Once upon a time, in the human year of 1929 to be precise, a grand library was built near my home in Grove Park. It was to become the flagship library of Barnet borough. It was Hendon Library.
EILEEN COLWELL
The heroine of my story is not a princess but a librarian by the name of Eileen Colwell.
Imagine libraries without children's sections? We take them for granted, don't we. But think about this. When Hendon Library opened, there were no such things as children's sections.
In 1929 Eileen Colwell created the first ever children's section in a library right here in Hendon.
And she stayed there running it for FORTY YEARS inspiring generations of kids, creating a magical space for young imaginations, inventing children's story-telling hours and even letting kids help run the place.
It's no surprise that she inspired "Jackanory" and was invited to narrate 10 stories for the much-loved BBC show.
READ MORE ABOUT EILEEN COLWELL:
The Children's Library at Hendon Library, The Burroughs, Hendon, in 1952.
Photography by John Maltby, in the RIBA image collection.
Hendon Library thrived. It was an ACTUAL HUB for people of all ages. With its Music department and Children’s library it was the best in the borough. You'd struggle to meet anyone who grew up around here who didn't get hooked into reading in Hendon Library or who didn't study for their exams there. In 2010 it was ranked the 9th most used library in the UK.
And so, Hendon Library lived happily ever after.
Except it didn't.
In the same year Hendon Library was ranked 9th most used in the UK, Barnet Council INEXPLICABLY started consulting about closing its services:
"Hendon Library is one of the most used in the country, attracting nearly 800,000 visitors last year....Barnet Council is currently consulting with residents about the future of the library service, with potential changes including the closure of some facilities." Barnet Times, 2010
Barnet Council were coming for the libraries in the borough and no amount of passionate, well-attended demonstrations could stop them.
Budgets were slashed. Services gone. Eileen Colwell's children's library gone.
By 2017, 1600 sqm out of 1800 sqm of Hendon Library had been leased to Middlesex University.
Then last year, a Barnet council report advised that the library services should be moved out of the building that has served the public since 1929 into the ground floor of a new 5-storey accommodation block into what looks like the set of a CBeebies show, not quite the homage to Eileen Colwell residents were hoping for. Why?
To “facilitate the provision of a broader and enhanced library offer” and give the library “enhanced visibility”.
What a load of wolfsh*t.
But these plans have been pushed through and the people's public library is set to become Middlesex University Business School and this is all due to be approved just before Christmas.
THE GRINCH WHO STOLE HENDON
NEVER BEFORE HAS ANYONE BEEN SO IN NEED OF A VISIT FROM THE GHOST OF HENDON PAST THAN CLLR DAN THOMAS & HIS TORY COUNCILLORS
Don't get me wrong, I do not howl for any political party.
But why did all the Tory councillors bar one approve these plans? It is not a political issue. The Hendon Tory MP is against them.
Who was the "bar one" councillor?
Cllr Nizza Fluss was the ONLY Hendon councillor who engaged with the public.
She tirelessly supported them over this assault on their community, championing the library in particular. She has become much-loved, even by voters of other political parties, and I've watched her help many Hendon residents since she took up her post at the last election.
But I recently discovered she's about to be de-selected by her own Party. She supported you and now she's being booted out. How do you feel about that?
What is going on with the Tory councillors? Why were they so hell-bent on pushing these unpopular Hendon Hub plans through? Why did one Tory councillor (who I won't name here but if you message me I may tell you) tell a Hendon resident "...voting against the Hendon Hub would be political suicide"? Why do they keep pushing through all these obviously monstrous, destructive development plans around the borough despite thousands of objections?
An image of a lady reading at Hendon Library in 1954 via the Museum of London
How are these people in their roles as guardians of the people, protectors of communities yet have absolutely no idea how community works? How people interact with each other? What life is really like for most people? What people need? How Covid has made all these needs greater?
I really do wonder if some of them glance at areas like The Burroughs and Church End and all they see is "sh*thole" and "kerching" without seeing people.
Because how dare they play Monopoly with your home?
HOW DARE THEY TAKE THE LIBRARY FROM THE PEOPLE?
1931 RIBA image collection photos
How dare they not realise that their plans are:
about as unpopular with residents as they could be (c.90% of respondents to their own dodgy, unfit for purpose Hendon Hub survey)
about as disproportionate in scale as they could be (7 storeys in place of 2)
about as damaging to the area’s Heritage architectural environment as they could be
about as damaging to the environment as they could be (unnecessary demolition of relatively recently built and serviceable/renovation suitable buildings)
about as disrespectful of the community as they could be - we’ll have your Public Library - without even a thank you!
THE PEASANTS ARE REVOLTING
And now the peasants are revolting.
Many of them grew up in Eileen Colwell's Children's Library. They read there and they learned there and their kids did too.
These heroic humans of Hendon won't stand for it. They are fighting this with all their might.
I wish them the luck of the wolf. Because boy, are they going to need it.
I will leave you with some comments on the recent "Save Hendon Library" petition.
YOU CAN COMMENT ON THE COUNCIL'S PLANS FOR HENDON LIBRARY HERE:
Follow me on Twitter if you dare: https://twitter.com/JKHowlingOfHDN
