Demolition of the Willesden Library Centre (video)

A perfectly good building, which contained the local library, museum, cinema, art gallery, concourse, bookshop, café bar, performance spaces, meeting rooms and council one-stop shop is being demolished. In its place there will be a Stalinist sounding "Cultural Centre" with council offices and four blocks of luxury flats, currently advertised in Singapore as "For Sale - the Library at Willesden Green" with a list of features including "No affordable or key worker housing", "Gated development" and "Underground car park". Our library centre (by the way a good, literate and fluent name for it, now appropriated by developers of the apartments) was used by innumerable community groups and was nearly always packed with schoolchildren studying at the reading tables. There will be two years at least now during which pupils and students who would have made use of the spaces will lose out on their education. This is all thanks to our local Labour (would you believe?) council, which has also closed six other libraries, out of 12, in the past year. One of the libraries they closed and stripped and sold to property developers, was the Kensal Rise library, on a site donated by All Souls College in Oxford on condition that it be used for a community library and opened in 1900 by Mark Twain. In the past five years or so, they have taken £600,000 from the Heritage lottery fund to renovate the building you see being demolished, and to move in the Brent museum from its previous home at The Grange (where have they sold that, by the way?). What a rotten shower they are. They are not fit to run a whelk stall let alone local government. They sold the town hall as well and got themselves a new office block with no parking and not enough space, hence more offices on top of where our old library stood. Don't they make you sick?

Demolition of Willesden Library Centre

1. From Grange Road

2. Closer up, with jet descending

3. The Willesden Bookshop is next.

"The heart of Willesden Green"

They have painted the hoarding around the library centre.

The library centre is being demolished.

By the way, I think it's Willesden, not "Willesden Green", which is down by the station of that name, to be more precise. They were two separate hamlets. Willesden was also the name of quite a large London borough before it was merged with Wembley to create the horror that is the present London Borough of Brent.  However, nobody cares, as the word Green will probably help to sell new flats overseas, making a killing for the developers at our expense.

They are now in the process of demolishing the excellent pub restaurant and beer garden, now known as The Queensbury, formerly The Green (which is in Willesden Green), for another block of flats, ten storeys high, which will be in a place with nothing left of any value anymore to recommend it, except to overseas investors. None of the people in charge seems to give a damn about what is left for future generations. They are too busy looting and pillaging what was left to us by previous generations.

More: Singapore: "For Sale - the Library at Willesden Green"

Singapore: "For Sale - The Library at Willesden Green"

Willesden's loss is Singapore's gain.

The site surrounded by hoardings this week,
including the council's recent £3,000 worth of graffiti.

Well, well, well. If this isn't a new low. The library centre is being demolished, a council offices cum "cultural centre" (w.t.f.t.i.) with their lordships traipsing through and parking their lardy arses on the top floor, with their deadening glassy eyes overseeing everything in their tiny empire, is to replace it. Oh and the small matter of luxury flats now advertised in Singapore, while the library centre's corpse is not yet cold and while Brent Council is holding officious, plausible sounding meetings about the "lack of affordable housing". CUI BONO?

And remember Brent Labour council have closed six other libraries in the past year, including the one donated by All Souls Cambridge and opened by Mark Twain in 1900, and that one is being turned into flats as well, so keep an eye out if you're in Hong Kong, Dubai or Singapore for that when it comes up.

Here is the advert:
http://www.stproperty.sg/overseas-property-for-sale/united-kingdom/condo/the-library-@-willesden-green/3885312

Here is what they are offering, which was formerly owned by the people of Brent, now expropriated.

"THE LIBRARY @ WILLESDEN GREEN, LONDON
PRICE FROM GBP350,000 (SGD6xxK)

Willesden Green is one of North London’s liveliest and most cosmopolitan areas, whose excellent Zone 2 Jubilee Line connections really set it apart. 

The Library takes a prominent position on Willesden High Road, and sets new standards in contemporary accommodation for the area. This exciting scheme comprises four buildings, offering ninety-five highly specified 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, many with balconies or terraces. The development is gated and has underground parking for residents: always a bonus in London. 

