We saw the other day that our nearest branch of Islington’s public libraries, the Finsbury Library, had reopened. As I had not been to a library for a long, long time (since before the start of the pandemic), I thought I might pay a visit to the Finsbury Library today. I hoped I might find some French fiction to read as I haven’t read anything in French for a very long while.

St John Street

I set off down St John Street. This is the most direct route to the library, though not the prettiest. I would reserve a prettier path for the return journey.

The Dame Alice Owen pub

I passed by the Dame Alice Owen pub that I mentioned in yesterday’s post, and…

City University campus

…the St John Street campus of City University with its fine old clock.

Finsbury Library

The library seems coy about announcing its presence. You can tell it’s a library only by looking in the windows. The huge lettering above the door is simply the address. It’s called the Finsbury Library because this area was once within the old borough of Finsbury which was absorbed into the borough of Islington.

Widely spaced bookshelves

I found that the layout if the library had changed. There was more space between the shelves than there used to be. (A precaution against infection?) This means fewer shelves and therefore fewer books in what was already quite a small library.

I found the French books easily enough, roughly where they used to be, in a bookcase labelled “Community Languages”. That French is regarded as a “community language” struck me as ironic somehow. There are precious few of them too: a shelf and a half. I chose two novels without being convinced that I would want to read them.

Clutching my books and with my ticket at the ready, I approached the glass-fronted desk that I had noted when I came in.

“Do you require assistance?” enquired a staff member.

“Er, I just want to borrow these books,” said I.

“Ah, no, please use the machine there,” he replied pointing to the contraption you see below.

A mechanical library assistant

Rather like the self-checkouts in supermarkets, there is a display with the picture of a button labelled “Press to Begin”. Another image then appears with a flashing arrow indicating movement. This prompts you to place your library card in a slot. Then you are instructed to “Place your books in the space below”. Once you have done so, the screen displays details of the books, each ticked with a green tick. I assumed that meant the operation had been successfully completed, so I seized my books and card and made my escape. I wonder how often the process fails and books are not assigned to their correct borrower. There is also the fact that the books are not stamped with the return date. You have to remember this for yourself.

Coman House

For the return journey, I started by walking through the housing estate next to the library. I thought I knew where I would emerge.

Housing estate garden

In fact, I emerged somewhere where I had never been before! I found myself in this small but pleasant garden. If it has a name, I was unable to discover it.

Old Finsbury Town Hall

I soon found myself walking behind Old Finsbury Town Hall and so knew where I was.

Spa Green War Memorial

A few minutes’ walk brought me to where I had expected to arrive, at Spa Green Garden. I walked through the garden to the top end and the gate to Rosebery Avenue.

Flowers at last

I stopped to take a photo of this chestnut tree which was in flower at last. Every time we passed, we looked to see whether there were any flowers but there were none. Everywhere else, the trees had blossom but this tree remained flowerless. It has flowered at last and so I texted a picture of it to Tigger to announce the good news.

Flowers, Myddelton Square Garden

Passing through Myddelton Square, I saw these flowers poking through the railings and making a pretty display.

A view of the garden

I also took a quick photo of the garden as it’s a place I have come to appreciate and enjoy. Perhaps we will bring our coffee here one morning soon on a day when Tigger doesn’t have to go to work.

Mobile phone stall, Chapel Market

Another place I hadn’t visited since the onset of the pandemic was the Oxfam Bookshop in Upper Street. As I was not entirely happy with my selection of books from the library, I decided to see what I could find at Oxfam. I also had a big (and heavy) bag of books to give them. So off I went after lunch, passing through Chapel Market where I photographed the mobile phone stall.

Angel Central

I passed through the small shopping and entertainments mall called Angel Central. The building works are finished and all the barriers and screens have been removed.

The Business Design Centre

I went through Angel Central because one of its exits leads to the Business Design Centre and the Oxfam Bookshop is just round the corner from there, meaning I can reach it without walking along a busy main road.

The Oxfam Bookshop

I had not been sure the bookshop would be open and had therefore brought only a few books to give them. I was glad to find that they were open. The French books had been moved upstairs and, as at the library, there was only a smallish selection. Consequently, I found only one book that interested me. (More about that anon.)

I clambered down the staircase and presented my book… only to be told that the payments desk was now upstairs. Strange arrangement.

Back through Angel Central

I returned the way I had come, through Angel Central and…

Chapel Market

…Chapel Market.

Pentonville Road

I crossed a busy Pentonville Road and was soon home.

So what was the book I bought? It was this one:

Stupeur et tremblements
Amélie Nothomb

I have read several books by this author, Amélie Nothomb, and liked them all, so there’s every chance that I’ll like this one as well. She is Belgian and seems to have a penchant for wearing big hats. You will find more about her (in English) here.