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TLC: Sutton

Sutton Council's Cultural Services [BETA]

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Sutton Libraries
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Sutton Heritage
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Sutton

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Get Ready for Self Access

Self Access Opening Hours

Spring Events 2024

My Library App Functionality Reinstated

Civil Ceremony Venues in Sutton

Free Digital Resources

London Borough of Sutton

Welcome to our New Online Platform

Mob Zone

bookshelf

Bookshelf

digital-content

libraries

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Sutton Libraries</h1>
&nbsp;
You can log into your library account and renew items, simply click on "log-in" at the top right hand side of the screen, entering your library card number and PIN. If you need to reset your PIN, please email sutton.library@sutton.gov.uk or call 0208 770 4740.
&nbsp;
If you're not already registered,&nbsp;<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/register">sign up for a free library membership</a>&nbsp;to access free services including PressReader for newspapers and magazines and Overdrive for eBooks.
&nbsp;
Download My Library App on&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/my-library-app/id1475794558" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.solus.LLC&amp;hl=en_GB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Android</a>, and you'll be&nbsp;able to reserve and download any eBook or eAudiobook from 1000s of available titles.&nbsp;Find&nbsp;our&nbsp;<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/policies">policies</a>&nbsp;here.

Sutton Libraries

sutton-heritage

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Sutton Heritage</h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Museums and Heritage Houses</h2>
&nbsp;
Sutton's Museum and Heritage Service exists to preserve and promote Sutton's heritage and Living Memory. Our collections, buildings, archives and activities help to define the borough, engage communities, and capture and preserve memory - making a valuable contribution to the council's role as place maker.
&nbsp;
The service plays a vital part in building community cohesion in a period of rapid population expansion and in a multi-faith, multi-cultural society as well as engaging those interested in their family history or the history of their street, school, place of worship or organisation.
&nbsp;
Find out more about other exhibitions and events on the <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">events platform</a> taking place at Honeywood Museum, Whitehall Historic House and in Sutton's Libraries.

Sutton Heritage

digital-resources

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Digital Resources</h1>
&nbsp;
Take advantage of our digital resources, available 24/7 from a computer, smartphone or tablet, completely FREE for Cultural Services members. Access several of these resources, courtesy of Sutton Council's Cultural Services, from the comfort of your home. You may need your Cultural Services Number and PIN. See our digital resources listed below. &nbsp; Not a member? Join now through the 'Account' button, it only takes two minutes!&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Digital Library</h2>
<ul>
<li>My Library App</li>
<li>PressReader</li>
<li>Libby, by Overdrive</li>
<li>uLibrary</li>
<li>BorrowBox</li>
<li>LOTE4Kids</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>Digital Courses</h2>
<ul>
<li>Transparent Language Online</li>
<li>Theory Test Pro</li>
<li>Universal Credit</li>
<li>Job Skills</li>
<li>Find a Job</li>
<li>Life in the UK</li>
<li>Infobase Learning Cloud</li>
<li>Learn My Way</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>Digital Archive</h2>
<ul>
<li>Ancestry</li>
<li>Find My Past</li>
<li>British Newspaper Archive</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>Digital Extras</h2>
<ul>
<li>Access To Research</li>
<li>Which? Online</li>
<li>Oxford Online Dictionaries (including Dictionary of National Biography and Who&rsquo;s Who &amp; Who Was Who)</li>
</ul>

Digital Resources

art-exhibitions

<div style="text-align: center;">
<h1>Exhibition Spaces in Sutton</h1>
&nbsp;
<h2>Sutton Central Library Gallery</h2>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/gallery%20buttons%20pics.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - man looking around Sutton Central Library Gallery" width="200" height="169" /> &nbsp;<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/gallery%20buttons%20pics2.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - eight seated people within Sutton Central Library Gallery" width="200" height="169" /> &nbsp;<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/gallery%20buttons%20pics3.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - woman walking around in Sutton Central Library Gallery" width="200" height="169" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/gallery%20buttons%20pics4.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - a group of people browsing artwork in Sutton Central Library Gallery" width="200" height="169" /> &nbsp;<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/gallery%20buttons%20pics5.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - two walls full of artwork in Sutton Central Library Gallery" width="200" height="169" /> &nbsp;<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/gallery%20buttons%20pics6.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - a clear space in Sutton Central Library Gallery" width="200" height="169" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sutton Central Library Gallery aims to provide the London Borough of Sutton&rsquo;s residents with a wide range of contemporary art, heritage and history experiences. Entrance to the gallery and access to the exhibition is free for all members of the public, with the exception of specific events. The gallery space is available for hire to professional artists, collectives and non-profit groups wishing to exhibit their work individually or as a group.
</div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Honeywood Museum</h2>
&nbsp;
<img style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/SS Crafting a Village 1.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - a small model house appearing to be made of brick and moss in Honeywood Museum" width="200" height="169" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/SS Crafting a Village 3.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - two small model houses appearing to be made of straw and plaster within Honeywood Museum" width="200" height="169" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk//custom/web/content/Crafting a Village - Whitehall.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - a small model of Whitehall Historic House placed within Honeywood Museum" width="200" height="169" />&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<div style="text-align: left;">
Honeywood Museum hosts regular exhibitions as part of the events programme. The Grade II listed building next to Carshalton Ponds dates from the 17th century but was extended in the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The house has been beautifully restored to show how it would have looked when it was a family home. The Edwardian era billiards room, drawing room, bathroom and kitchen will let visitors step into the past and see for themselves how the residents of Honeywood would have lived.
</div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Whitehall Historic House</h2>
&nbsp;
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/UCA Interuptions 2.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - Two canvases with one containing a leaping man and the other containing two young people standing up" width="200" height="169" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img style="text-align: center;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/UCA Interuptions 1.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - an artistic structure made of glass and wire placed within Whitehall Historic House" width="200" height="169" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img style="text-align: center;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/IMG_6515.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - a framed written passage titled Whitehall in Words" width="200" height="169" /> 
</div>
&nbsp;
Whitehall Historic House&nbsp;hosts regular exhibitions as part of the events programme. Built around 1500, Whitehall is a Grade II* listed Tudor house in the heart of Cheam Village. It is owned and managed by the London Borough of Sutton who opened it as a local museum in 1978 following a campaign by the community.
Following the recently completed National Lottery Heritage Fund refurbishment, we are delighted to invite visitors back to Whitehall to rediscover this incredible site for FREE. This Grade II* listed property is an impressive feature at the heart of the picturesque village of Cheam.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Little Holland House</h2>
&nbsp;
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Little%20Holland%20House%201.jpg" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - the exterior of Little Holland House" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Little%20Holland%20House%202.jpg" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - a wooden panel in Little Holland House showing a wooden savannah area" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Little%20Holland%20House%203.jpg" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - an armchair within the living room of Little Holland House" />&nbsp;
</div>
&nbsp;
Open the door to this unique arts and crafts gem, built between 1902-1904 by artist and craftsman Frank R. Dickinson. Inspired by Ruskin, Dickinson bought one of the first plots of land in this developing South London suburb at the end of the nineteenth century. Little Holland House is open on the first Sunday of each month with regular tours about the history of the house throughout the day.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Find out more about other exhibitions and events on the <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">events platform</a> taking place at Honeywood Museum, Whitehall Historic House and in Sutton's Libraries.

Art & Exhibitions

community-clubs-and-groups

Community Clubs and Groups

room-hire

<h1>Rooms available to hire in Sutton's Library &amp; Heritage Venues</h1>
<div>
&nbsp;
Sutton Libraries &amp; Heritage Houses have a range of hire rooms for booking. These spaces are ideal for meetings, exhibitions, conferences, networking, talks, training, community activities and much more. All rooms have access to Wi-Fi, toilet facilities, tables and chairs. Feel free to read the <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/policies">venue hire agreement</a> for room hire.
 *The Gallery &amp; The Community Space at Sutton Central Library have additional facilities including projector, screen and P.A. System.
&nbsp;
If you are interested in <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/library-services">study spaces</a>, these are available in all libraries as a free, clean, safe space for visitors to study, work and ready.
</div>

Room Hire

civil-ceremonies

<div class="row mb-3">
<div class="col-md-9">
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Civil Ceremony Venues in Sutton</h1>
&nbsp;
Sutton Council offers beautiful historic venues for civil ceremonies.
Our delightful settings include Honeywood Museum in Carshalton, offering value for money and are perfectly placed for small intimate ceremonies. Steeped in history, our venues will ensure your special day is remembered with love and joy. Download a copy of our brochure and enquire with our team to book a viewing. Limited availability.
</div>
<div class="col-md-3 p-2">
<div class="row m-1">
<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Love.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Sutton%20Heritage%20-%20Civil%20Ceremonies%20Love.jpg" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - Civil Ceremonies - Love spelled out in white letters over a fireplace" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
&nbsp;
<hr />
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Honeywood Museum</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">- Drawing Room -</h3>
&nbsp;
Step back in time, and enjoy the splendour of another era!
&nbsp;
With origins dating from the mid-17th century,&nbsp;<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/sutton-heritage/honeywood-museum/" target="_blank" aria-invalid="true" rel="noopener">Honeywood Museum</a> is a Grade II listed building set in the picturesque heart of Carshalton&rsquo;s historic Conservation Area. Honeywood stands at the western end of Carshalton Ponds surrounded by historic buildings and water features which together form one of the most interesting and attractive areas in Greater London.
&nbsp;
Civil ceremonies are hosted in the Drawing room - a light and airy space, with fine examples of Edwardian decor. French doors open out onto the beautiful garden, and the room seats 30 guests plus the couple to be.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://honeywoodtearoom.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Honeywood Tea Rooms</a>&nbsp;provide after ceremony drinks and menu options.
&nbsp;
The surrounding area offers the perfect backdrop for your magical day, with ample opportunities for great photographs, as well as an abundance of excellent pubs and other venues - such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://cryerarts.co.uk/">CryerArts Centre</a>.
&nbsp;
Honeywood Museum tells the story of the house, its residents, and the local area. Start your story together and say &lsquo;I do&rsquo; in style!
&nbsp;
Address:&nbsp;Honeywood Museum, Honeywood Walk, Carshalton, SM5 3NX
Enquiries:&nbsp;HoneywoodMuseum@sutton.gov.uk
Pictures&nbsp;(click to enlarge):
&nbsp;
<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Honeywood%20Museum1.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Honeywood%20Museum1.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - the exterior of Honeywood Museum" width="155" height="155" /></a> &nbsp;<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Honeywood%20Museum2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Honeywood%20Museum2.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - the central table in the Honeywood Museum drawing room" width="155" height="155" /></a> &nbsp;<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Honeywood%20Museum3.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Honeywood%20Museum3.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - rows of chairs in Honeywood Museum drawing room arranged like a civil ceremony" width="155" height="155" /></a> &nbsp;<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Honeywood%20Museum4.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Wedding%20Ceremony%20Venue%20-%20Honeywood%20Museum4.png" alt="Sutton Council's Cultural Services - a view of the central table in a civil ceremony in Honeywood Museum drawing room" width="155" height="155" /></a>
&nbsp;
<hr />
&nbsp;
Feel free to <a href="https://www.sutton.gov.uk/births-deaths-marriages-and-citizenship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">find more information</a> about the legal process when getting married or forming a civil partnership, as well other ceremony venues in Sutton.

