Our Library bathed in May sunshine...

Meant to post these images AGES ago!

Dorothy M. Wheeler

Image courtesy of the Enid Blyton Society

Image courtesy of the Enid Blyton Society

I've always been interested in children's illustrators and my all time favourite will always be Margaret Tarrant. However, Dorothy M Wheeler is a recent discovery and her illustrations of Enid Blyton’s books are adorable. The large image above is her cover for The Folk of the Faraway Tree and I remember reading this for the first time when I was about seven or eight and stuck in bed with measles. It is a story bursting with silliness and magic but essentially about friendship and learning to give second chances. The copy I still have is a much more garish [yet lovely] 1960s edition but I do love Wheeler’s version and [ahem!] the real reason for this post is perched halfway up the tree in all his bushy tailed GLORY. I remember in the book that the red squirrel’s job was to collect all the cushions from the foot of the slide [at the base of the tree] in a big basket and carry them back up to the top so everyone could use them to slide down – the slide spiralled down through the inside of the tree trunk. Well, I love him to bits and also love that Wheeler popped little squirrels into quite a lot of her pictures [see utterly cute example] so watch this space as I may well post more of her squirrel work J

We heart Manchester :-)

On Wednesday 25^th July the Library enjoyed a day out in Manchester where we visited two iconic libraries: John Rylands and Chetham's. We toured the amazing cathedral like John Rylands Library first; one of the world’s finest collections of rare books and manuscripts. Established in 1889 by the textile entrepreneur John Rylands, it did not open to public readers until 1900 as the building was 10 years in construction [designed by the architect, Basil Champneys].  It became part of the University of Manchester in 1972 and therefore has a busy and vibrant atmosphere which creates a fascinating juxtaposition with the striking gothic architecture.

After partaking of a most enjoyable lunch [at The People's History Museum] we then went on to Chetham’s. Founded in 1653, it is the oldest surviving public library in Britain and the building is older still, built in 1421 to accommodate a college of priests it remains one of the most complete medieval complexes to survive in the north west of England. We had the foresight to book a tour, and amongst the historical facts there was also a little magical fiction [?] in the tale of a burn mark on a table reputed to be the cloven-hoof print of the devil conjured up by John Dee during his Wardenship of the College in 1595.

Links were forged and a great day was had by all despite a freezing cold train on the way there and a boiling hot one on the way back!

John Rylands photographs first:



One of the finest examples of neo-gothic architecture in Europe






Reading space




Statue of John Rylands - founder of library and Manchester's first multi-millionaire





Window detail




Where old meets new: the red brick of the original building coming through in to the new wing





Main view of library showing temporary exhibition cases

 

...and now Chetham's




Our group [on the right] trouping in next to water sculpture

 


Medieval staircase and leaded window




Show and tell with Librarian Michael Powell

 

A "chained" library comissioned by Humphrey Chetham [1580-1653] - five of these were produced and placed in local churches 



Now called the Audit Room but originally this would have been allocated as the Warden's Room




Table [in the Audit Room] with mysterious burn mark...
 Cloven hoof print? You make your minds up :-)



Lovely spines...

More gems from our holdings of the Cardiff Naturalists' library

'Field Philosophy' by Douglas Gordon
[Published 1932 by John Murray, Albermarle St, W.1]

 'Wildlife in Devon' by Douglas Gordon
[Published 1923 by John Murray, Albermarle St, W.1]



Illustrative photography in both books is by Fances Pitt

A big hello to the class of 2012

For those of you who just had a heart attack thinking that someone can work THAT fast [I just posted Thing 19 a few days ago]... calm yourselves; I started CPD23 back last June. I fell behind quite quickly but not because I was lazy or couldn't be bothered. A close relative became very ill and  dealing with that took up a massive amount of time; you really need to go through it to appreciate how exhausting worry and stress on that level can be. But, I'm not a quitter; I can be slow yes [infuriatingly so!] BUT if I start something I WILL finish it [with the sole exception of Kate Mosse's Labyrinth].

However, the main reason I intend to fnish this course is because I just happen to have loved every minute if it. I was pretty overwhelmed at first but qickly settled down and started enjoying meeting and greeting the new "Things" each week.  It's a nicely structured course, with detailed parametres [for those that require them], very clear and consice information about the Things, and lots of helpfull comments and contact details bouncing about the place creating a vibrant and welcoming community.

I have enjoyed writing this blog so much and along with all my CPD posts you will also find posts relating to daily life in my place of work, interesting and humorous books we hold in our vast plethora of departmental libraires and [of course] the cutest little picture posts relating to my bushy-tailed namesake. So do please visit my blog and sign up to follow me, I currently only have 11 followers which is quite frankly embarassing! I have also loved using Twitter and find it by far the best tool for keeping up to date with what's happening in the library community, especially whe you follow the hash tags for all those brilliant events and conferences you can't get to, it's almost like being there...well not really but it's better than nothing.

My colleague Kristine recently organised a meet up for all you new CPD starters [in the Cardiff area] and I went along too and was really relieved to discover that I am but one of MANY who didn't make the finish deadline last year!

And I must say that librarians are by far the most friendy people but they do seem to have an insatiable penchant for CAKE and COCKTAILS :-)

Trout Heresy

Discovered down in our Cardiff Naturalists' library - surely, only the deepest indignation could possess a person to use the word "heresy" with regards to such a gentle past-time :-)

Rupert's little friend

Image courtesy of RupertAnnuals.com

How lovely is this Rupert Bear annual?
Now take a closer look at the attentive, plucky wee fellow on the right - is he not the cutest little red you ever did see?

To be honest, I was never a great fan when I was little - Rupert was alright and even as a child I appreciated the beautiful annuals [although nothing would ever match my beloved and unashamedly girly Twinkle books] but there wasn't much humour in the stories as there was with say Winnie the Pooh and Paddington Bear and he did have some really wierd friends like that hideous little twiggy thing that must surely still be the stuff of night mares to any child? I refuse to even post a picture of it here to illustrate my point - look it up and you'll see.

Rupert was originally created as a comic strip for the Daily Express during the 1920s by Mary Tourtel but when she retired the artist Alfred Bestall took over and he is responsible for these delightful annual covers. He tended to put the same characters on the covers so this squirrel shows up quite a bit.

There's a heart felt homage to Rupert here on Brian Sibley’s blog that also contains a link to a Chris Beetles’ sale  in November last year that contained some of Bestall's works along with all manner of other gorgeous illustrations [The Illustrators 1837-2011].

So here’s to the bushy-tailed, wide-eyed, flame-furred, little scamp clutching at his branch and gazing in adoration at dear old Rupert – Squirrel Library salutes you :-)