SELLING POINTS:
• Prominent position on Brondesbury Road and Willesden High Road
• Next door to the forthcoming Cultural Centre
• Within 3-minutes ride to Zone 2 London tube station or 5-minute walk
• Within walking distance to Queens Park
• Willesden High Street is thronged with shops, supermarkets (Sainsbury’s Supermarket is a few minutes’ walk from The Library), cafes and restaurants and is a few minutes’ walk from Brondesbury Park
• Excellent transport links – Zone 2 Jubilee Line with direct connections to key interchanges including Baker Street, Waterloo, London Bridge and Canary Wharf
• No key worker/affordable housing
• High quality fixtures, fittings and finishes 
• Fully fitted kitchen by Symphony with integrated appliances and granite worktops 
• Estimated Selling Price: From £350k (SGD 6xxk)

UNIT MIX:
Milne Place (Block A)
1 Bedroom: 545 sqft – 626 sqft
2 Bedroom: 759 sqft – 1005 sqft

Lewis Court (Block B) 
1 Bedroom: 546 sqft – 554 sqft
2 Bedroom: 614 sqft – 862 sqft

Developer: Linden Homes and Green Urban 
Address: 95 Willesden High Road, London, NW10 (Zone 2 on Jubilee Line)
Tenure: 999-years
Estd Completion: Summer / Winter 2014; 4Q 2014
Site Area: 83,958.50 sqft

CALL SALES HOTLINE: + 65 90933158 TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST☎

View More Project @ www.singaporeproplaunch.com"

* Our emphasis in bold.

"For Sale - The Library"... "a few minutes walk from The Library": No mention of "Cultural Centre" then, oh no, it's Galliford Try that have stolen the good name, and Galliford Try that is trading on the good name of "The Library", which belonged to the people of Brent. Brent Labour have sold us out. Ed Miliband, are you reading this?

Perhaps even more sickening than the moneygrabbing, wanton vandalism and philistinism of it all is the fact that one of the key features, the unique selling points (oh yes) of the new flats is this:

• NO KEY WORKER/AFFORDABLE HOUSING

They add that it's a "gated development". There was supposed to be a public space at the back of the new development, a fig leaf to compensate for the playgrounds, car park/event venue removed, by the way, so how will that fit with a "gated development"?

They refer to their flats as "The Library" and use what are presumably operating company names or cronies of Galliford Try, Linden Homes and "Urban Green". Oh that sounds nice doesn't it, Urban Green. That is exactly what you want if you live in Singapore.

People of Singapore: get your holiday home in London, and when you're not here, let it out. Be a landlord here! You know what, maybe you could even visit your investment occasionally. The locals can't even afford to live here anymore, what a laugh! Their local council is tidying the neighbourhood for you by demolishing local pubs, stately homes etc, removing all trace of local culture and establishing a "Cultural Centre" (a sort of "reservation") with offices for our controllers, from where they can continue their asset stripping and culturecide.

People of Singapore: Did you know that you should be able to gain residency in London by investing in one of these properties. (Check with your lawyer to be sure.) Think how handy that might be to avail yourself of the free NHS, schools etc available to local residents. But, again, don't worry: you never need see any local residents. We are in the historic process of expropriating and relocating them to the outer wilderness.

People who live in Singapore at present: "How can it be done, what is the catch," you may ask. Never fear, there is an endless supply of funding secured from the local populace and almost inexhaustible wealth of resources at our disposal. If you don't succeed in acquiring one of the choice properties in "The Library", Willesden Green, subscribe to our newsletter for announcements of other new developments. For example, we are building flats for you right beside Willesden Green station, on the site of the famous old Queensbury, formerly "The Green" (note, would make a good name for the flats) pub restaurant/beer garden. Yes, we're demolishing that as well. What a laugh! Do you have anything like this in Singapore? No.

******************

If some or all that doesn't make your blood boil, ask your doctor to test you for anaemia.

They wanted to demolish the locally listed Victorian library too.

Hoardings around the library centre

Willesden's loss is Singapore's gain.

Singapore: For Sale - The Library at Willesden Green

• No key worker/affordable housing
• Gated development
• Ideal opportunity for investment. Hey, become a London landlord, gain residency. With residency, pop over any time to use the NHS. 
• Compliant local government.
• 'Nuff said.

Being demolished: Willesden Library Centre including the two storey library, Brent Museum, Willesden Bookshop, Café Gigi, Bellevue Cinema, Studios 1 and 2, including theatre lighting, The Gallery, The One-Stop Shop, venues for many local societies, classes and local markets in the concourse. In two years, expect to see, council offices above the same facilities, no space in front and no car park behind, four blocks of four or five storey flats in a gated subdivision with an underground car park for overseas investors. Meanwhile the Willesden library is split into two temporary locations nearby, one in Grange Road and one a couple of blocks away in Willesden High Road. There was a temporary stint for community groups for a few weeks in Electric House, Willesden Lane, including Brent Artists but that has now been shut down.

