Chessington Public Library Moor Lane

Many Chessington people still regret the controversial closing of Chessington Public Library on the corner of Moor Lane and Church Rise. It closed on 31 March 1980.

Living very close I would go in and borrow three books, and read them quickly and try to take them back the same day to get more books - the librarians would patiently explain to me time and again that I couldn't return them the same day, but I always tried.

The gardens were so well planted, with formal beds of seasonal flowers, my sister and I never went straight in as we liked to skip around the beds and along the low walls first. I'm sure those tidy beds helped my interest in flowers although I am more of a cottage gardener than an annual bed planter. I particularly remember the "burning bushes" fascinating me, and the colourful displays of tulips.

This photo shows the exterior with the neat beds

One of my favourite books as a child was "Charlotte Sometimes", about a girl who stayed in a very sad house with her Auntie Aggie whose brother had been killed as a young soldier in WW1. I have tried to track down a copy with no success, if anyone knows of one, please let me know.

The building now houses a day nursery for children

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