Author: ECL

May is Local History Month and in the library we’re spotlighting Easingwold in times past.

Naturally, we’re particularly interested in the former school which now houses the community library. The clues to its educational origins are the large school bell, which now hangs inside, and the decidedly pointed inscription ‘Learn or Leave’ above the front door.

This is a call out to see if you or anyone you know has any memories, information or even photos of our building before it began its second life as a North Riding County Library in 1961 (right). Or perhaps of the many other schools in Easingwold before the Grammar and Modern School (now Outwood) opened in 1954 and the Thirsk Road site became the Community Primary School.

We would love to hear from you if you can help us with this or with any other aspects of Easingwold’s past.

You can reach us by emailing ecl.generalenquiries@gmail.com, dropping into the library or giving us a call on 01609 534584 during our opening hours.

Alternatively, why not enjoy a cuppa and cake while you tell us your story at our upcoming A Little Local History Coffee Morning on Wednesday 8^th May running from 10am until Noon.

Our FREE Home Library and Information Service (HLIS) can bring books, large print books, DVD movies and audiobooks right to your door.

This service is ideal if you are unable to get to the library, cannot carry books comfortably, or if you are a busy carer. We deliver to people who live in residential and nursing homes too.

We’ll chat to you about your reading, listening and watching preferences so that we can personally tailor the selections we’ll be making for you. We’ll then deliver items to you once a fortnight, or keep them at the library for collection by a member of your family, a carer or a friend.

HOW TO JOIN

Drop us an email at ecl.generalenquiries@gmail.com  or ring us on 01609 534584 to arrange a home visit. 

On Saturday 14^th October two members of Easingwold & District Lions presented book tokens to four of the local children who completed the 2023 Summer Reading Challenge.

This summer, 209 children from the local area signed-up for the Challenge and 171 completed it. Everyone who completed the Challenge will soon be receiving a certificate in addition to the medal and the rewards they collected along the way. Four lucky finishers were chosen at random by Lucy, our Duke of Edinburgh Gold volunteer, to receive book tokens kindly donated by Easingwold Lions.

Congratulations to everyone who completed the Challenge. We absolutely loved your excitement, enthusiasm and commitment and cannot wait to do it all again next year! Thanks to Easingwold & District Lions for their much-appreciated support.

The Challenge may be over this year but our wonderful junior library with its amazing selection of books for children of all ages is there for everyone to enjoy and its free!

In the photo – Back Row L to R: Lucy, Lion Linda, and Lion Kate. Front Row L to R: Daniel, Jax, Honor and Joslyn.

The Challenge is a national scheme offered by The Reading Agency and organized in this area by North Yorkshire Council in partnership with the Easingwold Community Library. It’s aim is to encourage children aged from 4 to 11 years to keep reading during the summer holidays to maintain their hard-won reading skills.

If you’re interested in looking into your family tree and your ancestors, we offer things that could help you. You’ll find more details here.

Our programme of summer fun and games in support of this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, ‘Ready. Set. READ!’, has been hugely successful. All were fully subscribed and we’re very pleased and proud to say that everyone had a very good time indeed.

Wednesday 2^nd August saw county sports coach Joe McKechnie lead a Boccia and New Age Kurling taster.  Boccia (say ‘botcha’) is a Paralympic sport which involves throwing, kicking or rolling coloured balls nearest to a white jack.  New Age Kurling is similar to the classic winter ice sport, though Kurling stones run on ball bearings. Fortunately this was an indoor session because the weather was truly awful. The children (and the adults) had a fantastic morning trying their hands at these fun and accessible games.

If you were around the Market Place on Tuesday 8^th August you may well have heard the exotic sounds of samba drumming coming from the library. Mums, dads, grandparents and children all learned to drum together, led by drumming ace Martyn Cresswell. In a very short time they found themselves playing a wonderful range of rhythms, sometimes accompanied by other percussion and singing. Amazing sounds.   

On Tuesday 22^nd August we were lucky enough to have artist Chris Geeson hosting a craft session. Fourteen children and their carers took full advantage of Chris’s expert guidance and seemingly bottomless boxes of craft materials to make magical magnetic fishing games, complete with fish, the odd mermaid, fishing rods and fish tanks.

THANK YOU

Thank you to everyone who took part and to our hard-working library volunteers who supported each of the sessions. We are extremely grateful to Martyn Cresswell, Joe McKechnie and Chris Geeson for providing such memorable experiences for local children and their families.