Tower Hamlets

My current boyfriend offered his flat in Kensington to live in when I took up the post in Bethnal Green, so I travelled every day to and fro on the Central line from Notting Hill. It soon became apparent that very few people wanted to use the Reference library in the fine library building - all the action was downstairs, where people thronged in and out all day and evening. It was exhilirating to be in a library so well used, by people not pretending to a literary taste to impress their neighbours. Holiday reading was essential, the librarians being asked for recommendations. If none available by their favourite author, I ventured to suggest another which was in fact the same person under a pseudonym, but not thanks I don't like her books. Unlike other libraries I had worked in, the books kept under the counter were not about sex, but caged birds or tropical fish - this was the prefered pilfering material. During my times in the Reference library I re-organised the pamphlet collection, mended and tidied the stock, and then in desperation for something to do began an Open University course, the first of many.
Still the Browne system, with the adventure described earlier of all the cards being thrown on the floor overnight. I became aware of the excellent London libraries specialist subject collection: Bethnall Green had huge stocks of French and German literature, and sheet music by Schumann and Schubert. We knew where all these collections were held, so could send enquirers off to the Oval branch for stock on cricket, and back copies of Wisden.
Life in the Reefrence library was quiet, except for the morning arrival of the men who lived in the Salvation Army hostel nearby - they had to go out during the day so went here to read the newspapers and sleep. I could only ask them to leave if the noise of chatting or snoring had a complaint from another reader, of whom there were few.
A distraction was being asked to staff the Sidney Street branch from time to time - escorted to and from by a Porter, and with the police on a hot line. It was sometimes needed - one evening a group of young men started to climb the bookshelves and throw the books on the floor. Police came very quickly and ushered them out - lots of reshelving to do. We also took turns to go out on the book delivery to housebound readers. This was taken seriously by the authorities and provided a necessary service to mostly old and disabled people living in Dickensian tenement blocks. Upon arrival, we were often asked to help them get dressed, or feed the budgie (also provided by the scocial services.) We were always offered a biscuit, or an apple, which it was tactful to accept. I had never seen such deprivation, or loneliness, but the people were invariably cheerful and pleased to have a visitor.
After a year of this the aforementioned boyfriend, who had gone to work for the EEC in Brussels, thought we should be married, so we were, and off I went to live in Belgium. This had never been on my life-plan, but I had been good at French at school.....