Civil Ceremonies

volunteering

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Volunteering</h1>
&nbsp;
Volunteering is a fantastic way to meet new people, get valuable experience on your CV and put smiles on the faces of your community. Find out the opportunities you can benefit from now.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://app.betterimpact.com/PublicOrganization/90a5ab5e-9252-459a-9715-43172c60d90a/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LEARN MORE HERE (Opens a new window) </a>
&nbsp;
With a chance of a behind the scenes look at a variety of local libraries and beautiful historic houses in the Sutton area, find out how you can <a href="https://app.betterimpact.com/PublicOrganization/90a5ab5e-9252-459a-9715-43172c60d90a/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">volunteer for Sutton Council's Cultural Services</a> today.

Volunteering

join-the-email-newsletter

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Sutton Scene Email Newsletter</h1>
&nbsp;
Joining the Sutton Scene email newsletter is a great and easy way to get the biggest updates about your library, heritage and cultural services - sent directly to your mailbox.
&nbsp;
<a href="http://eepurl.com/dHEzxz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">- SIGN UP HERE -</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The big changes, upcoming events and local news! Join the <a href="http://eepurl.com/dHEzxz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sutton Scene</a> mail list now.

Join The Email Newsletter

accessibility

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Accessibility</h1>
&nbsp;
All of our libraries, Whitehall Historic House and Honeywood Museum are accessible by wheelchair users. Sutton Central Library and Cheam Library have induction loops. All our libraries stock a selection of large print books and talking books. Guide dogs are welcome in all libraries. The staff will be pleased to advise you before your visit.
&nbsp;
<h2>Reading</h2>
&lsquo;<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">My Library App</a>&rsquo; is a smartphone app that allows library members to find and reserve books across multiple library branches and services. Download the app to access all reading materials in one place.
&nbsp;
<h3>eBooks</h3>
eBook readers allow the text of books to be increased and altered to suit the reader. These can be downloaded onto a smart device at home for free. eBooks available from <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">BorrowBox</a> and <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">Libby</a> support different colour themes available (e.g. Lite, Sepia, Dark) and different fonts available including Dyslexia friendly font. BorrowBox has adjustable text spacing (e.g. narrow, normal &amp; wide). Libby has a &ldquo;define&rdquo; feature, allowing you to see the meaning of a word within the text.
&nbsp;
<h3>eAudiobooks</h3>
eAudiobooks are available to library members via <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">BorrowBox</a> and <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">uLibrary</a> to be downloaded to a smart device. The play speed of eAudiobooks can be made faster or slower based on the user&rsquo;s personal preference. This feature may benefit those with hearing or mental difficulties who may need more time to interpret audio.
&nbsp;
<h3>Books</h3>
All libraries stock a range of titles in large print, both fiction and information books. At Sutton Library the large print is located on the ground floor. Dictionaries, the Bible and a larger selection of information books are available.
&nbsp;
<h3>Audiobooks</h3>
Audiobooks are available in all our libraries. Titles include popular fiction, crime, thrillers, sagas, classics, biographies, travel, humour, etc. On CDs &amp; MP3 format. Audio books can be borrowed free of charge if you are visually impaired or have another disability or condition which makes it difficult for you to read print. Please ask for your membership to be updated.
&nbsp;
<h3>Digtial Newspapers and Magazines</h3>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">PressReader</a>, free for library members, features publications from up to 60 countries and 18 languages. Sections of text can be highlighted for easier reading. There is audio narration available from text. Publications can be presented as was printed, in a screen friendly format and/or full screen. And &ldquo;SmartZoom&rdquo; allows automatic zoom in to the start of an article. <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">Libby, by Overdrive</a> provides digital magazines with can be scaled in text size and has different colour modes (bright, sepia and dark) for a more comfortable reading experience.
&nbsp;
<h2>Housebound Library Service</h2>
Our housebound service volunteers deliver library books to Sutton residents who have difficulty getting to or accessing their local library, including those who are vulnerable and/or socially isolated. To apply for the Housebound Library Service, contact by telephone: 020 8770 4740.
&nbsp;
<h2>Computers</h2>
All libraries have computers for use. The internet and word processing are available. Most libraries have a PC with an enhanced screen, scanner and software which makes computers accessible to those with a visual impairment. Please contact your local library for further information and availability. Computers are available to use in all libraries and give access to the internet. Most libraries have a PC with an enhanced screen and scanner. Supernova, which makes computers accessible to visually impaired people, is available at some libraries.
&nbsp;
<h2>Whitehall Historic House Audio Description Guide and Visual Guide</h2>
<a href="http://vocaleyes.co.uk/whitehall-historic-house-new-audio-descriptive-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Experience Whitehall Historic House through audio description with our brand new guide</a>. Explore the fascinating Grade II* listed Whitehall Historic House in Cheam, Sutton, with this comprehensive audio-descriptive guide co-designed with&nbsp;<a href="https://vocaleyes.co.uk/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vocal Eyes</a> for visitors with visual impairments. Ask a member of staff or a volunteer at our front desk. Also available online via <a href="http://vocaleyes.co.uk/whitehall-historic-house-new-audio-descriptive-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VocalEyes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://soundcloud.com/vocaleyesad/sets/whitehall-historic-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soundcloud</a>.
There is also a <a href="https://whitehallmuseum.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/whitehall-visual-guide-social-story.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visual guide</a> available which allows visitors to be introduced to the experience of the building in their own time before visiting the physical space itself.
&nbsp;
<h2>Library services for visually impaired people</h2>
Libraries in Sutton are committed to extending and improving access to their services. For example, a print magnification device is available in libraries.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Sensory Sacks</h2>
For visitors of Whitehall Historic House with Special Education Needs and Disabilities and their families and carers, Sensory Sacks are designed to support the experience of visitors with sensory needs. Our sensory sacks include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Ear defenders</li>
<li>Fidget toys</li>
<li>A spotters&rsquo; guide and puppets</li>
</ul>
Available to borrow free of charge from the museum&rsquo;s front desk.
Our partners at <a href="https://www.h2hsensorytheatre.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Head2Head Sensory Theatre</a> present the <a href="https://youtu.be/v6poNEYvY1c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sensory Sacks in a friendly video</a>, as well as an <a href="https://youtu.be/Ju3YvSSiYdc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduction to Whitehall Historic House</a>.
&nbsp;
<h2>Children's services</h2>
eBooks and eAudiobooks are available for children through My Library App. Children are welcome to watch our rhymetimes and storytimes, which are online until further notice.
&nbsp;
<h2>VIP Library Group</h2>
A friendly informal group meets bi-monthly at Sutton to talk about books. It provides an opportunity to borrow new audio books and to chat to others with a visual impairment. Refreshments are provided. For more information contact Sutton Library: 020 8770 4700.
&nbsp;
<h2>Assistive technology</h2>
CCTV print magnifier - Sutton, Cheam and Wallington Libraries have one available. This enlarges text for easier viewing.
&nbsp;

Accessibility

policies

Please see below policies applicable to Sutton Libraries.
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Libraries%20-%20Conditions%20of%20Use.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sutton Libraries Conditions of Use</a>
</li>
<li><a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Library%20Byelaws.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sutton Libraries Byelaws</a></li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.sutton.gov.uk/w/privacy-notice-and-data-protection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Privacy Notice and Data Protection Policy</a> (<a href="https://www.sutton.gov.uk/info/200436/customer_services/1947/privacy_notice_and_data_protection/11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sutton Libraries</a>)
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/London%20Borough%20of%20Sutton%20-%20Poster%20Display%20Guidelines.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poster Display Guidelines</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Libraries%20-%20Borrowing%20Allowances.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Borrowing Allowances</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/104589101/culturalservicesprivacypolicy-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Events Privacy Statement</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Libraries%20-%20Library%20Charges.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Library Charges</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Libraries%20Student%20Charter%202022_23.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Student Charter</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/LBS%20Cultural%20Services%20Venue%20Hire%20Agreement%20-%20Aug%202023.docx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venue Hire Agreement</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Cookie%20Consent%20Policy%20-%20London%20Borough%20of%20Sutton.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cookie Policy</a>
</li>
<li><a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Self%20Access%20-%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20of%20Use.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Extended Hours - Terms and Conditions</a></li>
</ul>

Policies

Libraries

events

Events

search

Search

account

Account

the-blog

The Blog

get-ready-for-self-access

<h1>Get Ready for Self Access</h1>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council's%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Self%20Access%20(Header).jpg" alt="A woman putting books on a bookshelf. The following words are laid over the image: Self Access." />
&nbsp;
<h2>Self Access coming to Sutton Libraries from 2 April 2024 - get ready!&nbsp;</h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Join: <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/register">the library or check your library membership is up to date</a>
</li>
<li>
Take: the induction either <a href="https://youtu.be/EeCxdjUAiCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online</a> or <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/search?q=induction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in-person</a>
</li>
<li>
Agree: to the terms and conditions and <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrn4-PE8rp0OXlLW0zv3dkEi0MaL85WLqPFjmEHbl3S7_K9w/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fill out this form</a>&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Access: &nbsp;the library at your convenience using your library card or <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">My Library App</a> and PIN, click the <a href="https://m-uk2.sol.us/v4/SelfReg/Login.aspx?s=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">link</a> and get instant access, terms and conditions apply
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Welcome to <a href="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Self%20Access%20and%20Staffed%20Opening%20Hours.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Self Access opening hours</a> in Sutton&rsquo;s Libraries: Mondays to Saturdays, 8am to 9pm and&nbsp;Sundays, 9am to 6pm.
&nbsp;
With Self Access technology you can use the library independently. Before you will be able to use the library when it&rsquo;s in self access, you will need a current library membership card and to have taken an <a href="https://youtu.be/EeCxdjUAiCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online</a> or <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/search?q=induction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in-person</a> induction.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Get%20Ready%20for%20Self%20Access.png" alt="Get Ready For Self Access. Join the Library. Take The Induction. Agree To The Terms
and Conditions. Access the library allowing up to 72 Hours to Receive a Confirmation Email." width="600" height="400" />
&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t have a current library card? <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/register">Register quickly online now</a>. You need to have your PIN, <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/reset-password" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here to reset your PIN</a>. If you can't find your current library membership number, please contact us at <a href="mailto:sutton.library@sutton.gov.uk">sutton.library@sutton.gov.uk</a> or visit your local library. All adults can use self access, as well as 16 to 17 year olds with parental consent.
&nbsp;
<h2>Complete an Induction</h2>
There are two ways to complete an induction:
&nbsp;
<a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/search?q=induction">Book onto a short, in-person induction via this link</a>. At the end of the induction the library member's account will be upgraded to enable entry during Self Access.
&nbsp;
OR&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<a href="https://youtu.be/EeCxdjUAiCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch a short video</a> and then <a href="https://forms.gle/VBuSuSPGU214aU6X6">complete a short form</a> to confirm. The library account holder may need to wait for up to 72 hours to receive a confirmation email informing them their membership has been upgraded to enable entry during Self Access.
&nbsp;
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EeCxdjUAiCE" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&nbsp;
Before you enter the library you will need to scan your library card barcode at the entrance and enter your PIN to access the library. During self access there will be no staff. CCTV will be recorded at all times to ensure public safety.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
When the library is moving into a Self Access period, library visitors must vacate the building. Library members will then be able to enter the building 15 minutes after the Self Access period starts. If you have used the library during Self Access and would like to offer feedback, please <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFpgbzYi93CniQYmRJG6isvewKrycYhQnRU6U4jMBrpJS7OA/viewform">fill in the feedback form</a>.
&nbsp;
<h2>Self Access opening hours</h2>
Once you have upgraded to Self Access membership, you will be able to access the library Monday to Saturday, 8am to 9pm and from 9am to 6pm on Sundays. Self Access hours may change subject to service demand. To view opening times and more information see the individual library pages:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/sutton-central-library">Sutton Central Library</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/cheam-library">Cheam Library</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/circle-library">Circle Library</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/library-at-the-life-centre">Library @ the Life Centre</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/wallington-library">Wallington Library</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/worcester-park-library">Worcester Park Library</a>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>The Benefits of Self Access</h2>
Libraries are key community assets, growing beyond book loaning, with the spaces being used for meeting, studying, IT, events and socialising. Self Access extends the service delivery of our libraries, enabling them to be reimagined as community spaces from which a range of cultural, heritage and other services can be delivered by the Council, partners and the community.
&nbsp;
<h2>During Self Access you can:</h2>
<ul>
<li>
borrow, return and renew library items using self-service kiosks
</li>
<li>
use a free library computer or free library Wi-Fi and print documents
</li>
<li>
use study spaces
</li>
<li>
search online reference services e.g. Ancestry
</li>
<li>
hire a library meeting room
</li>
<li>
meet with friends or join a social connecting interest group
</li>
<li>
take part in activities provided by library partners during Self Access
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