Ritual adornment of the sacrificial building

InkFetish

PositiveArts

The Willesden Library centre, home of the Brent museum, BelleVue cinema, Gigi's Café, the Willesden Bookshop, The Brent One-Stop centre, The Space I and II performance venues, The Gallery, The Gallery Concourse, the education room and other community spaces, the only town centre car park, and not least the busy upstairs and downstairs library with tables thronged with children studying, is about about to be demolished.

In the past few years, over £600,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund was spent on it to move the museum from its former location, and other changes. Since then it has been deliberately run down and the car park made practically unusable.

The whole place was continuously booked and busy with community groups and cultural events. We even had The Divine Cat on loan from the British Museum. But fear not, in another few years you will have an office building with community areas and a private block of flats where the car park was. The piazza at the front will be consumed and the Victorian library building conjoined to the new box.

And they're also demolishing the Queensbury, opposite Willesden Green station for - you guessed! - another block of flats. They've already demolished Dollis Hill House in nearby Gladstone Park and closed six out of the twelve libraries for Brent, so the culturecide continues apace. They must spend all their time thinking, "What else can we destroy?"

This library centre is the seventh out of twelve to close but they promise it will reappear as large as ever in a couple of years. Let's wait and see. Well, we have no choice. Money has spoken. You can thank your local Labour party representatives at the next local election.

A gift taken back

February update – Perfidious Oxford? | Save Kensal Rise Library!

The latest twist in the story of how the generosity of an Oxford College at the turn of the 20th century is being undone by the meanness of their 21st century moneygrabbing descendants, with the collusion of Brent Labour council and the Tory LibDem government. Make no mistake, they are all as bad as each other. It's the local people, ordinary people, versus politicians and greedy sods with sinecures.

Petition to stop the demolition of The Queensbury

FAIRVIEW NEW HOMES: STOP THE DEMOLITION OF THE QUEENSBURY | Change.org:

"The Queensbury is a well loved gastropub with the community at its heart and soul. It provides one of the very few meetings places in the area offering a wide range of well kept products and homemade food. The Queensbury emulates the communities passion and spirits."

Sharmine Chowdhury-Tse shows award for Busy Rascals

The Queensbury, formerly known as The Green, is as important a venue to Willesden Green as the library centre is to Willesden. The daytime community activities have won awards (see our report about Busy Rascals at The Queensbury). It stands near the location of Willesden Green within Willesden.

[Can somebody bring back Willesden Borough council and free us from the culturecidal reign of Brent? Ed]

If it's Friday it has to be £70k

Save Kensal Rise Library! | Campaign to Save Kensal Rise Library

£70,000 is needed to fund renovations and the first year of operation. It is important that this money be pledged by Friday in time for a decisive meeting with All Souls College, Oxford, owners of the building. The amount pledged has reached £64,199 as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday 5th.

That includes £1,000 from Willesden Green Writers' Group, which will now get its name on the wall of the library. How about it, local businesses and banks? Please step in and get your name on the wall of the library, and it will be good for business as well.

Brent Council has deliberately triggered the reversion clause in the covenant that gave the site for use as a library, which stated that if it ceased to be used as intended then ownership would revert to All Souls College. It was one of the most despicable acts imaginable, and perpetrated by a Labour council, would you believe, in a rush to close 6 of the 12 libraries it runs. They came like thieves in the night at 3 a.m, mob-handed, to strip the library when the protesters' presence was not able to stop them as it had before. They took everything, including the murals and the plaque commemorating the opening by Mark Twain in 1900.

Brent Council is also demolishing Willesden Library Centre, in return for some offices for themselves built gratis, after giving away the car park, worth about £10 million, to builders Galliford Try.

They even wanted to demolish the locally listed Victorian old library building, but that attack has been repulsed for now. It could be incorporated under a glass dome or suchlike, but more likely in a much more slapdash way, because this is all about money, not about culture or service.

And instead of a library centre, which has been a perfect name for the excellent existing building, which they are demolishing, they want to call it Willesden Green Cultural Centre, with their offices inside, to give us all that cold feeling of living in a Stalinist autocracy.

