It won't take a moment as you read this to realise that this blog isn't being written by Mike. Today I've had a day of annual leave and having spent previous day's leave decorating or preparing to get the B&B ready it was a chance to relax and do something enjoyable. So what do you do on a damp and grey November day in Norfolk?
The answer is you go where two and a half million people go every year and visit The Forum in Norwich. Because that is where you'll find the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library and the Millennium Library.
The 2nd Air Division Memorial Library is, to quote their website "a unique "living memorial" to nearly 7000 American airmen of the 2nd Air Division of the United States Army Air Force who were killed while stationed in East Anglia during World War Two." Intended as "an educational and friendship bridge between the two nations", it seemed a fitting place to visit on Armistice Day and to reflect on all of those lost lives.
As well as lots of information about the planes, the airfields and the servicemen who flew and maintained them there is a huge selection of books about various aspects of American life; history, politics, culture and my favourites - travel, cooking and quilting. The memorial library is based within the public library which is within the Forum building, which also hosts the Tourist Information office (another place I like to visit), BBC Norfolk, an exhibition centre and several restaurants.
As a connoisseur of libraries and someone who has spent many hours, well probably if you added them up, months or even years in libraries I have to say that Norwich Millennium library is without doubt the finest public library of it's kind. Open until 8pm or even 9pm it's a massive building on three floors and on the top floor, the icing on the cake, is a separate business library; it will take me years to read all of those management books - in fact I could be retired before I've exhausted the supply!
Fortunately Norfolk County Council seem to understand that libraries are a really important part of the community and although they've recently reviewed library hours across the county, according to the website, www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk who are campaigning to stop library closures, there aren't any closures planned or threatened. Not even King's Lynn library. As one of Norfolk's largest towns you wouldn't expect a library there to be under threat but last year we were in the audience for a recording of Have I Got News For You and one of the questions that was asked was about the King's Lynn library and the fact they have had to employ bouncers to control the unruly residents. Having just agreed to rent a house near King's Lynn whilst we moved, I had a hard job persuading Mike and Claire that it was a safe place to live, even temporarily.
So an enjoyable hour was spent there, next time I'll go on my own as Mike and Claire don't have the same desire to spend many hours there (!), as there's rows and row's of books I've not even looked at yet.
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