self-access-frequently-asked-queestions

<h1>Self Access: Frequently Asked Questions</h1>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council's%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Self%20Access%20(Header).jpg" alt="A woman putting books on a bookshelf. The following words are laid over the image: Self Access." />
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>What are self access hours?</h2>
Self access hours are periods when the library is open and staff are not on site, it is accessible to those with a <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/register">current library card</a> who have completed the <a href="https://youtu.be/EeCxdjUAiCE">online</a> or <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/search?q=induction">in-person</a> induction on how to use the library during self access hours.
&nbsp;
During self access hours, customers can continue to use library services to borrow/return books, study, and access free wifi and using public computers.
&nbsp;
To view opening times and more information see the individual library pages:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/sutton-central-library">Sutton Central Library</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/cheam-library">Cheam Library</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/circle-library">Circle Library</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/library-at-the-life-centre">Library @ the Life Centre</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/wallington-library">Wallington Library</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/worcester-park-library">Worcester Park Library</a>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>What happens if there&rsquo;s an incident during self access hours?</h2>
The induction will explain what to do if there is an incident in the library. Information signs are available for customers throughout the library, as well as free access to an emergency landline phone. Incidents should be reported using the form on the Catalogue PC available in each library.
&nbsp;
<h2>I don't have a library card, can I use the library during self access hours?&nbsp;</h2>
You will need a current library card to use the library during self access hours. Please follow the following four steps
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Join: <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/register">the library or check your library membership is up to date</a>. You will need your PIN - <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/reset-password">click here to reset your PIN</a>
</li>
<li>
Take: the induction either <a href="https://youtu.be/EeCxdjUAiCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online</a> or <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/search?q=induction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in-person</a>
</li>
<li>
Agree: to the terms and conditions and <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrn4-PE8rp0OXlLW0zv3dkEi0MaL85WLqPFjmEHbl3S7_K9w/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fill out this form</a>&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Access: the library at your convenience using your library card or <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">My Library App</a> and PIN, allowing up to 72 hours to receive your confirmation email
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Get%20Ready%20for%20Self%20Access.png" alt="Get Ready For Self Access. Join the Library. Take The Induction. Agree To The Terms
and Conditions. Access the library allowing up to 72 Hours to Receive a Confirmation Email." width="600" height="400" />
&nbsp;
<h2>I have a library card, can I use the library during self access hours?&nbsp;</h2>
You will need to have your PIN (<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/reset-password">you can reset it here</a>) and complete these three steps:
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Take: the induction either <a href="https://youtu.be/EeCxdjUAiCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online</a> or <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/search?q=induction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in-person</a>
</li>
<li>
Agree: to the terms and conditions and <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrn4-PE8rp0OXlLW0zv3dkEi0MaL85WLqPFjmEHbl3S7_K9w/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fill out this form</a>&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Access: the library at your convenience using your library card or <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">My Library App</a> and PIN, allowing up to 72 hours to receive your confirmation email
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>I don't know my PIN for my library card, where do I find it?&nbsp;</h2>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/reset-password">Click here to reset your PIN</a>. Your PIN will need to be six numerical digits.
&nbsp;
<h2>How do I use the library during self access hours?</h2>
This will be covered during inductions. <a href="https://youtu.be/EeCxdjUAiCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch the Self Access Induction video</a> OR <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/search?q=induction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">book an in-person induction</a> at your local library.
&nbsp;
<h2>Will I be safe during self access hours?</h2>
A comprehensive risk assessment, along with documented processes and procedures, has been completed in conjunction with our Health and Safety colleagues. All identified hazards have been mitigated against. Self access is also used successfully by our colleagues in neighbouring boroughs like Merton. Below are some important extracts of the risk assessment:
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Start of day building checks by security and staff</li>
<li>Emergency phone available</li>
<li>CCTV recording 24/7</li>
<li>Library members using the library during self access must undergo an induction before they can use it</li>
<li>End of day building checks</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>If I am in the library before it goes into self access, can I stay in the library as self access hours start?</h2>
Before the library is put into self access, usually at 5pm, all visitors must exit the building with their belongings. The self access system will initiate and take around 15 minutes to go live. After this period, library members who have completed the <a href="https://youtu.be/EeCxdjUAiCE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">induction</a> and <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrn4-PE8rp0OXlLW0zv3dkEi0MaL85WLqPFjmEHbl3S7_K9w/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed to the terms and conditions</a> will be able to enter during self access hours.
&nbsp;
<h2>Can I eat or drink during self access?</h2>
We encourage customers not to eat in libraries.
&nbsp;
<h2>What is the minimum age in order to use self access?</h2>
Library members must be at least 18 years old to use self access. 16 to 17 year olds will be allowed access <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPKMD_U-NeKGluQ9w1_Bx7sm_ovzvFvAThSm0CvA0tInzUiQ/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with parental consent</a>.
&nbsp;
<h2>Can multiple people enter the library under one library card?</h2>
Only one person may enter under one library card, unless it is a child accompanied by an adult. When you are using self access we ask you not allow others to enter the library with you.
&nbsp;
<h2>I have a disability that stops me being able to use self access, can I still use the library?</h2>
Yes, libraries will continue to be staffed on specific days when library staff will be able to support you. During self access, only the ground floor is available which can be accessed by those with mobility access needs. <a href="https://www.suttonmencap.org.uk/mediahub/dpi/accessingthelibrary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sutton Mencap&rsquo;s review</a> of the pilot in Wallington Library may assist some customers with using Self Access. Individual assessments can be conducted on a case-by-case basis. Please contact your local library if you feel like you will require additional support to enable you to use the library during self access hours.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>How will I know when staff are on site? </h2>
Please see our <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries">library pages</a> to see when library staff are expected to be available and on site for each of Sutton&rsquo;s libraries.
&nbsp;
<h2>Can I contact library staff when the library is in Self Access? </h2>
You can contact the library service using the library public computer featuring the library catalogue. There is an online enquiry form library members will be able to complete. You can also email the library service at the following address: sutton.library@sutton.gov.uk

Self Access: Frequently Asked Queestions

gardens-throughout-suttons-history

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Gardens Throughout Sutton&rsquo;s History</h1>
&nbsp;
This half term, Whitehall is running a <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/event?id=102288">Gardens Through Time trail </a>celebrating the different gardens throughout history. A new exhibition - <a href="https://events.sutton.gov.uk/event?id=108598" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From Oranges To Watercress</a>, looking at the history of plant growing in the local area, and featuring two Elizabethan gardens, has also just been installed in Whitehall. To celebrate this, this blog post will focus on some of the most notable gardens throughout the history of the area.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Nonsuch Palace</h2>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk//custom/web/content/Image%20Nonsuch%20Palace%20&amp;%20Gardens%20Model.png" alt="Photo: Model of Nonsuch Palace at Whitehall Historic House" />
&nbsp;
A photo of the Nonsuch Palace model at Whitehall, complete with the gardens.
&nbsp;
Back when Nonsuch Palace was still standing, it was surrounded by 16 acres of garden. On the left side of the Palace was a topiary garden, while on the right side was a hedge maze with several trees planted next to it. The back garden consisted of eight topiary gardens, two posts and a fountain.
&nbsp;
There was a chalk wall thought to be one of the remaining parts of Nonsuch Palace. This wall is now part of Nonsuch Mansion&rsquo;s garden, on the left of the garden gate.
&nbsp;
You can visit Whitehall and take a look at the palace model in the Nonsuch room in order to find out more about what the garden may have looked like.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Carew Manor</h2>
&nbsp;
Sir Francis Carew (1530-1611) built one of the most impressive Elizabethan gardens on the grounds of Carew Manor. It featured many delights such as an orangery, ornament fountains, a grotto and even an elaborately decorated banqueting house. The orangery in particular was renowned for being the first one in England to have orange trees planted directly into the ground. Queen Elizabeth I visited the garden on many occasions, and other famous people such as writers Daniel Defoe and John Evelyn and sculptor John Gibson continued to visit it throughout the succeeding centuries.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Nonsuch Palace</h2>
&nbsp;
Nonsuch Mansion&rsquo;s impressive garden still remains. In the front garden is a ditch running north from the eastern gate, also known as a &ldquo;ha ha&rdquo;. It was designed to keep animals out of the garden while still allowing the house to be seen from the park.
&nbsp;
The back garden has a lawn with a large ditch at the back. On the right side is a pathway with trees on the sides, while on the left side is a flower garden that comes complete with a small fish and frog pond. A notable feature is the rose tunnel with flower beds by it.
&nbsp;
The nursery garden that lay across the drive from the Service Wing no longer exists, but it would have provided pretty much all of the house&rsquo;s food needs. Fresh fruit and vegetables were grown there that would have provided nutrition. Nearby was the Lodge, where the Head Gardener lived, and behind that was the home farm that provided milk, eggs and butter. The gate in the opposite wall led to the ice well, which stored ice that would be used for cooling wine or making ice cream.
&nbsp;
At the back of the formal gardens is a Terrace, first built in the 1840s by William Francis Gamul Farmer. There is a glass house at the front which used to house orchids, azaleas and tender plants. At the back of the Terrace is the Pinetum, initially planted in the 1840s. It originally had cedars and redwoods planted in it, but later on it featured more of a variety such as atlas cedars, pines, firs and even gingko and tulip trees.
&nbsp;
An old chalk pit known as the Dell was converted by Thomas Whateley in the mid 19th century into part of the garden, complete with a London Plane tree. This no doubt helped to turn a potential eyesore into something more attractive.
&nbsp;
You can see a map of the garden <a href="https://www.friendsofnonsuch.co.uk/nonsuch-garden-map/">here</a>.
&nbsp;
Imogen Easton
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<hr />
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Works Cited:
<ol>
<li>
Dent, John. The Quest For Nonsuch, London Borough of Sutton Leisure Services, 1981.
</li>
<li>
Lister, Lalage. Nonsuch: Pearl of the Realm, Sutton Leisure Services, 1992.
</li>
<li>
Michell, Ronald. The Carews of Beddington. London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services, 1981.
</li>
<li>
The Carews of Beddington Park&hellip;the interesting bits! SS Media Ltd., 2010.
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.friendsofnonsuch.co.uk/the-park/">https://www.friendsofnonsuch.co.uk/the-park/</a>
</li>
</ol>

