Arundel Library marks 40th with a cake from the trenches

In the morning of Friday, December 16, more than 70 members of the public, library volunteers and previous and current staff had a birthday tea.

The cutting of the birthday cake was performed by David Snelling, who regularly uses the library to research.

Harry Clark, the former area librarian for Arundel attended the celebration and shared his memories of the library service, along with other members of the community.

In the afternoon, researchers from Arundel Museum gave a series of talks on Arundel during the Great War in 1914 to 1918.

The audience enjoyed lectures on food supply in Arundel, the town’s Red Cross Hospital, on town nurse Winnie Bishop and on Ralph Ellis, local artist and WWI veteran.

In the interval, researcher Rita Godfrey offered samples of Trench Cake – a traditional fruit cake sent to soldiers in the trenches during the First World War. Rebecca Robertson, community librarian, said it was ‘in stark contrast’ to the birthday cake and was ‘surprisingly well received’.

Arundel Library is open Monday to Wednesday from 1pm to 5pm and Thursday to Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

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