Labour! Treachery is now the norm in politics. It's not that they're "stealing other parties' clothes", they're stealing your bloody clothes, your birthright.

The Library Lab - great!

"In partnership with Brent Council, Architecture 00:/ set up the new Library Lab in the Willesden Green Library Centre. The Library Lab will be open from February to August 2012, offering free workshops, lectures, a pop-up co-working space aimed at accelerating local entrepreneurship in the Brent community, and a free creche aimed at supporting working parents.

"To find out more about The Library Lab, visit thelibrarylab.com.

"The video was made in partnership with CODOC, an award-winning documentary company dedicated to creating spaces for critical thought through media. CODOC are also based out of the co-working space at the Library Lab.

"The Library Lab was delivered by Architecture 00:/ in partnership with Work Free / Think Future Ltd. and with support from Brent Council, The Outer London Fund, and the Greater London Authority."

What a terrific advert for our magnificent Willesden Library Centre. You will hardly believe that this is scheduled for demolition and replacement with a council office block. Not to mention the "locally listed" Victorian library building in front of it.

What are we dealing with here? Culturecide, nothing less. The police station nearby is also to be sold off. The post office clings on after several threats. What is the point of life, housing, not to mention taxes, if there is nothing around but an urban desert? Can nobody save us from the barbarians of Brent borough council?

Ed

No more library, no more bookshop

End of the road*. Everything half price to clear at the Willeseden Bookshop. Great stock of classics, biography, history, gardening, poetry, fiction, art. Children's books are their speciality (1/3 of the shop).

Six libraries out of twelve closed, the library centre to be demolished, Dollis Hill house demolished. The barbarians have entered the citadel. Thanks to the ToryLibDem government and local Labour collaborators. And now no more Willesden Bookshop!

But fear not, you're getting a square office block and five blocks of five storey flats. Who needs open space, who needs study space, who needs books, cinemas, cafés, museums, theatres, meeting rooms - not your local Labour councillors. All they need is money.

Ed

* Update: The bookshop management is not giving up. The purpose of the present stock reduction is to be able to move at one week's notice because from end of July that is what they will be on from then. They are still looking for a new home but the short term lets offered to date are not good what is required. More permanence is needed.

Thieves in the night

Letters


This morning between 2 and 3am Richard Barrett, Brent's Property Officer, raided and stripped our library.
About 15 workers took the books from the library and also took the murals painted in the 1930's specifically for the library along with all the plaques commemorating the library's opening by Mark Twain.

They took tables and chairs and other assorted objects including a microwave and a box of sticky tape.

They were assisted in this action by about 12 police officers.

In a meeting with campaigners last week the new leader of the council Mohammad Butt promised that the murals and furniture would not be taken.

We asked him to hold off stripping the library until he had organised a meeting with All Souls College, the council and ourselves.

This action this morning is proof that the council had no intention of trying to ensure that the reverter on the library had not been triggered.

Cllr Mo Butt said he wanted to listen to the community, engage with them.

This is how he listens. By taking this action he has jeopardised the ability of this community to run this library.

We may be finished with Brent council but our campaign continues. We will not let their cowardly, middle of the night plundering defeat us.
Cllr Butt's words to us are worse than meaningless.
They reveal what a cowardly, conniving, bunch of dishonest panhandlers they are, but what else would you expect in the Banana Republic of Brent?

You may want to email Cllr Mo Butt at Brent Council and tell him what you think. cllr.muhammed.butt@brent.gov.uk *

Margaret Bailey

* Also let him know what you think on Twitter, where he lurks under the moniker @lwxmb19. Not that they care at all, but they will go down in the annals of shame for their destruction of the libraries of Willesden and Brent. What Willesden could afford at the time of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1900, "it cannot afford" at the time of the present monarch's jubilee in 2012. What was created by the generosity of previous generations has been destroyed by the stupidity of a few reckless councillors. But make no mistake, it's not that they cannot afford it, they are spending £650,000 (yes, oh mateys! who will get the contract?) on repainting Kilburn library. They just don't want us to have local libraries, they don't want study space for local kids, all they want is more flats because that is how they get more money. And that is all they care about. (Ed.)

