I Love Libraries and I cannot Lie...

It's true! For as far back as I can remember I've loved libraries!

Yes, even as a little girl I got a thrill just walking into a library, whether it was the school library or our local library. To walk into a room full of books, what heaven!

So many books, so little time... where to start? I wanted to examine each and every book, read the blurb on the back cover and then make my choices. And then read them. As many of them as possible.

At my junior school in Dartford, Kent (Stone the Brent), I read so many books that the teacher refused to allow me to read the fourth year books. I was made to read all the third year books again.

In tears I cried to my mum about it, saying how unfair it was, and, at the next parent teacher meeting she enquired of the teacher as to why this condition had been enforced on me.

Quite simple, he explained, if I allow her to read the fourth year books now, she'll have nothing left to read for the rest of her time at this school. I was just beginning the third year at this stage.

My mum and I used to collect my beloved grandad each week and take him to the local library for new books (he was also an avid reader), and this was one of my favourite trips of the week.

While Mum was busy helping Grandad make his choices I was free as a bird. I wandered the aisles, taking in all the many authors, and making discoveries. Rapidly I had finished with the children's section and moved on to the adults. The librarian, familiar with my love of reading by now, was kind enough to turn a blind eye as my choices became more and more grown-up.

What a pleasure it was discovering a new author, and then, joy of joys, finding that they had written a great number of books. Pleasure awaited, in volumes!

It is no great surprise then, that eventually, in our beautiful home in Zambia, I was able to enjoy the ultimate indulgence. A proper library of my own!

And not just any old library. This was to be the real thing! Our carpenter had worked with us on many projects in our house by this time, and was familiar with my way of doing things. Sketches, plans, measurements, all worked out and drawn for him so that he knew exactly what my vision was.

Osman didn't disappoint. The resulting room was a joy to behold! Double sided shelves that came out into the room, creating mini aisles down which to walk. It was as close to a real library as we could manage, in the space provided, and it was my favourite room in the house!

All it lacked was a librarian's trolley and a date stamp.

Books were arranged in genres, alphabetically, and then, going one further, each author's books were arranged in date order, that being the dates they were written.

What can I say? I like order and method, just like the revered Hercule Poirot...

I loved that library. I miss it...

Unfortunately we never took proper photos of the library and this is the only one I can find, blurry and when I was still busy stocking it with my books, but it's still a lovely reminder of a special room...

But now we have a new library in our beautiful home and guest house in McGregor... It's not quite the same, sadly, but it's still my special place, filled with my beloved books.

Our guests love it too and every now and then I'll pop in, when walking through the courtyard, to find a guest sitting quietly with a book on his or her lap, enjoying the feeling of peace and serenity which a library gives.

I'll save our new library for another post, when I'll share 'what's on my shelves'.