Sunny Saturday

Saturday 27th February 2016

Busy Saturday

Mr and Mrs O

It was a busy, busy morning! Lots of regulars and a few new faces came in. I had a queue at the counter and the phone ringing at one point. Loved it - the time went in a flash.

Mr and Mrs O came in - usually they come in during the week. They have a caravan in Blackpool and spend half the week there - in the warmer months. Mrs O takes a lot of books out each time.

She told me today that she is going into hospital on Tuesday to get a new knee! She said that she hopes she'll be up and about again by the time my last day comes along - as she wants to come to my Tea Party.

Also, she confided that she's worried about the kind of books Mr O might bring her when he comes in on his own. I told her I'll save her some new ones - so she'll get something she likes. She's very into crime - so I know what to keep for her.

Hanging Basket Cases!

My Blast from the Past today are more photos from May 2013 when we had the staff from Biddulph Grange show us how to make our own hanging baskets. I still have the (empty) basket outside. I will have to try to remember what they taught us - so I can refill it for this summer.

You need lots of moss!

I had a phone call from one of the staff at Clayton. She was asking me when she could come over to go through the opening and closing routines of the library. It turns out that she is going to be covering Silverdale every other Thursday afternoon. Clayton is one of our libraries that is surviving with paid staff. That and Kidsgrove and of course - Newcastle, our HQ.

The other five - Silverdale, Knutton, Talke, Audley and Loggerheads were meant to be "community owned and community staffed" except that no groups came forward to take any of them over. As far as I know - no volunteers have materialised to run yet them either. This means the remaining three libraries in our district are going to have to somehow staff and manage these five as well. With a much reduced staff. No-one I have spoken to yet know how this is going to be accomplished. It's only four weeks to the day 80 staff leave the service in Staffordshire. I heard rumours today that at least six more have resigned this week - as most people have not got the hours or locations they wanted.

I really want Silverdale to survive!