Gardens Throughout Sutton’s History

lgbtq-history-month-2024-book-list

<h1>LGBTQ+ History Month 2024 Book List</h1>
&nbsp;
This LGBTQ+ History Month we have created a handy book list to help you find fiction and non-fiction titles that address the struggle for LGBTQ+ liberation and queer history and culture in general.
&nbsp;
<h3><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:3393968">Courage to Be by Dr Clifford Williams</a></h3>
An account of The London Gay Teenage Group was a unique and ground-breaking youth group, which emerged in the heady days of the late 1970s and achieved registration as an official youth club catering mainly for gay and lesbian young people, at a time when gay male sex was still totally illegal for anyone aged under 21.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978191/9781913913632.jpg"><img src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978191/9781913913632.jpg" /></div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1891053">The Queer Bible by Jack Guinness</a></h3>
&lsquo;We stand on the shoulders of giants. Now we learn their names.&rsquo; The Queer Bible is a collection of essays written by queer icons, about the queer trailblazers throughout history who inspired them. Based on the popular website QueerBible.com, founded by model and activist Jack Guinness, this timely collection, edited by him, continues his mission &ndash; to create a space dedicated to the celebration of queer history.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978000/9780008343989.jpg"><img src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978000/9780008343989.jpg" /></div>
&nbsp;
<h3><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:3107389">One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston</a></h3>
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don't exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can't imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there's certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there's this gorgeous girl on the train. Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August's day when she needed it most. August's subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there's one big problem: Jane doesn't just look like an old school punk rocker. She's literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it's time to start believing in some things, after all.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978152/9781529099485.jpg &nbsp;"><img src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978152/9781529099485.jpg" /></div>
&nbsp;
<h3>A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair</h3>
Keera is a killer. As the King&rsquo;s Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the King&rsquo;s favoured assassin. When a mysterious figure called the Shadow starts making moves against the Crown, Keera is forced to hunt the masked menace down.
She crosses into the magical lands of the Fae, trying to discern if her enemy is Mortal, Elf, or a Halfling like her. But the Faeland is not what it seems, and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she discovers and can&rsquo;t help but wonder who her enemy truly is&hellip;
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://books.google.co.uk/books/publisher/content?id=Al-1EAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PP1&amp;img=1&amp;zoom=3&amp;hl=en&amp;bul=1&amp;sig=ACfU3U0dFbuGkdnBXhxAKIN2mTmOSaKR4w&amp;w=1280"><img src="https://books.google.co.uk/books/publisher/content?id=Al-1EAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PP1&amp;img=1&amp;zoom=3&amp;hl=en&amp;bul=1&amp;sig=ACfU3U0dFbuGkdnBXhxAKIN2mTmOSaKR4w&amp;w=1280" /></div>
&nbsp;
<h3>Call Me by Your Name by Andr&eacute; Aciman</h3>
Call Me by Your Name is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliff-side mansion on the Italian Riviera. Unprepared for the consequences of their attraction, at first each feigns indifference. But during the restless summer weeks that follow, unrelenting buried currents of obsession and fear, fascination and desire, intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them. What grows from the depths of their spirits is a romance of scarcely six weeks' duration and an experience that marks them for a lifetime.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="&nbsp;https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519203520i/36336078.jpg"><img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519203520i/36336078.jpg" /></div>
&nbsp;

LGBTQ+ History Month 2024 Book List

seasons-greetings-festive-traditions-around-sutton

Seasons Greetings!
&nbsp;
Seasons greetings to everyone in the Sutton Council and everyone who uses our services! We hope you have enjoyed the festive season and wish you all a Happy New Year!
To celebrate the winter season, this blog post will discuss festive traditions in the Sutton Borough and members of the Sutton Council.
&nbsp;
One major tradition in the Borough that happens elsewhere around the country is the turning on of the Christmas lights. Cheam in particular holds a Christmas market to coincide with it, complete with food stalls and fairground rides. Whitehall also hosts an annual Santa&rsquo;s grotto event where children can meet Father Christmas and take away a gift. This year, it happened on the 1st of December and Tim Vine turned on the Christmas lights.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://imagedelivery.net/oK4LF9ZyGMZuLOsFKpvm7A/UK_ce555320-50ed-4c87-aa34-69634666fece_638405891218161341/public" width="602" height="451" />
&nbsp;
The cold winter months aren&rsquo;t just about Christmas. It is also about celebrating winter itself, such as the Winter Solstice itself celebrating the coming of winter. Other religions have their own celebrations - for instance, Hindus celebrate Diwali and Jews celebrate Hannukah. All of these have been celebrated as part of Sutton&rsquo;s Light &amp; Dark Festival, which started in October 2023 and ends in February 2024.
&nbsp;
Though Diwali usually happens in November, the focus on lights symbolises the triumph of good over evil and lightens up the dark cold days that have begun. Sutton Council has often held events related to Diwali to celebrate the event, complete with an emphasis on Hindu culture. Last year had quite a variety - a Diwali Market was held in Wallington on the 28th October, another Diwali Celebration Market was held at the Sutton Market Place on the 4th November and a Diwali Party was held at the Thomas Wall Centre on the 25th November.
&nbsp;
Hanukkah (also known as Chanukah) also focuses on lights. This is due to the story of how there was only enough lamp oil for one night for the candles in the Second Temple in Jerusalem, yet they were still able to burn for eight days and eight nights. To celebrate this, Jewish households light their own versions of the candelabrum and play games such as dreidel (a spinning top game where chocolate coins are at stake).
&nbsp;
We asked some of the volunteers and staff at Whitehall Historic House what their holiday traditions and favourite memories of Christmas were. Here are some of their responses.
 
Imogen Easton
&nbsp;
Imogen writes blog posts for Whitehall and works on the front desk. When not working, she likes to come up with story ideas in her free time.
 
Any Christmas traditions?
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I really invest myself in the holiday spirit as much as I can - listening to Christmas songs and doing some Christmas baking. One of the things our family likes to do is go out to have breakfast somewhere where we can look around and see all the Christmas decorations being sold - currently the breakfast happens at IKEA, but we used to have it at Woodcote Garden Centre, where we also used to buy our Christmas tree. Starting in 2019, I head over to London with my mother to see the Christmas lights and window displays, taking photos of them all and hopefully getting a hot chocolate in the process. Other places I like to visit throughout the season include historical houses, whether they be in the Borough like Whitehall or Honeywood or outside the Borough like Polesdon Lacey and Ham House, in order to see how they are decked out for Christmas.&rdquo;
 
Favourite Christmas memory.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I really cannot decide on a single memory. One of my favourites was seeing the Christmas lights in London for the first time. I&rsquo;m normally a stickler for schedules, but while looking at the lights, I didn&rsquo;t need to worry about them. I also remember the time I helped my Grandma to make Christmas puddings (another Christmas tradition in my family) when I was younger and I ended up leaving treacle marks all over the walls with my treacle-covered hands - it took a long time to clean up!&rdquo;
 
Tilly Davis
&nbsp;
Tilly is the Customer Services Officer for Heritage and works closely with the volunteers at Whitehall Historic House.
 
Any Christmas traditions?
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I don't really have any traditions as such. When I was younger me and my family used to take a drive around London on Christmas Eve to see all the lights, which was always fun and a good highlight! Other than that we don't really have traditions, but we do always play board games - normally Articulate!&rdquo;
 
Nicky Lawrence-Gravestock
&nbsp;
Nicola is a volunteer at Whitehall Historic House, who has written creative writing pieces based on the house and hosted creative writing events at Whitehall, as well as helping with school trips and other children&rsquo;s activities.
 
Any Christmas traditions?
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Our family tradition is going to collect some holly, we usually go to Horton Park in Ewell.&nbsp; One year there was a weather warning and it started to get blowier and (more) blowier - and started to blow a gale!&nbsp; I was a bit scared!!!&nbsp; but we ended up getting enough holly and then getting out of there tut suite!!&nbsp; I was glad that my husband was with me and my children (who were quite small at the time) didn't wander off (although we did get lost a couple of times and wander around in a circle!) Anyhow, this is our Christmas tradition.&nbsp; Once we have our holly we usually use it to decorate our fireplace in the dining room and I must say, it does look very festive!&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Favourite Christmas memory.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;In thinking about my favourite festive memory, I'm not sure. It could be the time I took the children to see Santa at Morden Hall Park about 10 years ago. I went with a friend and back then there were lots of craft stalls at the park. We bought handmade scarves, hand decorated hairbrushes for the children (and a crystal necklace for me, which I still have today, so I did very well out of it!); I remember going for a glorious walk finishing up with hot chocolate with marshmallows and coffee in the Cafe!&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Seasons Greetings - Festive Traditions Around Sutton

