Hole in the memory

At luncheon today, I wondered out loud when Epsom Library moved into the Ebbisham Centre, thinking that it was back in the mists of time, maybe not long after we moved to Epsom thirty years ago.

No, no, no says BH. Epsom Library used to be in an old detached building in Waterloo Road, until some time around 2000 when they moved into the Ebbisham Centre and the old building was demolished.

I found this hard to believe, so thought I would check, which proved difficult with the library itself presently shut. Neither Bing nor Google could offer much at all. And it took me a few seconds to realise that the helpful bit of history they did turn up came from Epsom, New Hampshire. And I had not even known there was such a place. See reference 1.

Eventually, Google turned up reference 2, which I don't remember visiting before and which told me that: '... The late 1990s saw the development of the Ebbisham Centre, a community service based development, including a doctors' surgery, Epsom Library, a cafe and a health and fitness centre. The Derby Square expanded and includes a number of franchise chain pubs/bars...'. So it looks as if BH was spot on, despite my having no memory at all of the old building. Perhaps I have only been using the library since I retired.

But oddly, I do remember the library we used to use when we lived at Stapleton Hall Road, near Harrigay West railway station. A time when we were newly married and lived in a bedsit without a television, which would make reading more likely. A lot of Trollope as I recall. We also had one or two heaters like the one at reference 3 to supplement the heating provided. Condensation from which did bad things to the wallpaper behind the wardrobe. Heaters which made it to the roof here at Epsom, but which we let go some years ago now - which seems a pity, but they are quite bulky and I dare say one would have trouble getting both paraffin and wicks these days.

Still oddly, according to gmaps, the library is still there and still functioning - but I do not remember the outside at all. Maybe memory has got the inside right.

PS: a little later. Some memory of the outside of the library in Harringay is now starting to be recovered.

Reference 1: http://www.epsomlibrary.com/site/.

Reference 2: https://familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/Epsom.

Reference 3: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/06/derby-action.html.