During the summer, Minchinhampton Community Library took the opportunity, while closed because of Covid-19, to improve a number of aspects of the Library including having a new reception desk installed. 

It was designed and made by Chris Thompson (Furniture by Design) with his son George, who live in Minchinhampton. They mainly used local sycamore wood from the Bathurst Estate in Cirencester, but also included a small piece of Burma teak, a slice of fossilised petrified wood from Madagascar and some London Plane (Lacewood) from Harrogate.

The teak was salvaged from SS Pegu, a steamship built in 1913 and sunk by a German U-boat 7 miles south east of Galley Head (Cork) in 1917.  The petrified wood is approximately 200 million years old.  The dark wood on the front of the desk is the London Plane, which was saved from a Council clearance, and displays wooden books, a girl reading a book, plus quotations from well-known books. There is also a “tree” with an owl, a dragonfly and a spider.

It is hoped that it will be enjoyed and appreciated by the customers.  If they don’t recognise the quotations, they can ask the volunteers behind the desk who have a crib sheet. 

Our thanks go to Chris and George for a very special piece of work, and also to Katrina, Chris’ wife, and his mother-in-law for their contributions. 

Since reopening in September, our hours have already been adjusted to the following, from Monday, 5th October. 

Monday:   2 pm – 4.30 pm

Tuesday:  10 a.m. – 12 noon and 2- 4.30 pm

Friday:      10 am – 12 noon and 2 – 4.30 pm

Saturday: 10 am – 12 noon

Only 3 customers are allowed in the library at the same time and social distancing will be observed in the queue at the door and in the library. Customers will be asked to wear masks, and to sanitize their hands on arrival and on leaving.

We look forward to welcoming you to our library.