Manor House

MANOR HOUSE LIBRARY
A Grade II* - listed building

The Users & Friends of Manor House Library was founded in November 1999 after first being set up as a sub-group of the Manor House Gardens User Group.

We were formed to fight a Council plan of closure, which was to merge us with Blackheath Village Library (also to close) and relocate us to a soul-less, rented building in the shopping centre at Lee Green. At the same time, Grove Park Library was to close. Enraged, we formed an alliance, fought a hard campaign, and won!

Our library building was once owned and occupied by Sir Francis Baring of Barings Bank fame and was sold to the Council in 1902 by his successors. It was fitted out as a branch library and officially opened by the then Viscount Baring on Saturday afternoon, 29th November of that year, a few months after its gardens had become Manor House Gardens, now listed as a Grade II listed park.

Lewisham now wishes to punish its rebellious library users by desecrating our beautiful building, whilst declaring they are being "benevolent" and spending huge sums of borrowed money on unnecessary plans and consultants, amply illustrated by the cartoon below.

Manor House Project Team Meeting, 19 December 2006

On Tuesday 19th the Manor House Project team met for the last time of the year.

Decisions to proceed on the Council’s “Plan A” were made, despite objections to the central lift idea as this has finally had tacit approval from English Heritage, who had written to me to advise that they were unhappy with the lift proposal and had asked the architects to look at a possible alternative site.

The architects advise there is no practical alternative site and the lift will be metal, encased in a glass “tube” but made to rest out of sight in the basement when not called to the lobby.

A comprehensive Business Plan was also produced which might explain why the central lift car is to carry up to 8 passengers. Comments, Mary?!

No library layout plan of course. But Planning and Listed Building Consent applications are to be made by the middle of January.

After the holidays I really would like to illustrate the details of the meeting and seek your advice what we do next. The extent of further consultation will be after the Planning Application is made.

One of the Statutory Groups*, The Georgian Group, have registered their opposition to the central lift proposal. The architects are arguing that Building Regulations (now) make it mandatory for the lift to access all four floors. I am seeking confirmation of this statement.

Meanwhile, have a Happy Christmas.

Peter Richardson

A SINGULAR TALENT FROM CHARLTON

The Friends of West Greenwich library always invite us to their AGM. This is followed by “the entertainment” which never fails to enthral, and educate,

an achievement in itself.

On Monday 15th October 2007, the speaker, Bernard Ashley, served up a true box of delights which enthralled and educated, whilst touching our hearts and souls

Bernard, reading from his book “Little Soldier”

Bernard is a local boy, born (1935) and brought up in the area but evacuated with his mother and brother during the war. His father remained in London as a member of the fire Service but managed to visit his family in Preston.

Bernard’s life was as that of many, education then National Service but followed by Teacher Training and a career that led to headships. In 1974 his first novel “The Trouble with Donovan Croft” was published and in that respect he did not look back. He now writes full time and is involved with a small professional theatre company, Ashley Chappel Productions.

From the beginning he took us into his confidence and cleverly revealed his approach to the creative writing process, coaxing you along, guiding his audience into his mind, experiences and sheer love of what he does. The introduction to his work was a reading from “Little Soldier”. This is a hard gritty tale, and set the scene. He then revealed how he had started off by writing stories for D stream 4th Year Juniors, for whom there was no appropriate reading material. This led to his head teacher introducing him to a publisher’s representative selling school library books and “Don’t Run Away” was published, followed by others.

The strong belief that children will become what you believe them to be was threaded into his teaching, writing and life. As well as dealing with plot, character, research and story development Bernard showed us an example of his writing tools. He writes long-hand on every other line, every other page …. ready for alterations and re-working! His copy of a Charles Dickens draft (with NO spaces) certainly showed how necessary Bernard’s method was.

All of those present felt part of his world as his memories and values were so similar to ours. A wartime childhood, or just a London childhood, an ordinary family but strong in love and decency, an education, a working life but mix that with a unique talent and you have Bernard Ashley. His final reading from “Johnnie’s Blitz” drew all the threads together. What a fortunate, thoughtful and talented man.

And we all left feeling better for it. “Nothing astonishes more in life than that there are people so very like oneself.” (C. S. Lewis) – but the singular talent of Bernard is in blending his writing ability, his ability to share, the blessing of experience and making an ordinary life extraordinary!

Patricia Richardson: Secretary of The Users and Friends of Manor House Library, Lewisham, accompanied by Peter Richardson (Chairman)