tamil-heritage-month-2023-message-from-councillor-cumar-sahathevan

<h1>Tamil Heritage Month 2023 - Message from Councillor Cumar Sahathevan</h1>
&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s throw some light on Tamil Heritage in terms of the Tamil Language, Tamil Literature, Tamil Traditions and the Tamil Culture.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
According to the Tamil historians and archaeological studies it is believed that there were three distinct ages in the history of Tamil civilisation: The First Sangam (9600 BCE to 5200 BCE), The Middle Sangam (5201 BCE - 599 BCE) and The Last Sangam (600 BCE &ndash; c.&thinsp;300 CE).&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Sangam means a well organised association or gathering of elite scholars to develop and share information about Tamil Language, Tamil Literature, Tamil Traditions and Tamil culture.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
However, there is no concrete evidence or collection of archaeological findings to establish the existence of such phases of First Sangam or Second Sangam.
&nbsp;
Nevertheless, recent archaeological findings reveal that the last Sangam existed nearly 300 BC and 200 AD with some traces of documentation to the second Sangam. In this context, evidence that traces a Tamil academic tradition to The Middle Sangam has a very weak link.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
It is thought that all these Sangams were sponsored and supported by the royal families of that time. Sri Lanki and the Tamil people were governed by generations of Chera, Chola Pandia kings. These dynasties commanded access to large amounts of resources that helped to develop a distinct civilisation with its own style of buildings, temples, academies, as well as a rich cultural heritage of scholarship, epics, literature, music and performing arts. The Tamil language, civilization and culture is ancient, and is considered a Classical Language, along with Egyptian, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Arabic, and Sanskrit.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
This rich history is the main reason why Tamil language was considered as a Classical Language in the world arena along with Egyptian, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Sanskrit Chinese, Arabic etc.
&nbsp;
It is often said that people change their lifestyles according to the environment of the land in which they live. In Tamil culture, people&rsquo;s relation with the land determined their occupation. Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, and Neithal, kinds of land life that can be found in Sangam literature. This is a typical example of how people developed their professions according to the type of land they lived:
&nbsp;
The Kurinji land people depended on hunting and gathering, honey picking, millet sowing, and preserving them. They lived in Sri Lanka&rsquo;s in the hilly areas.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Mullai land people were shepherds who raised goats and cows. They would trade milk, curd, butter and lived on pastures and lands fit for raising cattle.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Marutham land peasants were engaged in the cultivation of agriculture and fishing.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Tamil civilization's evolved new technologies through the discoveries of metals, wooded tools, and the use of domesticated animals in farming. Tamils also began to recognise the cycles of the agricultural seasons, and understand how this impacted the success of farming or other agricultural endeavours.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Tamil astronomical understanding and perception als contributed knowledge and experience about seasons. People started applying formulas and calculations based on the movements of the heavens to devise ways of measuring time, structuring the year into months, weeks and days and hours, minutes and seconds.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
As a result of that knowledge and experience over the centuries, Tamil people started celebrating the harvest festival of Pongal in the month of January. Pognal occurs over the 14 - 17 of January in 2024.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In India there are very many regions where agriculture was the prime livelihood of people and celebrations normally continue for two, three or even four days. Pognal occurs over the 14 - 17 of January in 2024.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Thai Pongal is the first day of the Tamil harvest festival that also occurs for a similar period of time. The astronomical connotation of this day is that the Sun enters the Capricorn or Makaram; in Tamil it is called &ldquo;Thai Thirunal&rdquo;. Thai means &lsquo;&rsquo;a possibility to succeed and grow&rsquo;&rsquo; or possibility &lsquo;&rsquo;to make great opportunities a reality&rsquo;&rsquo;.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For that reason people say &ldquo;Thai Piranthal vazhi pirakkum&rdquo; meaning great things happen when the month of January arrives. That&rsquo;s the reason thanksgiving to the Sun is the celebration of the first day of Pongal with great reverence from many thousand years ago.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
To keep it short, &ldquo;Pongal&rdquo; is not the name of a food! (Though &lsquo;&rsquo;Pongal&rsquo;&rsquo; is also a well known delicious rice based dish).&nbsp; Tamil Pongal means &lsquo;&rsquo;ever-flowing&rsquo;&rsquo; and is also known as &ldquo;Pongum Mangala Thirunal&rdquo;. Above all the very need of human existence is Food, so on this second day we also show all our gratitude and celebrate with Nature, Sun, Seed &amp; Farmer. This day is designed in a way to give the highest respect to the cattle we have, not just the cow but every cattle we own and treat them as our family members, in fact with equal importance as our loved ones &amp; family members.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The London Borough of Sutton is home to thousands of British Tamils. Tamil heritage month started in 2021 to recognise the contribution of 300,000 British Tamils that live in the United Kingdom.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Please join us on 21 January at Sutton Library from 1- 3pm for a celebration of traditional music, dance, food and discussion.

Tamil Heritage Month 2023 - Message From Councillor Cumar Sahathevan

grief-awareness-week-2023-book-list

<h1 style="margin-top: 24pt; margin-bottom: 6pt;">Grief Awareness Month 2023 Book List</h1>
&nbsp;
This Grief Awareness Week we have created a handy book list to help you find titles that address how to cope with grief and bereavement. From personal stories to coping techniques and advice, there are titles to help, however you deal with grief.
&nbsp;
<h3 style="margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/ERC_2088_672:OVERDRIVE:d776e2d8-63d2-430a-9b58-dbe9142004c1" style="text-decoration: none;">Grief Works by Julia Samuels</a></h3>
Grief Works is a compassionate guide that will support, inform and engage anyone who is grieving, from the &lsquo;expected&rsquo; death of a parent to the sudden and unexpected death of a small child. It also provides clear advice for those seeking to comfort the bereaved.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Loc+J8vvL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg"><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Loc+J8vvL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" /></div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/ERC_2088_672:OVERDRIVE:56414f27-31e1-44ed-afae-6b6af280c435" style="text-decoration: none;">Life After Bereavement by Judy Carole Kauffmann &amp; Mary Jordan</a></h3>
The period following the death of a loved one can be a time of great turmoil. This sensitive book acts as a helpful and supportive road map through the initial period of loss, and the weeks and months that follow. As well as the emotional and spiritual aspects of bereavement, it covers important practical considerations, which are often overlooked.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://uk.jkp.com/cdn/shop/products/9781849053358-amazon-image.jpg?v=1666020318	"><img src="https://uk.jkp.com/cdn/shop/products/9781849053358-amazon-image.jpg?v=1666020318" /></div>
&nbsp;
<h3 style="margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1740431" style="text-decoration: none;">The CBT Handbook by Pamela Myles &amp; Roz Shafran</a></h3>
CBT is widely recommended nowadays in the NHS for the treatment of emotional and psychological problems, such as depression, low self-esteem, low mood, chronic anxiety, stress or out-of-control anger. This thorough yet easy-to-read general self-help guide is a must-have for anyone experiencing these common problems.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9781780332017-uk.jpg	"><img src="https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9781780332017-uk.jpg" /></div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:120217" style="text-decoration: none;">A Manual For Heartache by Cathy Rentzenbrink</a></h3>
When Cathy Rentzenbrink was still a teenager, her happy family was torn apart by an unthinkable tragedy. In A Manual for Heartache she describes how she learnt to live with grief and loss and find joy in the world again. She explores how to cope with life at its most difficult and overwhelming and how we can emerge from suffering forever changed, but filled with hope. This is a moving, warm and uplifting book that offers solidarity and comfort to anyone going through a painful time, whatever it might be. It&rsquo;s a book that will help to soothe an aching heart and assure its readers that they&rsquo;re not alone.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71PRTP6jxtL._SL1500_.jpg"><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71PRTP6jxtL._SL1500_.jpg" /></div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:113404" style="text-decoration: none;">Coping with Grief by Sue Morris</a></h3>
Grief is a natural reaction to loss, but in some cases it can be devastating, preventing the bereaved from moving on with their life and affecting their relationships and work. This self-help guide offers an examination and explanation of the grieving process and offers strategies to help someone adjust to life without a loved one.
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VGaLnRCtL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg"><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VGaLnRCtL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" /></div>

Grief Awareness Week 2023 Book List

sutton-central-library-closed-for-essential-maintenance

<h1>Sutton Central Library Closed for Essential Maintenance</h1>
&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Sutton%20Council's%20Cultural%20Services%20-%20Sutton%20Central%20Library%20Closed%20Essential%20Maintenance.jpg" alt="Sutton Central Library bookshelves and table and chairs" />
&nbsp;
Sutton Central Library is undergoing essential maintenance work between Friday 24 November and Friday 15 December. During this time various services will have alternative arrangements as specified below. Arrangements may change over time, please follow us on X, formerly Twitter, (<a href="https://twitter.com/SuttonLibraries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@SuttonLibraries</a>) or Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/suttonlibrarieslondon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@SuttonLibrariesLondon</a>) for the latest updates.
&nbsp;
If you have any queries, please feel free to email <a href="mailto:sutton.library@sutton.gov.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sutton.library@sutton.gov.uk</a>. Thank you.
&nbsp;
<h2>Changes to library access</h2>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/sutton-central-library">Sutton Central Library</a> will have the following opening hours.
<ul>
<li>Friday 24 November: 9am - 1pm</li>
<li>Saturday 25 November - Wednesday 29 November: Closed</li>
<li>Thursday 30 November - Sunday 3 December: Open as usual</li>
<li>Monday 4 December - Friday 15 December: Open with alternative access</li>
<li>Saturday 16 December: Normal opening hours resume</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Starting Monday 4 December, the ground floor of Sutton Central Library will have reduced access. Library visitors will only be able to enter and navigate between the east entrance (by Sutton College) and west entrance (facing Holiday Inn) on the ground floor. Visitors may also travel to and use the upper floors via the west stairwell. Several areas will be unavailable including ground floor children&rsquo;s library, ground floor PCs, the family lounge and the lift to Civic Offices.
&nbsp;
Please note, the closest alternative libraries are Cheam Library (1.2 miles away) and Library at the Life Centre (1.4 miles away).
&nbsp;
<h2>Changes in book borrowing</h2>
During open hours visitors to Sutton Central Library are able to browse books on the upper floors of the library and self-service kiosks are available on the ground floor near the west entrance. Reserved books will be located on the ground floor for collection.
&nbsp;
Library stock may also be borrowed through a &lsquo;Select &amp; Collect&rsquo; service. Your library card number and PIN will be required; new users can <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/user/register">register</a> for a free library card number and PIN. To have books available for you to collect from a library, you can:
<ol>
<li>Select your book via: - The library platform - My Library App (Android / Apple) - Email <a href="mailto:sutton.library@sutton.gov.uk">sutton.library@sutton.gov.uk</a></li>
<li>Receive confirmation saying your books are ready to collect.</li>
<li>Collect your books in Sutton Central library within 14 days.</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
Using your library card, you can pay for any fee charges online. Log into your account on the discovery platform, click on &ldquo;Pay Now&rdquo; and then follow the payment instructions. You can use your library card for <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/digital-resources/digital-library">free digital access to national and international newspapers and magazines</a>.
&nbsp;
<h2>Changes in I.T. facilities</h2>
During open hours public computers, printing and photocopying facilities continue to be available on Level 2. Visitors are able to use the public computers for one hour for free, with extended time being available for an additional charge (we will support library users who need longer).
&nbsp;
Printing can be done and paid for directly from public computers by finding the library name in the printer options and following the on screen instructions. Alternatively customers can pay for printing through the Princh app (<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=princh.princh&amp;hl=en_GB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Android</a> / <a href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/princh/id999408628" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a>). Photocopying is paid at the machine and requires exact change.
&nbsp;
<h2>Changes in Study Spaces, Events and Community Groups</h2>
Study Spaces will be unavailable from Friday 24 November at 1pm until Wednesday 29 November. Library members will be able to <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/library-services">book a study space in Sutton Central Library</a> from Thursday 30 November. Between Thursday 30 November and Sunday 3 December, study spaces are available on Level 1 and Level 2. Between Monday 4 December and Friday 15 December, study spaces are available on Level 2 only.
&nbsp;
During open hours, events, activities and meetings that typically take place on Sutton Central Library ground floor (such as Rhymetime, Storytime and <a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/community-clubs-and-groups">Community clubs and groups</a>) will take place on Level 1 in the community space.
&nbsp;
<h2>Changes to Partner Library Services</h2>
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/libraries/sutton-central-library">The Cafe in Sutton Central Library</a> will be closed from Friday 24 November onwards. Normal opening hours resume from Monday 8 January 2024.
&nbsp;
PlayWise will be open between Friday 24 November and Friday 15 December. Please contact <a href="https://playwise.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PlayWise</a> for further details of their events and services.
&nbsp;
Family Hub in Sutton Central Library will be closed from Friday 24 November at 1pm until Friday 15 December. Normal opening hours resume from Saturday 16 December. For information on further support visit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086169001161" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Start Well Sutton Children&rsquo;s Centres on facebook</a> for a wide range of services and activities suitable for parents.
&nbsp;
Library of Things Sutton will be closed from Friday 24 November at 1pm until Friday 15 December. Normal opening hours resume from Saturday 16 December. Your nearest <a href="https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/morden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Library of Things is in Morden</a>.

