the new kid on the block

This is something I never expected to see. A new library. If you’ve seen SJB’s wonderful series on libraries in Liverpool that are scheduled for closure, you might be surprised as well.

But the surprise goes further than that. This building is on the end of a new ‘feeding frenzy’ complex in MK - a series of troughs where you can wander from door to door gazing and grazing on Mexican, Italian, American and International dishes.

There is a Tesco supermarket on the same site - one of those large ones where the staff whizz round on roller skates. This building was sheduled to be a new Tesco Express. Many people wondered why we needed another Tesco when there’s a supermarket a few hundred yards away.

The building has been empty for sometime and the Tesco Express sign has now been taken down and the library sign erected in its place. This is the first time I’ve heard of Tesco being ousted by another concern - and a library at that.

I confess to being a bit of an armchair library supporter. I no longer use one, but I passionately believe in their importance. They’re a bit like museums and galleries. They should be free at the point of entry - and I’ll happily pay my taxes to ensure that they are - on the off chance that someone might just wander in, someone who might never normally go near such a place - and find it changes their life.