Happy to attend Golders Green library last Thursday to celebrate renewal work including (at last) public toilet and ’self issue’ equipment allowing you to self issue books in 4 languages.  Ceremony was followed by Programme of Storytime which my grandtwins enjoyed and an evening talk on researching family history for which we now have some web facilities.  If anyone out there would like to join the Friends of Barnet Libraries please let me know.

Social Mobility and the Library System.

I was called to make an intervention in the social mobility debate at Lib. Dem. Conference in Bournemouth this week. I drew attention to the OECD report which shows that children who read for pleasure are more likely to better themselves. Repeating my words to Barnet ‘s last Council Meeting I reiterated that the free library system was wellplaced to interest children in reading from the charity Baby Bookstart through baby rhyme time (my grand-twins love it) and storytime schemes, to summer reading challenges and teenage reading groups in their own part of the library.

In Barnet I paid a special tribute to the Children’s librarian Hannah Richens, reminded members that we were one of the first Children’s libraries and congratulated library staff on their efforts. I also suggested it was high time that Cllr Mrs Bannister without whom none of it would have happened was awarded a plaque in Hendon Library.

“It is essential”, she ended at Bournemouth that we use the Library system “It’s free, it’s there and we should use it to the best advantage.”

PS Those eagle eyed among you would have seen me knitting in TV shots of Conference. It is a very nice Susette designed beaded glove. Pattern on request! No problem with needles this year!!

These are the areas dear to my heart.  Barnet has , this year achieved 7 green flag parks.  This is good.  For very unusual reasons I, as an opposition COuncillor, chaired the meeting of the committee dealing with parks, when we didn’t have any green flags,  and was able to get agreement for a resolution to go for Green Flag parks asap.  However I did not intend that this would mean taking park-keepers (also reinstated as my policy when Chair) away from other parks for large proportion of their time.  I do think that more attention needs to be paid to some of the parks and open spaces in the Borough and am putting forward an amend ment at next weeks COuncil meeting to say so.

Libraries come up at that meeting as well.  The Administration are proposing a voluntary reading scheme.  It sounds good but hope to get more information.  Meanwhile , in the minutes from last time, Cllr Coleman berates me for objecting to the disgraceful charge of £1000 for shops to use the curtilege because I complained about the cafe Nero’s cigarette stubs (they have since cleaned up their act.)  “THis gives us the power we did not have before to deal with it”, he says.  THIS IS RUBBISH. The ward officers (abolished by this Tory Administration.)were able, and did take care of it under existing legislation.  He also takes a swipe at my knitting.  Since my knitting is the most constructive thing to come out of COuncil Meetings as they are now constituted I can happily take this in my stride.

For those interested my current project is a book of glove projects.  I am working on a DK glove in Rowan Tapestry.  A simple but effective lace pattern.  For more about my knitting see www.susetteknits.org.uk