Sutton Central Library Closed for Essential Maintenance

remembrance-sunday-the-poetry-of-james-farrar

<h1 style="text-align: center;">The Poetry of James Farrar</h1>
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<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Header%20Remembrance%20Day%20Blog%20The%20Poetry%20of%20James%20Farrar.png" alt="Remembrance Day Blog: The Poetry of James Farrar " />
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When we think of famous war poets, we think of people like Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. The London Borough of Sutton also has their own war poet, James Farrar, whose work only started to get exposed to a larger audience when the writer Henry Williamson edited and published an anthology of it in 1950.
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<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/1.png" alt="Photo: Whitehall Historic House, WW1 Room, Cheam Serves The Nation." />
World War I Room at Whitehall Historic House, Cheam
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Farrar was born in Essex in 1923 but grew up in Carshalton. He enlisted in the RAF at the age of 18 in 1942. Even while fighting in the war, he always found time to write. Sadly, he died on the 26th of July 1944 on a dawn mission over the English Channel, just three months before his 21st birthday. In honor of him, his mother founded Sutton Grammar School&rsquo;s James Farrar English Prize with an &pound;84 endorsement in 1947.
&nbsp;
Farrar wrote in different forms - short stories, poems, autobiographical sketches, and descriptive passages. War, death, and nature were major themes in his works. For example, quite a few of his poems feature allusions to war and the death and destruction associated with it, such as the following three.
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<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/2.png" alt="Photo: Whitehall Historic House, WW1 Room, Barbed Wire" />
World War I Room at Whitehall Historic House, Cheam
&nbsp;
Premonition
&nbsp;
Flame in the sky.
O writhing shadow-charm: O burnished-blossomed trees
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lapping the water-sun, the soft lake-fires
That char your petalled brows arise
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As multi-winged mocking doves of light
Caged in the lashes of my brooding eyes.
&nbsp;
Soldier, lie still and gladsome with your love
Lest known no more her body&rsquo;s charity.
Trees, hide the poised fire.
&nbsp;
It stoops, the falcon anguish in my brain,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And claws you, trees, to burned grass
And grass to dust, the blood-brown acrid dust
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of aching summer battlefields.
I, trembling, touch the soldier, with his love
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So close and silent in the starry grass.
&nbsp;
He crumbles, and the ants swarm from his eyes.
 St. James&rsquo;s Park, Spring, 1942
&nbsp; (on leave)
 
Raiders Homing
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Hence is this horror borne
And they are free: no lips of pain
Ravish away the dark
That hears their homing.
Forgotten the fume of fire
That falsely steeps this midnight air
With day: sowers departed
Have no harvesting.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;The finger rests, that brought
And broadcast down the shrieking night
A thunderous crusade
Of never-waking.
Shadowless are their eyes
That smile ahead; no pause
Betrays remembrance as they
Fly home joking.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
And We: under louring heaven,
Earth-forsaken,
Grey, hollow with time
We fly home.
 
After Night Offensive
&nbsp;
Glowed through the violet petal of the sky
Like a death&rsquo;s-head the calm summer moon
And all the distance echoed with owl cry.
&nbsp;
Hissing the white waves of grass unsealed
Peer of moon on metal, hidden men,
As the wind foamed deeply through the field.
&nbsp;
Rooted to soil remote and faint as stars,
Looking to neither side, they lay all night
Sunken in the murmurous seas of grass.
&nbsp;
No flare burned upwards: never sound was shed
But lulling cries of owls beyond the world
As wind and moon played softly with the dead.
 
Not all the poems mention war in them. That said, the following three still evoke a melancholy mood.
&nbsp;
Fear
&nbsp;
I came down through Hangman&rsquo;s Copse
Telling my mind I had no qualms.
Words in the pine tops.
&nbsp;
The sun went out, the wind flurried
In the leaves where no bird came.
My footsteps hurried.
&nbsp;
A fall of leaves like an opened fan
Chanced to form into a man
Gibbering at me as I ran.
 
Death
&nbsp;
This strange evening
Light of snow
Hangs wistful stars
Above the plain
And, leaving earth
Asleep, doth now
Walk mistily
In every vein
And shine upon
Her paler brow.
 
The Night Without Sleep
&nbsp;
All night about this windless isle
Shall my life&rsquo;s glittering foam defile
Sands of forgetfulness?--
As the slow sleep-breakers climb
And curl and die
Against the pulse of time.
&nbsp;
Soft to the magic shell of Night
My sleepless ear is pressed and seems
To hear the hollow murmur
Of a sea of ancient dreams.
 
Some of his prose pieces have hints of poetry in them too, such as this short piece here.
&nbsp;
The Songs of Delius
Subtle, intangible. The last chord before despair, but yet never despair.
&nbsp;
His last prose piece, The Imagination to the Wraith, is both haunting and foreboding, particularly the final line.
&nbsp;
The sun is dying. Oh, Maddison, your sea speaks to me&hellip;
&nbsp;
More of Farrar&rsquo;s poetry, along with his prose and observations, can be found in The Unreturning Spring, a book of his work compiled by Williamson (1895-1977). It was republished in 2008 by the Friends of Honeywood Museum, with John Monks providing a new introduction.
&nbsp;
Works Cited:
Farrar, James. The Unreturning Spring. Friends of Honeywood Museum, 2008.
&nbsp;

Remembrance Sunday: The Poetry of James Farrar

black-history-month-2023-book-list

<h1>Black History Month 2023 Book List</h1>
&nbsp;
This Black History Month, learn more about black history and culture with this recommended reading list of BHM inspired adult books, children's books and digital magazines.
&nbsp;
<h2>Adult Books</h2>
&nbsp;
<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:3093924">Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson</a></h3>
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Sutton Council staff member, Gizem, recommends &lsquo;Open Water&rsquo;: A beautifully written 160-page novella from a second person perspective, with a poetic tone in places. Caleb Azumah Nelson packs so much into this story about two unnamed South Londoners and to call this just a love story doesn't do it justice. Nelson uses the universal feeling of love as a starting point to dive into the experience of what it means to be a Black man in the UK, that sense of being stared at but not seen and what living in a world like that does to oneself and relationships. The book examines masculinity, vulnerability, mental health, racism, class and violence alongside art, music, and literature. There&rsquo;s even a playlist on Spotify so you can listen along if you want for an even more immersive experience. This book made me consider the personal through the political lens and enabled me to learn and reflect throughout.
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:3093924"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/img/fit=cover,width=350,quality=75/https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978024/9780241448786.jpg" alt="" width="237" height="370" /></a></div>
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&nbsp;
<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:11166">Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang</a></h3>
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A history of hip-hop cites its origins in the post-civil rights Bronx and Jamaica, drawing on interviews with performers, activists, gang members, DJs, and others to document how the movement has influenced politics and culture.
</div>
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:11166"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978009/9780091912215.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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&nbsp;
<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/">Rosewater by Liv Little</a></h3>
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Sutton Council staff member, Hilary, recommends &lsquo;Rosewater&rsquo;: Rosewater is a beautifully written debut novel covering the intersections of being Black, female and gay. The main theme of the book is love and struggle. Elsie is a poet struggling through generational trauma and tricky family relationships but finding solace in words, words which become the key to unlocking her heart and understanding herself more fully. I would highly recommend the book to readers, it is well written and boasts a good plot. I missed the characters when I finished the book, which says a lot.
</div>
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://productimages.worldofbooks.com/0349702950.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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&nbsp;
<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1158172">Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala</a></h3>
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From the first time he was stopped and searched as a child, to the day he realised his mum was white, to his first encounters with racist teachers - race and class have shaped Akala's life and outlook. In this book he takes his own experiences and widens them out to look at the social, historical, and political factors that have left us where we are today. Covering everything from the police, education, and identity to politics, sexual objectification and the far right, 'Natives' will speak directly to British denial and squeamishness when it comes to confronting issues of race and class that are at the heart of the legacy of Britain's racialised empire.
</div>
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1158172"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978147/9781473661233.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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&nbsp;
<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:3097178">CLR James: A Life Beyond the Boundaries by John L. Williams</a></h3>
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A black polymath, historian and political philosopher at a time when black people were not expected to do any of those things, James's lifetime was shaped by a burning desire to move beyond the racial and social strictures that sought to limit him. 30 years after his death, his ideas on the leading roles of people of colour, women and young people in political struggle have never been more relevant. This title traces the numerous contextual threads of a remarkable life - Trinidadian, cricketer, Marxist, American activist, Brixton elder statesman - and weaves a vivid tapestry of his complex political thinking.
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:3097178"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978147/9781472130136.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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&nbsp;
Children&rsquo;s Books
&nbsp;
<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/ERC_2088_642:BORROWBOX:PRU_1675314">All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir Manifesto by George M. Johnson</a></h3>
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In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys. Both a primer for teens eager to be allies, as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of colour, 'All Boys Aren't Blue' covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalisation, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/ERC_2088_642:BORROWBOX:PRU_1675314"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://static.borrowbox.com/covers/PRU_02488233_M/PRU_02488233_M_PRU_02488233_COVER_LARGE.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1573903">Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor</a></h3>
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The Mississippi of the 1930s is a hard place for a black child to grow up in. Cassie begins to reach a painful understanding of life when she witnesses the hatred and destruction around her, and learns when it is important to fight for principle.
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1573903"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978014/9780141354873.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:2385642">The Rapping Princess by Hannah Lee</a></h3>
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Here is a story that everyone should know. It's the tale of a princess named Shiloh. She lived in a kingdom, not far from yours, in a grand house with a swimming pool and 14 floors. I know that sounds too big but here's the thing: her mother and father were the Queen and King. Being a princess is a tough job for someone so small. It's even harder when you have a problem you can't solve at all. You see, every princess in the kingdom could sing. Yet Shiloh's voice could do no such thing. Shiloh might not be able to sing like her sisters, but she has other talents, and sometimes it's about embracing your differences and celebrating them!
</div>
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:2385642"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978057/9780571361151.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1866684">Torn Apart: The Partition of India by Swapna Haddow</a></h3>
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It's October 1947 and two young boys find themselves thrown together during the dramatic changes of Partition. As the new India and Pakistan are born, can the friendship between these two children rise above the tensions between the two countries?
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1866684"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978070/9780702300417.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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&nbsp;
<h3 class="text-center"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1884218">All American Boys by Jason Reynolds</a></h3>
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A bag of chips. That's all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad's pleadings that he's stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad's every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to stay still as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the pavement? There were witnesses: Quinn - a varsity basketball player and Rashad's classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan - and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his saviour could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again.
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<div class="col-md-12 col-sm-6 p-3"><a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/manifestations/69DC044957C3442E9D384C5DF4E074:1884218"><img class="rounded w-100" src="https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/bds-images/l/978057/9780571366750.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
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&nbsp;
Digital Magazines
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.pressreader.com/uk/elle-uk/20231101/details">ELLE UK - November 2023</a>
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<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=9htj2023110100000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2"><img src="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=9htj2023110100000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2" width="237" height="370" /></div>
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.pressreader.com/uk/mens-health-uk">Men&rsquo;s Health UK - October 2023</a>
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<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=9htw2023100100000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2"><img src="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=9htw2023100100000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2" width="237" height="370" /></div>
<a href="https://www.pressreader.com/usa/poets-and-writers">Poets &amp; Writers - Nov/Dec 2023</a>
&nbsp;
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=9ic42023101100000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2"><img src="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=9ic42023101100000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2" width="237" height="370" /></div>
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.pressreader.com/usa/bicycling-usa">Bicycling - Autumn 2023</a>
&nbsp;
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=000d2023092800000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2"><img src="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=000d2023092800000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2" width="237" height="370" /></div>
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.pressreader.com/uk/runners-world-uk">Runner&rsquo;s World UK - November 2023</a>
&nbsp;
<div style="max-width: 650px;" data-ephox-embed-iri="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=9htt2023110100000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2"><img src="https://i.prcdn.co/img?file=9htt2023110100000000001001&amp;page=1&amp;width=960&amp;retina=2" width="237" height="370" /></div>

