Next week marks the fourth anniversary of our small, London pub-based book club. I joined almost at the start and it has restored my once voracious, but latterly diluted-to-homeopathy levels, reading habit.
We meet at the Edgar Wallace in Westminster every six weeks or so, with group members taking turns to choose the next book. There are a few rules – it’s like fight club, but with books. They have to be fiction and weigh in at around the 300 page mark or less. We’ve also ruled out fantasy after everyone panned Neil Gaiman’s Stardust.
We do some catching up and then the main business of the evening kicks off. Lively discussion ensues, led by our de facto chairperson, Lisa, who puts in a huge shift coming up with the questions used as the basis for the chat. We give the book and, separately, the cover, a score out of ten. These scores are often all over the place, a sign of a good choice! They are recorded for posterity in case some future archaeologists might value how much we liked Magnus Mills’ Restraint of Beasts.
Surviving lockdown
We battled on through lockdown on Zoom like every other social interaction at the time; it provided a vital respite from talking about disease. Eventually, we made a triumphant return to the Edgar Wallace and their toasties and accompanying side of chips, presented with all the finesse of a school dinner.
It’s something I look forward to very much and never begrudge the hour-long train ride to get there. Returning to reading feels like a closed door has been re-opened and these days I am reading two additional books for every book club choice.
It struck me while considering our four-year milestone that the club, like so many life-enriching pleasures, contributes to and depends upon a symbiotic ecosystem. The fabric of that ecosystem is fraying under the strain of austerity cuts and the cost of living crisis.
Libraries closing
A side effect of joining this club is that I have rediscovered the library in Windsor and am now a regular visitor. They have most of our choices in stock and I prefer reading from the physical book rather than staring at yet another screen. I spend almost all of the working day doing nothing but that.
Until recently, my local library was the one in my own village but that recently closed down due to funding issues, following on from the loss some time ago of Eton’s local library, a mile down the road.
These closures are far from isolated. Last year, Laura Kelly reported in the Big Issue that spending on public libraries has almost halved since 2010 and 17% (764 libraries) have closed down over the same period. Only last week, beleaguered Birmingham City Council announced plans to close 25 of its libraries as it tries to save £300mn over the next three years.
I used to donate my finished books to the library (I am no spine-breaker and if you use a book as some sort of ersatz notepad then you are a monster) thinking that would help out. But it turns out that if they spend less on new books, they may get their budget cut. Sometimes you can’t win.
Essential service
I’ve seen first-hand how these local services are essential for vulnerable residents – for instance, my village library offered help with IT and claiming benefits. They are vital community hubs and play a key role in supporting children’s literacy. Yet they seem to always be first in line for cuts.
There is no evidence I am aware of that Windsor’s library is under immediate threat; however, councils are struggling across the country. Even in wealthy Windsor, the council is currently £203mn in debt and paying £8mn per year in interest charges, so I am sure all services are constantly under review.
If we want these services to stay open, the best thing we can do is make use of them.
If you can’t get to your local library and want to read online, consider using a service such as Libby – an app that lets you borrow publications (e-books, audiobooks and magazines) with your library card and download them to your device.
Pubs also closing
The hospitality industry has taken a battering over recent years and the pub trade is on the front line. More than two pubs a day closed during the first half of 2023. Owners have struggled with a perfect storm of paying back Covid loans, increased energy costs, difficulties recruiting staff and the cost of living crisis reducing customers’ disposable income.
My now library-less village also used to boast four pubs but three have now disappeared. One, once lively, is now a depressing derelict ruin awaiting its fate.
So we are supporting at least one and, as long as we remember to avoid quiz night when hearing yourself think over the music round is an issue, the pub is the perfect venue! There’s a warm hubbub in the place which would be hard to find of an evening elsewhere.
Volunteering in decline
I mentioned Lisa who started our group and puts in the spadework for keeping it running. I am doubtful it would continue without her, despite how much we all enjoy it.
Volunteering is in decline. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (NCVO) ‘Time Well Spent‘ 2023 report found that the proportion of people organising or helping run an activity has dropped by half (14% in 2020 to 7% in the latest survey). The main reason cited by the report is a lack of free time.
It’s often the case that in every group there is one person who initiates everything and does the organising with the rest enthusiastic turner-uppers. I’m certainly one of the latter group. Not all of us are organisers in life but we should make sure those that are feel appreciated at the very least.
This piece started out in praise of the book club and its ability to broaden horizons and offer meaningful social interaction. It’s such a simple format that’s accessible to anyone. If reading is your thing, why not seek out a local group or start one with friends or colleagues?
More widely, I believe we must strongly resist further cuts to services and indeed reverse them. We would all be much the poorer for their loss.
