excitement when someone gave us an old ink-pad and date-stamp! You'd have thought they'd given us the Crown Jewels! We took turns being the "librarian" and the "borrower" .....simple, happy times when children made their own amusement. I still have my cardboard library tickets from Abram Library even though our library sadly went the way of so many a long time ago. Veronica, do you remember when I sent you a book some years ago with its own "library ticket" inside?!

I do remember Irene, I still have it and what is more in the pages of that quite old book was a pressed flower that must have been there for years wrapped in tissue.. I placed it back inside after reading the book.

Lovely photo Veronica, of bygone times.I was always in the children's library in Station Road. You could get lost in a book age 7 I don't think children read enough today. Your right Irene we made our own games etc out of next to nothing.

I adored that card catalogue, such rich pickings to be found therein.

From being a little girl I have always loved reading and am never without a book. My favourite book shop is in Southport. In the winter they have the coal fire lit and you can sit in the easy chair waiting to have your purchase wrapped. Your book is wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. The number of friends when their grandchildren reached 2 I always bought them a Peter Rabbit book which was always tied with brown paper and string. No plastic bags.

Irene,
So Abram library is no more?? That's bad news. I spent hours and hours in there as a child, as it was right next to our school, and then on the way home when the school moved. I suppose they'll call it progress.....

Linma, I know the Southport bookshop although I haven't been in for many years. I love the way they wrap old books with brown paper and string, with a little loop for you to hold it by. The string was suspended from a kind of pulley if I remember rightly. Gareth, Abram Library went years ago but the building is now a Community Centre run and used by The Boys', (and girls' these days!), Brigade. They do keep it beautifully with a flagpole and nice flower-beds at the back, (I live just at the side), and they have cut-outs of soldiers in respectful remembrance. The Remembrance Parade leaves from there now every November and they . go back to the building for refreshments after the church service. The Community Centre is also used for parties, Slimming Clubs, Art Group, Judo classes, Christmas Fairs etc, but I miss The Library!! Like you, I spent hours in there, and still have some books that were sold off when it closed.

Well I suppose its good that the building is well used for such worthy causes, but losing any library is a big loss to any community.