Brent Labour culturecide

A speaker with babe in arms, in front of burly security men, speaks out against the attempt yesterday to strip the books from Kensal Rise Library. Brent council failed to complete the destruction of the historic library on the last day of the ousted Labour leader's term in office. Maybe they thought it was a good day to bury the library, maybe they thought nobody would notice, maybe they thought that nobody cared, because they themselves don't care, because they themselves are philistines and moneygrabbers? There's no maybe about it. (Ed.)

Concern over loss of historic west London library

The Victorian Society

A proposal to demolish the old Willesden library building has been strongly criticised by the Victorian Society.



'Plans to knock down this attractive building in the heart of Willesden fly in the face of the Council's own guidance,' said James Hughes, Conservation Officer for the Victorian Society. 'Council documents stress the importance of the old library and the need to preserve the character of the Conservation Area.'

Mr Hughes added: 'we want to see the Council take a more imaginative and sustainable approach to this key site, as the loss of the Victorian library is unnecessary and wasteful. It should be possible to build a new cultural centre while retaining this important reminder of Willesden's heritage.'

A city that cannot afford libraries that have been afforded since the turn of the 19th century, cannot maintain historic buildings but squanders tens of billions of pounds, wraps itself in worthless bunting and fake shop fronts for the London Olypics. A state that is more interested in war and pompous international games than it is in libraries and neighbourhoods. #NOlympics 2012 - to hell with the games. (No? Ed)

Comedy stars stand up for Kensal Rise Library

Hundreds turn out to support Kensal Rise Library campaign as comedy stars join fight | Save Kensal Rise Library!

It was a great night with many highlights, not least Robyn Hitchcock's performance of "Dismal City". Phil Jupitus received loud applause and pointed out a library was "one of the few things left in this country where anyone can walk in off the street, old, young, even a tramp ... " [and have access to something educational? - can't remember his exact words]. It made him angry when people were told they could buy it for themselves. He said he couldn't provide a debating-style argument against closing libraries but when he heard people advocate it he felt he "just wanted to punch them in the face."

There is a round the clock vigil at Kensal Rise library to prevent Brent (Labour) council from stripping the contents and boarding it up. They tried instantly after the judgment from the High Court in their favour the other day - now under appeal - but were prevented by supporters of the library. "Brent library closures: judge fast-tracks appeal" (Guardian)

Brent Council is one of the few councils in the country that has not yet disclosed credit card spending by its leaders on expenses. "Council bosses presiding over the deepest cuts since the Second World War are using their taxpayer-funded expenses and credit cards to fund a lavish lifestyle of five-star hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and retreats at exclusive golf resorts and spas, The Daily Telegraph can disclose." (Telegraph)



Steve

Library centre regeneration plan announced

http://www.brent.gov.uk/regeneration.nsf/Willesden%20Green%20Library/LBB-343

"We are pressing on with plans to redevelop Willesden Green Library Centre and regenerate Willesden High Road."

Notes

Those two projects are completely unrelated. The latter comprises the spending of £500,000 disbursed by the mayor of London. The former is a planned project to demolish the library centre and put up a new building funded by donating the car park to some preferred builder.

In the past few years, over £600,000 has been spent refurbishing the library centre, including money from the Heritage Lottery fund and the cost of moving the Brent Museum out of another juicy location for builder deals to its present home.

This part of the borough is Willesden, not Willesden Green. Willesden Green is approximately the area around the underground station. Willesden is centred approximately where the library centre now stands. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

Brent borough council swallowed up the historic Willesden borough council which stretched out as far as Harlesden where the "Wilesdune" ancient pilgrimage site and "black madonna" are. I moved to a house not far from the library centre nearly twenty years ago and the former occupant corrected me then as to the name of the area, when I made the same mistake.

Why didn't they do it right first time, if the present building is so terrible? Actually it seems a very good facility complete with car park. They have been systematically running it down, letting it fall into dereliction and (revealingly) making it extremely inconvenient and hazardous to use the car park.

We will want to see complete detailed records for all staffing, fees, and expenses involved in this new project. I want to know if any councillors are receiving any benefits in kind or any consultancy or other perks from the preferred builders. Have they got relatives there? They should know that if there is any corruption it will be found and they will be on their way to our other local (not very modern) community centre that goes by the historic name of Wormwood Scrubs.

Steve

Brent SOS - Save Our Six libraries

Harriet Walter in conversation with Deborah Moggach

7 pm, 13 July 2011
The North London Tavern,
375 Kilburn High Road
London NW6 7QB

The Judicial Review into the closure of Brent libraries will take place on 19 & 20 July – just 2 weeks away - so support for ALL the Brent SOS fund-raising activities is very urgent. Further details here.

