Don't forget

If anyone would still like to leave me a book recommendation for the archive, please email the title, author and special memory it holds to: babl@lucymayschofield.co.uk , where there's always room for more.

All Wrapped UP

As the final week of the Blackburn Book Archive draws to a slow close, I pack up my 4 typewriters and head home. What a humbling, inspiring and happy time I've had here at 11 Fleming Square. I will now set to work on the Star Paper inspired pamphlet anecdotally documenting my experience of the town ready for release in January 2011. I feel like Blackburn's newest ambassador, I'll never hear a word said against it.

A few of my Blackburn favourites

The shop has been like a community center over the past 4 weeks, with regulars popping in to bring me cups of tea, old printed pamphlets, stories, more recommendations, even a knitted cardigan to keep me warm. Lovely.

Activity Centre

As the recommendations were committed to print, the wall of mono-prints grew to form a gallery of memorable book covers.

Typewriter tip tip tip

Week three ended with almost 70 Book Recommendations, hours worth of inspirational conversation and a feeling of being very grateful to the people of Blackburn.

Pike Fishing and the Practical Householder

By the end of week two, I am smitten with the people of Blackburn. I was interviewed on Thursday for BBC Lancashire’s lunchtime radio show, and spent Friday afternoon teaching simple book making techniques to passers by. I had visits from wonderful book enthusiasts and keen fishers, (DIY, Collecting, Printing and literature experts were in abundance).

The Blackburn Book Archive will be open all day Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week at 11 Fleming Square so pop in to make your own book recommendation, print your favourite book cover, learn how to make a book or tell me a story. x

The First week of Contributions

So many of Blackburn’s lovely residents popped into the shop during the first week of the project to type out their book recommendations that I began to get a good feel for the town. The very first gentleman to contribute told me his favourite book was ‘The Canterbury Tales’, a fine coincidence as a copy also belongs in Edward Hart’s own collection housed in the museum. Other book suggestions were ‘Thorn Birds’, ‘Pride & Prejudice’, ‘Cider with Rosie’, ‘To kill a mocking bird’, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ and ‘The Gruffalo’. The archive is already showing signs of becoming an eclectic collection.

Saturday proved a very busy day thanks to an article written in the local ‘Lancashire Telegraph’ about the project. A few former workers from ‘Star Paper’ popped in to tell me their tales too.