by Library Admin | 10 Dec 2024 | FRONT PAGE NEWS, news
It’s almost time for our hard working volunteers to have a well-earned break.
This year we will close at the end of the day on Friday 20 December (after our Christmas concerts) and reopen on the morning of Monday 6 January.
In the meantime, we’d like to thank you for your custom this year and wish you all
¡Feliz Navid!
Joyeux Noël!
Frohe Weihnachten!
Buon Natale!
Feliz Natal!
Crăciun Fericit!
Счастливого Рождества! (Schastlivogo Rozhdestva!)
God Jul!
God Jul!
Glædelig Jul!
Hyvää Joulua!
Gleðileg Jól!
Wesołych Świąt!
Vrolijk Kerstfeest!
Sretan Božić!
Veselé Vánoce!
メリークリスマス！ (Merīkurisumasu!)
圣诞节快乐! (Shèngdàn jié kuàilè!)
메리 크리스마스! (Meli Keuliseumaseu!)
Felicem Natalem Christi!
Nollaig Shona!
by Library Admin | 1 Dec 2024 | advice, FRONT PAGE NEWS
Yes, it’s December already! We can’t believe it either. Another busy and eventful year at the library draws to a close and we’d like to remind you about some important dates this month:
12 December Cricklesingers Carol Concert at All Saints Child’s Hill – free carol concert by our thriving and exuberant community choir.
15 December – Carols by Candlelight at the library
20 December – Early Evening Family Concert of excerpts from The Nutcracker. Truly a cracking way to start your family celebrations
20 December – December’s Last Friday concert by Trio Taliesin
21 December – our last day “in the office” this year. We reopen on Monday 6 January
by Library Admin | 20 Nov 2024 | Cricklesingers, FRONT PAGE NEWS
Please join us for our end of year concert! Cricklesingers have been working hard on new repertoire and skills to bring you a programme that will induce Christmas cheer!
See the event page for more details.
by Library Admin | 8 Oct 2024 | Cricklereaders, Cricklereaders Current, Cricklereaders Read
November’s Cricklereaders choice is The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden.
Join the group on the sofa at the library on Sunday 3 November, 1030 am, or read along at home.
by Admin | 29 Sep 2024 | FRONT PAGE NEWS, latest, volunteering
Imagine stepping into the cosy, aromatic haven of a community café nestled within the heart of Cricklewood. The scent of freshly ground coffee beans mingles with the sweet and spicy cakey aroomas, creating an irresistible invitation that beckons you to come closer. Now, picture yourself not just as a visitor, but as a volunteer barista, crafting these delightful experiences for your neighbours.
You might be seeking new ways to fill your days with purpose and joy. Volunteering as a barista offers the perfect blend of satisfaction and new skill development. Every cup of coffee you prepare becomes an opportunity to learn and grow, from mastering the art of creating the perfect espresso shot to frothing milk into a creamy, cloud-like consistency. The process is as rewarding as it is enjoyable, with each step providing a tangible sense of accomplishment.
But it’s not just about the coffee. It’s about the community. The café, located conveniently in the library, serves as a vibrant hub for Cricklewood’s residents. Here, you’ll meet people from all walks of life, each with their own story to share. You’ll find yourself building connections, one smile and one conversation at a time. The camaraderie among fellow volunteers and patrons alike fosters a sense of belonging and support that is truly heartwarming.
Imagine the satisfaction of seeing a regular’s face light up when you remember their favourite order, or the joy of a newcomer discovering their new go-to drink, thanks to your recommendation. These small moments of connection can brighten anyone’s day, including your own.
Full training will be given, and you can do this at your own pace. Please ask any barista for more details – they’ll be happy to advise, and to share what volunteering means to them. Alternatively, complete the volunteering form here and I’ll be in touch to discuss.
by Library Admin | 5 Sep 2024 | Cricklereaders Juniors, FRONT PAGE NEWS
Happy to announce we’re restarting Cricklereaders Juniors, our FREE term time book group for 7-11 year olds.
Our talented and fun volunteers choose amazing books for your kids to get to know and love, and each week brings different activities to help bring the books to life and kindle a life-long love of books and reading. What better way to start the weekend than by coming along to Cricklereaders Juniors? Every term time Friday between 4 and 5pm.
Register your interest on our super-quick form.
by Library Admin | 11 Aug 2024 | Cricklereaders, Cricklereaders Read
In her first historical novel, Zadie Smith transports the reader to a Victorian England transfixed by the real-life trial of the Tichborne Claimant, in which a cockney butcher, recently returned from Australia, lays claim to the Tichborne baronetcy, with his former slave Andrew Bogle as star witness. Watching the proceedings, and with her own story to tell, is Eliza Touchet – cousin, housekeeper and perhaps more – to failing novelist William Harrison Ainsworth.
From literary London to the Jamaica’s sugar-cane plantations, Zadie Smith weaves an enthralling story linking the rich and the poor, the free and the enslaved, and the comic and the tragic.
Cricklereaders are always happy to have new members – join by applying here: Cricklereaders Book Group
by Admin | 22 Jul 2024 | Cricklereaders, Cricklereaders Read
In August the group is reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold, the million copy selling Japanese cult read.
Deftly written and nimbly translated, Kawaguchi’s life-affirming tale of café-based time travel and symbolic hot beverages has all the hallmarks of a beloved cult classic.
What would you change if you could go back in time?
In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.
In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer’s, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the cafe, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story – translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot – explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?
Meet at 1030 in the library to discuss!
by Library Admin | 18 May 2024 | FRONT PAGE NEWS, fundraising, triathlon
On 1 June, Susan and Gordon Kennedy are taking part in the annual Blenheim Triathlon alongside other local athletes in the Kensal Tri team, to raise funds for the library. It’s no mean feat, and they deserve your support. All the money they raise will go towards funding programmes and activities at the library, so show them some love and sling them some dosh!
https://www.justgiving.com/page/kensaltrikennedys
by Library Admin | 17 Apr 2024 | advice, FRONT PAGE NEWS, latest
On Thursday 2 May 2024 there will be elections for the Mayor of London and the 25 Members of the London Assembly. I am required by law to send this booklet to all registered voters who are eligible to vote in these elections. It includes mini-manifestos from the Mayoral candidates who have chosen to have one, and the names of all candidates standing for the London Assembly. Changes to this year’s elections Photo ID: If you are voting in a polling station, you must now bring photo identification. You can find out what forms of ID are acceptable here. The good news is that lots of documents are accepted as forms of ID, including, but not limited to:
International travel
Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country (including an Irish Passport Card)
Driving and parking
Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence)
A Blue Badge
Local travel
Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
Oyster 60+ Card funded by the UK Government
Freedom Pass
Scottish National Entitlement Card issued for the purpose of concessionary travel (including a 60+, disabled or under 22s bus pass)
60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Proof of age
Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
Other government issued documents
Biometric immigration document
National identity card issued by an EEA state
Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
Voter Authority Certificate
Anonymous Elector’s Document
If you don’t have an accepted form of photo ID
You can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, if:
you don’t have an accepted form of photo ID
you’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you
you’re worried about using an existing form of ID for any other reason, such as the use of a gender marker
You need to register to vote before applying for a Voter Authority Certificate.
Once you are registered to vote, apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
How we vote: The way we elect the Mayor of London has changed. There will only be one vote for the Mayor, when in the past there has been a first and second choice. There are two types of London Assembly Member. Constituency Assembly Members represent the 14 London Assembly constituencies, and 11 Assembly Members represent the whole of London. As in previous elections you have one vote for each. You can find out more about how to vote and how we work out the results here.