The judicial review does not come cheap. Barristers' fees have to be paid. The case will be made against Brent's summary closure of six libraries contrary to the express wishes of its citizens. Let there be a late English Spring, resist the wreckers. Don't let the generosity of previous generations be undone by the meanness of the present.

The Labour council  has voted to close six of Brent's libraries, including Kensal Rise library, which was in part covenanted by donors on condition that it remained in perpetuity as a resource for the local people, and was opened by Mark Twain. The great man would turn in his grave to think that things had degenerated so far in London since his visit that the library he opened and five others simultaneously have to be killed on the order of a bunch of jumped up petty local wheelers and dealers.

Remember Brent Council also has a plan in train to demolish the focal Willesden Library Centre, which they have been systematically running down, and turn it into a building site till 2014 for flats and council offices, with a remnant of a library proposed. They have spent over £600,000 including specific grants obtained since 2006 on refurbishing the library centre and moving the Brent Museum from its previous home. With typical profligacy and who knows what cosy contracts (any kickbacks, do you think?) they now intend to demolish the place. With the six local library closures and Willesden library centre demolished, there will be no libraries for miles around.

They want to cut the heart out of Willesden

Willesden Green Writers' Group: Breaking News

"Osama's phonebox" (Sphagnum)

"On 19th January at the College of NW London in Willesden at 7pm there is a meeting about the fact the council want to knock down Willesden Green Library Centre in order to re-build it as a complex with space for social housing. The new complex is due to re-open in 2014. I don't know when the library is due to close but I'm guessing it must be fairly soon. There are lots of questions to be answered, amongst them, why are they knocking down a building that received a £336500 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund as recently as 2006 in order to incorporate the Brent Museum into the building? ..."

The Library Centre is a marvellous local hub, the best library for miles around. The tables upstairs are usually full of students reading and studying. Quite probably those young people have no quiet place to study at home. There is the council's own One-Stop Shop, the very busy and enterprising art gallery, the Willesden bookshop and not forgetting Brent Museum, which was taken from it's dedicated building the Grange Museum in Neasden not so long ago and rebuilt within the library centre. Who can forget the visit of the Divine Cat on loan from the British Museum, with the pennants and posters all around announcing that mysterious and priceless visitor? (Its long-suffering security attendant had to sit and watch it all day as it sat and watched him.) There are keep fit classes in the meeting rooms, events in the marvellous Studio space upstairs and of course the weekly meetings of the Willesden Green Writers' Workshop, winner of an Arts Council prize for community publishing.


"Voters queued early" (Sphagnum)

About half of the space in the centre is currently unused because the Bellevue Cinema was allowed to fall into dereliction and closed and Gigi's café bar, where there used to be jazz one or two nights a week is now empty and has been for some time. Visitors to the cinema and to the many events in the library centre used to provide much of the custom for Gigi's. The feasibility of such events has been degraded since the council allowed the dereliction of the cinema and the closure of Gigi's. Now we know what they must have had in mind.

It's a good bet they will squash some kennel-like flats into the space occupied by the centre's car park, stuff some plasticated chain stores into the hub of the library centre and put back some fig leaf of a bookstall, as happened in Northolt (see linked report). The end result is likely to be another dormitory, more industrial feed troughs, further homogenisation and commercialisation, another step further away from being human and towards becoming like an ant colony.

Ed.

Willesden Library Centre: Filth and dereliction in Brent

Gigi's closed months ago and is still empty. Now the Bellevue Cinema has closed and the fitments have been ripped out. Last night the centre's mens' toilet was in the most nauseatingly filthy condition. Dirty paper was strewn around the floor, there was fluid underfoot. In one cubicle somebody had closed the lid and defecated on top of it. In the other the bowl was clogged and foul. The word disgusting is inadequate to describe the state of the place. The people responsible for the filth are horrible lowlifes but what about the people who run the place, i.e. Brent Council? The council tax this year for a house near the library centre, in Band E, is £1672.93. It's not rocket science - compare the Tricycle Theatre in neighbouring Camden council control also in Brent [correction], or the Southbank Centre or even a typical motorway services, or the loos at Victoria Station. Then ask yourself why Brent gives us nothing like that and instead something more like the opening scenes from Slumdog Millionaire.

Ossian