15 ARCLIB Members, old and new, gathered at the Dreadnought Building, originally the infirmary for the Royal Hospital before becoming the University Library and more recently, a convivial student centre. Karen Richardson and her colleagues hosted a grand day out beginning with a personalised tour of this building which was constructed between 1764 and 1768. We were shown into offices, basements and student areas where history and modernity rub along nicely.
Following a traditional pie and mash dinner at the famous Goddard’s Pie and Mash we had a little time to explore Greenwich Market or the vast Tourist Information Centre come local museum which included some statuesque architectural models by University students.
No time for snoozing after lunch, we had the “not quite the tour of the Painted Hall” which I thought I had requested! Nevermind, we enjoyed a more architecture-oriented site tour of the Old Royal Naval College from a fun and informative guide. We learnt a lot. David recalls “…I had never heard about Henry VIII’s jousting accident and the subsequent head injury that may account for him becoming a tyrant. It was amazing to learn that a small nuclear reactor was once installed at Greenwich to train future officers on nuclear-powered submarines.” One of Sarah’s highlights was equally memorable “…hearing the construction-related etymology of ”plastered” to describe drunkenness.” You can read more about the history of the site on the Old Royal Naval College’s website.
One of my highlights was visiting the St Peter & St Paul Chapel with what is considered to be one of the finest 18th century interiors in existence. It was interesting to learn about the building materials and the little money saving hacks. All was not as it first appeared.
Leaving the church, we went to the Painted Hall via an underground Victorian skittle alley. The longest skittle alley I’ve ever seen. Several ARCLIB members tried, but only I sent that wooden bowling ball straight down the centre to knock over the middle skittle (just the one!). Several people, including Karen commented, “Undoubtedly my best memory will be Greta’s bowling skills.” Beginner’s luck or a talent I should pursue?
Our guide left us at the foot of the Painted Hall stairs. There was plenty of literature to read and our wristbands would allow us to come back later in the day should we wish to. It really was a feast for the eyes. The trompe l’oeil paint effects were beautiful and in keeping with the theme of the sea. Cathy perfectly captured ARCLIB members recuperating/admiring the murals.
To conclude the official part of the day, Karen led us to the new 10 Stockwell Street Library, a Stirling Prize shortlisted nominee. We were back in librarian mode, taking photos, exploring the varied spaces, the study pods, books and much more. An open plan library, the spaces seemed naturally zoned. I particularly like the studious atmosphere created by the low-height dark-coloured bookshelves. In contrast to the wide open spaces:
The furniture looked high-spec too. I loved the pods and I really wanted a go on this little green chair:
In some respects it was sad to learn from the User Services Manager that despite that wonderful building there were challenges. Sarah said that one of the memorable things from the visit was learning how colleagues have approached behavioural challenges in libraries post-pandemic.
Sadly, I couldn’t stay to partake in Karen’s extracurricular opportunities but I hope those of you who did might share something in the comments about visiting the School of Design or the Stephen Lawrence Gallery.
I’ll leave you with some final thoughts from Philip, Corin and Karen:
“Cracking! Just shows how much can be done in what is so small a footprint”
“I really enjoyed my first ARCLIB event! It was fantastic to connect with other professionals in the field, and of course to experience the beautiful architecture of the University of Greenwich and learn more about their library services. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day happen, and to all the ARCLIB members for making me feel welcome!”
“Thank you for coming, it was a lovely day and it’s surprising how much you can learn even when you have worked on a campus for about 25 years.”
Review by Greta Friggens | University of Portsmouth
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