New life for books

Being a bit of a bibliophile, I am running out of shelf space, and so piles are appearing on tables and sideboards much to the annoyance of the boss. Now, as any lover of the printed word will tell you, your cherished volumes become a part of who you are, and like pets and departed loved ones, parting becomes something of a trauma. Making the decision of which ones to donate to the local charity shop, or gingerly hand over to a family member is stressful. That is until I was told that the Black Country museum in Dudley had put out a SOS for older books to enhance their new attraction.

It just so happened that I had squirrelled away some volumes from the 30s and 40s, books that once belonged to family members when they were children.

My family don’t want them and their kids certainly don’t, so I came to the conclusion that the museum was the best place for them, where they will be read and enjoyed by a bigger and more appreciative audience.

I also had an 1889 girls yearly compendium. This book with its photos and hand drawings depicting the history of the times, and illustrations enhancing the narratives, makes fascinating reading. At the museum the very helpful staff were hard at it sorting the donated books, and hopefully by September, when it opens, the new attraction with its extensive library will expand the hidden secrets of a time long past and almost forgotten. It should open the eyes of the pampered silicon chip generation to the world of steam powered machinery, gas lighting, cobbled roads and hard graft, and the amazing history of the men and women, who lived in atrocious conditions, and laboured long hard and tirelessly, for little reward, and died young — the very backbone of the Black Country.

Tony Levy

Wednesfield West Midlands