The library is located in the historic town hall, next door to the register office where Judy Garland and countless other celebrities have famously got married. The only wedding I have attended here was for a member of Earl Brutus who was faced with deportation and thus splitting up the band. As the bride, a huge Earl Brutus fan, and groom made their way down the aisle, 'White Wedding' by Billy Idol was played.
The town hall itself can be hired for functions. On the first day as I made my way to the toilet I was stopped by a dapperly dressed man rising from behind a trestle table in front of the hall's entrance. He asked me, in a slightly bewildering manner, if I was there for the conference? I glanced down at the table covered in copies of 'Country Life' where his smartly dressed colleague was still sat behind. I replied I was going to the toilet.
In the toilets there is a tiled mural on one wall depicting a beheading which I found enchanting as I buttoned myself up before returning upstairs to work. The reference library overlooks the Kings Road and even though it has free Wi-Fi the atmosphere retains a sense of calm dignity as people work silently. Compare this to other places with free Wi-Fi! There is a good stock of literature, local history and art books reflecting this area's rich cultural heritage.
Most of the desks are taken up by sixth formers revising for their A-Levels, who coming from Chelsea, one of the wealthiest boroughs in the country seem to positively glow with a health I've only witnessed in magazines. So much so that I felt as if I was intruding by being there amongst their number. This changed when a fine example of the common English tramp entered and I felt everybody in the entire room panic that he was going to sit next to them. Eventually seated, he proceeded to read today's Guardian before falling asleep with his head in his arms.
In the corridor outside the reference library is a space used as an art gallery. When I was here there was an exhibition of photographs, most of which had been taken along the Thames. Before I even realised this though, a man got up from behind a desk and introduced himself, nervously, as the photographer.
On the second day I arrived a cashmere pashmina sale was underway in the main hall. It cost one pound to enter but I decided to save my money. The public lending library, situated on the ground floor, has recently become self-service but there are still members of staff on hand to help those who don't understand how to use the new system.
For local residents the library is currently accepting submissions for short stories and novellas by budding authors. Once a month one of these will be chosen and printed as a volume, which then will be available from all of the borough's libraries. Finished at the library I thought about eating lunch. Whilst there is no actual café in the town hall itself there are many places dotted along the Kings Road where you can get a coffee and a sandwich.
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