Ellesmere Port Library celebrates its big 60th birthday

Ellesmere Port Library is celebrating its 60th birthday next month, and to celebrate the anniversary, the Library is inviting people to share their memories, join in events and take a look at displays on the history of the library and life in the 1960s.

Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Councillor Louise Gittins said: “1962 was the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis and Marilyn Monroe singing happy birthday to JFK.  On 5 May of that year…our fabulous Ellesmere Port Library was officially opened.

“I hope as many people as possible with help us to celebrate this wonderful milestone.  There is a wide range of events happening, definitely something for everyone.”

Children will be making birthday cards for the library on the morning of Saturday 30 April (9am to 1pm) and the BookStart Bear will come to a special anniversary rhyme-time for toddlers on Wednesday 4 May at 10.15am.

People can pop in for coffee and cake when the Mayor of Ellesmere Port, Cllr Lisa Denson, cuts the anniversary cake at 11am during an anniversary coffee morning from 10.30 to 12 noon.  The event is open and free to all.

At 7pm, library staff will be characters from “The Glass Room”, giving visitors the chance to solve the murder mystery written by Ann Cleeves (who also wrote the television series “Vera” and “Shetland”). Tickets are £5 and available from the Library and via www.ticketsource.co.uk/cwaclibraries.

The Library has gained permission from the North West Film Archive to show rare footage of the building being opened back in 1962. There will be displays covering films, music and headlines of the day; vintage fashion, library paraphernalia and books from the 1960s. A memory book has been placed in the library for people to write in their memories of the library.

Councillor Gittins added: “The Anniversary is also being used as an opportunity to track down and thank people who used to work at Ellesmere Port Library, by inviting them to the cake-cutting and coffee morning.  Please pass this on to anyone you know who may have once worked at the library.”

Ellesmere Port Library is free to join and is open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 7pm; Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am to 5pm and Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.  As well as a wide range of books, there are public access computers to use, wifi, printing facilities, activities and a café.

Regular weekly events include Baby Rhymetimes on Tuesdays from 10.15am to 10.45am, plus Toddler rhyme and sign Wednesdays 10.15 to 10.45am.  Please pre-book for both these sessions.

Ellesmere Port Local and Family History Society visits the Library on Wednesdays between 10am and 12 noon; an Armed Forces Veterans Support group takes place on the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 11am to 1pm; Reading Groups are held on the first Friday of the month from 2pm to 3pm; and the very popular Not a Reading Group meet on the last Friday of the month between 5.50pm and 6.30pm.  Please contact the Library if you would like to join any of these groups.

There is also a drop-in LEGO Club on Saturdays between 10am and 12 noon.

The Library is on Civic Way, opposite the Civic Hall, and can be contacted on 0151 337 4684/5 during opening hours.