The British Library

Sunday, February 16, 2020:

Storm Dennis swept through Britain the past few days resulting in another wet weekend in London and what better thing to do on a rainy Sunday than visit the library, the British Library!

However, first we darted into Eat O'clock Café near King's Cross, encountering "bubble and squeak" for the first time.  Two ladies, down from Yorkshire for the weekend to take a tango class, were sitting nearby and explained to us that "bubble and squeak" is traditionally leftovers consisting of vegetables mixed into mashed potatoes. The dish's name it seems comes from the bubbling and squeaking sounds that emit during its cooking.  In any case, I have to say I definitely liked my bubble and squeak.

We then went on a very intellectually-satisfying tour of the British Library, an institution which our guide referred to as a "depository of the memories of the nation."  The building itself is not old; it opened in 1997 at which time its Brutalist-like architecture was denounced by no other than Prince Charles.  However, today the building's architecture seems to be generally appreciated by Londoners; some say it resembles a ship, and is sometimes referred to as a "ship of knowledge." The Library's architects were Sir Colin St John Wilson and Mary Jane Long, a married couple.  Its design and construction took 37 years, costing 506 million pounds.

Saint Pancras Station/Hotel Peaking Out from Behind the Library

Statue of Isaac Newton, English mathematician, author, theologian, physicist and astronomer

Model Depicting the Building's Ship Shape

One of the several "reading rooms" in the Library

A central feature of the building is the King's Library, King George III's entire collection of books. Despite his moniker "Mad King George," he was an intelligent man and liked to collect history, literature, and religious texts.  This collection is on display in a very tall and impressive tower.

King George III in Front of His Books

Not far from the tower is the room of "Treasures," where among so many fascinating items one finds a plenitude of historic works including the Gutenberg Bible (dating from around 1455), the Magna Carta (dating from the 1200s), and the Lindisfarne Gospels (dating from around 700).

The Gutenberg Bible

An Early Torah

Eddie pointed out the handwriting of Emily and Charlotte Bronte, so tiny as to be hardly legible.  I found interesting a book titled "Roman de Brut" from the 14th century which offered a fanciful tale of Stonehenge's origin.  Another book, from the 1500s, featured illustrations of ancient Britons.

A highlight was the First Folio of William Shakespeare's plays, compiled by his friends after his death.