Black History Month 2023 Book List

the-great-essex-coup-plot-at-nonsuch

<h1 style="text-align: center;">The Great Essex Coup Plot at Nonsuch</h1>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Header%20-%20The%20Great%20Essex%20Coup%20Plot%20at%20Nonsuch!.png" alt="Head Image The Great Essex Coup Plot at Nonsuch Palace" />
&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is a world to be here&hellip;and see the humours of the place.&rdquo;
Roland Whyte, writing about his experiences of the event.
&nbsp;
On the 28th September 1599, an astounding event took place at Nonsuch. The Earl of Essex, in an alleged attempt to take power for himself, tried to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I whilst she was in her bedroom undressed! But what led to this shocking turn of events and what resulted from it?
&nbsp;
<h2 style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left;">Who was the Earl of Essex?</h2>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Nonsuch%201.png" alt="Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. &copy; National Portrait Gallery, London" />
&nbsp;
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. &copy; National Portrait Gallery, London
&nbsp;
The Earl of Essex&rsquo;s real name was Robert Devereux, and he was the second person in that position after Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, thanks to the loyalty of his father Walter. His stepfather was Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, and Queen Elizabeth I&rsquo;s favourite at the time. Leicester saw Essex as a sort of successor, even taking him along when leading an army to the Netherlands and knighting him on the field. When Leicester died suddenly after the victory over the Spanish Armada, Essex seemed to take his place in court and his importance rose significantly.
&nbsp;
Initially, the Earl was a favourite of the Queen. Though there was a significant age gap, there were rumours of a romance between them. In 1587, he became Master of the Horse, giving him control over the horses and stables of the monarchy as well as the hounds and kennels. It also allowed him to be an officer in the army. Elizabeth even gave him the monopoly on sweet wine, which provided him with large revenues from taxes.
&nbsp;
However, Essex was incredibly ambitious, almost to an unhealthy degree. He demanded authority from the Queen and even came to resent his dependence on her. He didn&rsquo;t just want to succeed Leicester in court; he wanted to succeed him in international affairs too. Later, he sought pre-eminence in internal affairs as well as international ones, and also seemed to be meddling in the affairs of succession. He was even responsible for the execution of Elizabeth&rsquo;s trusted physician Dr Lopez after &ldquo;discovering&rdquo; a plot against her, something that is unlikely to have been true.
&nbsp;
Not helping matters, Essex became notorious for his disappointing foreign expeditions. For instance, he left without permission to join the English Armada attack on Spain in 1589, where his gung-ho attitude played a significant part in their humiliating loss - little wonder that most people prefer to forget it happened. Though he helped to defeat the Spanish during the Battle of C&aacute;diz in 1596, he was unable to seize the merchant ships in the harbour as intended, leading to the Spanish scuttling the ships instead. He also angered the Queen by handing off the riches they did recover to his men. Finally, the Islands Voyage of 1597 involved him and Raleigh invading the Azores but failing to destroy the Spanish fleet there.
&nbsp;
At this point, Elizabeth was losing patience with him. In fact, there was a particularly explosive encounter between them at a Privy Council meeting on the 1st June 1598. Angry that the Queen had disregarded his opinions with regard to choosing a new governor for Ireland, the Earl deliberately turned his back on her, something that would have been seen as sacrilegious towards the monarchy at the time. As a result, she boxed his ears and told him to go be hanged, and he reached for his sword as if to kill her! The Earl of Nottingham and several guards were able to stop him and drag him out of the chamber, but it didn&rsquo;t stop him from bitterly claiming that the Queen&rsquo;s dispositions &ldquo;were as crooked as her carcass&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: left;">What Happened at Nonsuch?</h2>
&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Nonsuch%202.png" alt="Image of the Earl of Essex and his troops heading to Nonsuch Palace" />
&nbsp;
Given events that happened a few days earlier, it seems absurd that this would take place afterwards. On the 23rd September, the Queen&rsquo;s ceremonies of Matins and Sunday lunch took place, with Thomas Platter of Switzerland being present at the time. It was a grand affair, complete with several courses being brought in by guardsmen and even a tour of the garden for the guests. And of course the Queen would have been dressed grandly for the occasion too. It also seemed that Elizabeth was prepared for any attacks against her - after a recent attempt to poison her on her throne, she was not allowing anyone access to her rooms without the consent of her Lord Admiral. She even had the guards taste the food they brought for the lunch, just to prove that they hadn&rsquo;t poisoned it.
&nbsp;
Having angered the Queen, Essex had been sent to Ireland to sort out the rebellion there, led by Hugh O&rsquo;Neill, the Earl of Tyrone. Instead they reached a truce on the 7th September, something that Elizabeth was not impressed with. Could it be that Essex and Tyrone were secretly plotting together against her? In response to this, she sent an angry letter to Essex condemning his actions, something that in turn infuriated him.
&nbsp;
Despite being ordered to stay in Ireland, the Earl instead decided to head over to Nonsuch as soon as possible, the day after the Queen&rsquo;s ceremony. With him on his journey were the Earls of Southampton and Rutland, Sir John Harington and an array of knights, captains and gentlemen of the army. At this point, they were considering carrying out a coup against the Queen, though it seems that the idea may have dissipated from some of their minds as they came into London, as most of them dispersed at this point and only six of them followed Essex to Nonsuch on the 28th.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Nonsuch%203.png" alt="Image of the Earl of Essex and his followers arriving at the Court Gate of Nonsuch Palace." />
&nbsp;
Whilst heading from Lambeth to Nonsuch, the party was overtaken by Lord Grey of Wilton, who had been heading in the same direction to see Sir Robert Cecil, Elizabeth&rsquo;s trusted advisor at the time and a major rival to Essex. Though the party tried to convince Grey to let Essex ride ahead, he ultimately refused and went off to warn Cecil about what was going on, though not the Queen surprisingly enough. Eventually, the Earl and his followers arrived at the Court Gate of Nonsuch Palace.
&nbsp;
It had been a long and arduous journey and at 10 o&rsquo;clock, having charged through the Presence Chamber and Privy Chamber, Essex burst into the Queen&rsquo;s bedroom in a muddied and unkempt state, both of them coming face to face with each other. As it was so early in the morning, she hadn&rsquo;t been able to prepare herself and as a result, the Earl saw her in a state of undress and without the makeup and wig required to preserve her &ldquo;Mask of Youth&rdquo;. Given her age at the time, it would have been a jarring contrast to how she normally appeared in public.
&nbsp;
Initially, the Earl was let off, merely being sent to wash and change. However, once Elizabeth found out his true motives from Cecil, the punishment was severe. First he was ordered to explain himself to four members of the Council, and then, when they failed to come to an initial conclusion, he was made to keep to his chamber until the next day. During his next examination, he was kept standing for five hours, though it only took fifteen minutes for the council to make their decision and find him guilty. Even if he hadn&rsquo;t been planning a coup at that point in time and had simply come back to explain his actions in Ireland, the fact is that Essex deliberately disobeyed orders to stay at his post. He was placed under house arrest for around a year and was cut out from court life.
&nbsp;
Harington was ultimately let go, but the Queen treated him with severe disdain initially when he tried to appease her anger over Essex&rsquo;s betrayal. Instead, she barked at him &ldquo;What, did the fool bring you too? Go back to your business&rdquo;, and then, after pacing round the room in frustration, she grabbed him by the girdle and declared that &ldquo;by God&rsquo;s son I am no queen&hellip;that man is above me&rdquo;. Harington was &ldquo;sorely hurt&rdquo; by these remarks and still reminisced on them seven years later, once writing that he &ldquo;did not stay to be bidden twice; if all the Irish rebels had been at my heels I should not have made better speed, for I did now flee from one whom I both loved and feared too&rdquo;. Unlike Essex, he clearly realised that Elizabeth was not one to be trifled with.
&nbsp;
This did not deter the Earl. He tried again in 1601 when he arranged for his supporters to put on a production of Shakespeare&rsquo;s Richard II in order to stir up anti-monarchy sentiment in the people and held hostage four men sent to inquire about his actions. The results were disastrous for Essex - due to the coup being caught wind of, the majority of the Earl&rsquo;s supporters abandoned him and the hostages got away. He was forced to surrender on the evening of the 8th February and was executed two weeks later for treason in the Tower of London with three blows of the axe.
&nbsp;
Imogen Easton.
&nbsp;
Works Cited:
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Dent, John. The Quest for Nonsuch, London Borough of Sutton Leisure Services, 1981.
</li>
<li>
Lister, Lalage. Nonsuch: Pearl of the Realm, Sutton Leisure Services, 1992.
</li>
<li>
Slade, Sue. &ldquo;Nonsuch Palace and the Downfall of the Earl of Essex.&rdquo;
</li>
<li>
Adams, Simon. &ldquo;Capture of C&aacute;diz.&rdquo; Britannica, 13 Jun. 2022, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Capture-of-Cadiz-1596">https://www.britannica.com/event/Capture-of-Cadiz-1596</a>
</li>
<li>
Garner, Tom. &ldquo;The Tudor Invasion of Spain: How Elizabeth I&rsquo;s English Armada ended in humiliation.&rdquo; History Answers, 21 Jul. 2016, <a href="https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/medieval-renaissance/the-tudor-invasion-of-spain-how-Elizabeth-is-english-armada-ended-in-humilation/">https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/medieval-renaissance/the-tudor-invasion-of-spain-how-Elizabeth-is-english-armada-ended-in-humilation/</a>
</li>
<li>
Gristwood, Sarah. &ldquo;Elizabeth and Essex: A Deadly Game of Courtly Love.&rdquo; Tudor Times. <a href="https://tudortimes.co.uk/guest-articles/elizabeth-and-essex">https://tudortimes.co.uk/guest-articles/elizabeth-and-essex</a>
</li>
<li>
Haynes, Adam. &ldquo;The Cadiz Expedition, 1596.&rdquo; History Today, vol. 23, no. 3, March 1973, <a href="https://historytoday.com/archive/cadiz-expedition-1596">https://historytoday.com/archive/cadiz-expedition-1596</a>
</li>
<li>
Haynes, Adam. &ldquo;The Islands Voyage, 1597.&rdquo; History Today, vol. 25, no. 10, October 1975, <a href="https://historytoday.com/archive/islands-voyage-1597">https://historytoday.com/archive/islands-voyage-1597</a>
</li>
<li>
Ross, David. &ldquo;The Essex Rebellion, 1601.&rdquo; Britain Express, <a href="https://www.britainexpress.com/History/tudor/essex-rebellion.htm">https://www.britainexpress.com/History/tudor/essex-rebellion.htm</a>
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex.&rdquo; Spartacus Educational, <a href="https://spartacus-educational.com/TUDdevereux.htm">https://spartacus-educational.com/TUDdevereux.htm</a>
</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

