SEVENTY years after it was first given to the town, Watchet Library was re-dedicated as a Community Library Partnership at a ceremony attended by civic leaders last Friday.
The former lifeboat house first became the town’s library in May, 1953, but was threatened with closure in 2011 when the then Somerset County Council decided to close many libraries in Somerset including Watchet.
Friends of Somerset Library, Watchet Library Friends and many others across Somerset raised funds and campaigned to undertake a successful Judicial Review in the High Court to prevent the closures.
One highlight of the ceremony was the unveiling of a new plaque by Mr Philip Stoate, grandson of Leonard Laity Stoate, who originally donated the building. Another was a recreation of the withdrawal of the first book by the then 12-year-old Dudley Binding.
Mr Binding, now 82, replicated the event with three-year-old Brough Hicks. Mr Binding said after the ceremony: “I was very proud to be guest of honour at an event recalling something I can remember from 70 years ago. The library has always been an important part of Watchet life.”
The original plaque said the building had been given to Watchet as a public library in memory of the Stoate family and their employees at Watchet Flour Mills from 1832 to 1912.
Guests were welcomed by Cllr Olivia Campbell, mayor of Watchet and chair of Watchet Town Council before Cllr John Irven, chair of the council’s Asset Management Committee, gave a brief history of the library.
Cllr Irven explained that as a condition of establishing the Community Library Partnership, Watchet Town Council required that the then West Somerset District Council returned the freehold back to the town council.
“After some initial resistance, I am pleased to say with the leadership of Cllr Federica Smith Roberts and Chris Hall, of the then Somerset West and Taunton Council, this was successfully achieved, with the considerable help from Philip Stoate, in confirming that this was the wishes of the family as original benefactors.
“Watchet Town Council took back the freehold, maintaining the original lease to document that the building is held in trust for the people of Watchet, not as an asset of any council.”
Cllr Irven’s speech was followed by the handing-over of a ceremonial key by Cllr Smith Roberts - which had previously been kept in the custody of Jim Nicholas of Watchet Market House Museum -and a talk on the establishment of community library partnerships by Bill Revans, leader of the new unitary Somerset Council.
After the unveiling of the plaque by Philip Stoate there was a concluding response by Cllr Peter Murphy, chair of Friends of Somerset Libraries and Watchet Library Friends.
Cllr Murphy recalled: “We set up the FSL to oppose library closures in 2011 and took on the Judicial Review case that quashed the decision to close the libraries. Geoffrey Stoate accompanied a small group of us to the High Court in Birmingham to witness the court case being heard and he was a delightful companion. Three of us went to the Royal Courts of Justice in London to hear that we had won. This campaign saw the whole community in Watchet mobilising to raise money to finance the Judicial Review and Watchet Library Friends was set up to campaign to save the library.”
The unveiling of the plaque was followed by a reading by Harrison Grellier of the poem “I opened a book” written by former Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson.
The plaque, which replaces the 1953 original, which went missing during the years of changing ownership, says that the building was returned to Watchet Town Council by Somerset West and Taunton Council to hold in trust for the people of Watchet when forming a community library partnership.
There was also a presentation of two books written by the late Westcountry author Mal Peet, with an inscription dedicated to the fight to keep the Watchet library open.
After the ceremony, guests moved to the town’s Phoenix Centre for cake cutting and refreshments, organised by town councillor Loretta Whetlor.
All photos: Terry Walker