The Great Essex Coup Plot at Nonsuch

open-house-london-2023

Open House London 2023

carshalton-artists-open-studios-2023

<h1 style="text-align: left;">Carshalton Artists Open Studios 2023</h1>
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Carshalton%20Artists%20Open%20Studios%20Blog%20Header.png" />
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.carshaltonartists.com/">Carshalton Artists</a> is a large network of 80+ local artists and businesses. They aim to celebrate and help local creatives by giving them the opportunity to network with other creatives and businesses and a platform to exhibit their work. This includes the annual Carshalton Artists Open Studios (CAOS) event in June and July.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://libraries.sutton.gov.uk/digital-content/sutton-heritage/honeywood-museum">Honeywood Museum</a> hosts <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Carshaltonartistsopenstudios?__cft__[0]=AZWYIsuKd1S9kvDUlmSuvUCsuCcBbyIshGV3a1Jkwegus8einWMZfMWf-nr9GnEpDXR5LNhtz7Sqb7p-wqTZHnJG8xNxTBl25RE6sbgbwI1S_gbp7nlaAgnihKmx4W6uEu7q-MuB_vBep59EJ0loZu0JMJDriBpUlN7pZ242vfvmDy8F0tq1mSe5M11XTlCUMsw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R" style="list-style-type: none;">Carshalton Artists Open Studios</a> 24 / 25 June and 1 / 2 July 2023 as a heritage location and as a &lsquo;marketplace&rsquo; for twelve artists selling their work in the beautiful garden. You&rsquo;ll find a particular focus on craft and photography with contemporary photographic work displayed inside the house.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In this blog, we talk to Carshalton Artists Co-founder Helena Vaughan about what you'll find at the Honeywood Museum stop on the CAOS Trail and what's new for 2023.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Tell us about CAOS 2023 and what is new?</h2>
Firstly, I can't believe this will be our 7th CAOS! I think when we started, we hoped it would work and be something we could do again so I guess this proves that people want us to keep doing it!
&nbsp;
Again this year we have more new artists which is always amazing. We love finding new creative talent here! We also have many familiar faces of artists that have become regulars on the trail. There seems to be several artists branching out and trying new things, myself included. Perhaps it's a result of going through Covid and now seeing some of that new inspiration coming to life? Whatever it is, I'm really looking forward to seeing what's on display.
&nbsp;
Great news is that the piggies are back! CAOS19 saw some fantastic pigs on the trail but this year the artists have really raised the bar! We have over 30 piggies to meet and they're truly inspiring. Sutton Writers have collaborated with us again to write pieces inspired by the pigs.
&nbsp;
To help visitors navigating the trail this year, we have our much loved maps that can be collected from Honeywood Museum before and during CAOS. In addition, this year we also have Google maps accessed via our website. We're always trying to find ways to improve the visitor experience so we hope this will help.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Carshalton%20Artists%20Image%20one.png" />
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Honeywood Museum is one of the stops on the CAOS trail. What should we look forward to at this year&rsquo;s event at Honeywood?</h2>
This year we have 12 artists at Honeywood and we've got 2 focuses for the work. Visitors can see photographic work by Julian Heath, Carole Baker, Ted Eggs and newcomer to the trail, Peter Ball, displayed in the house. Then in the garden we have the 'marketplace' where the focus will be more on stalls of artwork by Julia Atkinson, Anne Cady, Janet Muggeridge and Zoe Scammell alongside crafts ranging from Marie Shirazian's vibrant patterned products and wood turning by Tony James and Andy Copps, to the oh so quirky characters by Julie Blaney. Kevin Ireland will also be exhibiting his large scale abstract paintings in the from room of the house. So, with all of that and 7 pigs, hopefully there's a bit of something for everyone who visits Honeywood (otherwise know as location 6 on the trail).
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Carshalton%20Artists%20Image%20Two.png" />
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">What is special about the Honeywood Museum stop on the trail?</h2>
The CAOS trail wouldn't be the same without Honeywood. The museum has been on our maps since the start in 2017 and always provides so much in one locations, artwork, heritage, views and cake! As an organiser, it's great to include Honeywood as it can deliver something different to anywhere else on the trail. Whilst CAOS is primarily about artists opening their studios to the public, it's also about celebrating what Carshalton has to offer and Honeywood is at the heart of that.
&nbsp;
Full information about CAOS23, the artists, the locations, the pigs and more can be found on the website&nbsp;<a href="http://www.carshaltonartists.com/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.carshaltonartists.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1686297916961000&amp;usg=AOvVaw082FwBYlEodPE2z0xcb_NP" rel="noopener">www.carshaltonartists.com</a>
&nbsp;

Carshalton Artists Open Studios 2023

a-celebration-of-the-cheam-charter-fair

<h1>A Celebration of the Cheam Charter Fair</h1>
by Imogen
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/HeaderCheamCharterFair.png" />
&nbsp;
On the 20th May 2023, residents of Cheam will be celebrating the 764th Cheam Charter Fair on Park Road, starting at 9am. Whitehall Historic House will be taking part in the fair, hosting drop-in tours of the house from 10am-1pm and a children&rsquo;s coronation trail which can be booked <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/capture-cheam-for-the-king-tickets-600520993457?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete">here</a> or bought on the day!
&nbsp;
To celebrate this annual event, as well as its return after two years of lockdown, we will be looking back at the history of the Fair - its origins and the events that occurred there. This year Whitehall Historic House will be hosting some of the Charter Fair events, including: face painting, make-your-own beaded bracelets, French storytime, and tours of the house.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Cheam%20Charter%20Fair%202012.png" />
Cheam Charter Fair, 19th May 2012 (&copy; Richard Marston)
&nbsp;
The tradition of the Fair is thought to have started in 1259, when King Henry III granted Cheam (known then as Kaham) a Charter, officially making it a town. Traditionally, a place would be classified as a town if it had a market; villages traditionally had a &ldquo;green&rdquo; and cities traditionally had a cathedral. Henry also allowed a weekly market to take place in Cheam, though this tradition has died out over the years.
&nbsp;
This was a common tradition for towns in the medieval days. Charter Fairs would be endorsed by the Crown and by 1516, it is estimated that there were 2767 fairs in England. However, these fairs were still expected to follow rules. For instance, one of the major requirements for the Cheam Charter Fair was that it would be held on the 15th of May. If not, then apparently the rights to hold it could be lost! Originally it would take place on the 15th and 16th, but over time it was changed to just one day.
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/Face%20Painting%20at%20the%20Cham%20Charter%20Fair.png" />
&nbsp;
Many of these fairs had ties with the local monasteries, which spelt disaster when Henry VIII set up the Church of England and began the dissolution of the old monasteries. As a result, several fairs were also shut down. However, others, such as the Bartholomew Fair in London, survived the dissolution and continued into the 19th century or even 20th century. It would seem that Cheam&rsquo;s Charter Fair was one of the lucky ones too.
&nbsp;
However, there are very few records documenting the Fair during the medieval and Tudor times. In fact, the earliest firm historical records of the Fair date from the 1800s. From these records, we can learn that schools would be closed on the 15th May so that children could attend the fair too. We can also learn that it was held in pretty much the same place as it is nowadays, albeit with a different name. Back then, Park Road was known as Red Lion Street, with the name being shared with the Red Lion Inn.
&nbsp;
There are reports that sometime in the 19th century, the Fair was in danger of closing. One year, the Fair did not have any visiting side shows, which seemed to spell a bad omen for its continued existence. Fortunately, a woman named Elizabeth Sloper (nee Mills) was able to keep the Fair going by erecting a table outside her cottage and setting out things to sell, as well as things for the children of Cheam to do.
&nbsp;
In 1906, a parish meeting was held on the 6th February to determine whether the Fair should be kept going. Initially, it was determined that it should be abandoned by a close vote of &ldquo;23-22&rdquo;, but upon the result being challenged, the vote was changed to 28 voting to keep the Fair and 16 voting to abandon it. After a poll was determined afterwards, the Fair ultimately kept going.
&nbsp;
There are rumours that during the Second World War that despite most things shutting down for the war effort, the Fair was still being held, albeit only with an ice cream stall and dartboard for show. However, this information has only been discussed in some post-war newspapers and has not been fully clarified.
&nbsp;
Between the years 1951 and 1953, the Fair was considered a major success. The souvenir brochure for 1951 in particular says that &ldquo;there could be no finer contribution to the Festival of Britain than the Cheam Charter Fair&rdquo;. Events from these years included maypole dancing, a Queen of the Fair event, folk dancing, a model railway and even a goldfish exhibition! 1953 was a particularly notable year &ndash; Cheam resident Juliet Chaplin recalled in 2014 that &ldquo;the Fair lasted for a week in honour of the Coronation&rdquo;!
&nbsp;
A very outrageous event occurred at the Fair in 1962 when the traditional Yard of Ale competition was held outside the Harrow Inn. The last minute winner was Eric Price from Worcester Park, who downed about two and a half pints in 15 seconds! That would equal an average speed of six seconds a pint. Suffice to say, this is not something recommended to be done in everyday business.
&nbsp;
In December 2011, the official website for the Cheam Charter Fair was set up. Additionally, the Cheam Ward Councillor gave the Charter Fair committee the task of rejuvenating the fair, with one of the proposed changes being to change the day of the fair to a Saturday rather than the traditional date of the 15th. It was hoped that this would allow more stallholders and visitors to attend. Despite some backlash, most people accepted the change, though some token stalls appeared on the 15th May in 2012 in order to maintain the requirements of the Charter. An activity is always planned on the 15th May each year in order to uphold the Charter in addition to the Fair being held on the nearest Saturday.
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/6.png" />&nbsp;
In 2013, Cheam Charter Week was set up between the 7th and 15th May so that a fixed period of events could be provided as well as honour both the traditional and actual dates of the fair.
&nbsp;
For the 755th Fair in 2014, residents of Cheam, as well as knitters coming from as far as Florida, &ldquo;yarn-bombed&rdquo; Whitehall. As part of an art project by the Friends of Whitehall, people from between the ages of eight and ninety knitted hundreds of colourful woollen flowers to be draped outside the house. The flowers remained on display until the 18th May.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://llc.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/custom/web/content/5.png" />
For the 2016 Fair, Whitehall themselves set up a pop-up museum in celebration of their Heritage Lottery Fund project, as well as a way to operate whilst renovations to the house were taking place. Here, they gave visitors more information about the project and even had crafts activities on show. This was not the only place where people could attend the pop-up museum &ndash; it was also set up at the Cheam Rotary Fair as well as other fairs, community events and schools. This year, Whitehall will be hosting a range of activities, including face painting and tours of the house.
&nbsp;
You can check the official website of the Cheam Charter Fair for more information, both for the event itself and the history of the event: <a href="http://cheamcharterfair.org.uk/">http://cheamcharterfair.org.uk/</a>
&nbsp;
<hr />
Written by Imogen Easton, Whitehall Historic House Volunteer
Works Cited:
Articles from <a href="http://cheamcharterfair.org.uk/">cheamcharterfair.org.uk</a>
Staveley-Wadham. &ldquo;&lsquo;A Saturnalia of Nondescript Noise and Nonconformity&rsquo; &ndash;The Rise and Fall of the Charter Fair.&rdquo; The British Newspaper Archive, 9 May 2019, <a href="https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2019/05/09/a-saturnalia-of-nondescript-noise-and-nonconformity-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-charter-fair/">https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2019/05/09/a-saturnalia-of-nondescript-noise-and-nonconformity-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-charter-fair/</a>
&nbsp;

A Celebration of the Cheam Charter Fair

A Celebration of the Cheam Charter Fair

Sutton Council's Cultural Services [BETA] The Blog