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Friday 3 February 2012

Friday

Couldn't really think of a title for these ramblings so Friday it is. Suppose I could add adjectives like chilly, cold, wintry but I didn't. I had stayed indoors much of this week, didn't want to go out in the cold wind but today braved the weather and went to the Local studies library. Had the option to do more work on the illustrations collection or data entry, chose the former, prefer to write on paper. Photographs were of Richmond Hill, which I discovered used to be called Hill Rise. Now that name is used just from Richmond Bridge to the junction with Compass Hill. Wonder why the name was changed in the 1920s. Had some advertisements showing business premises with the old address, all helps to identify the date, although there are plenty of local directories to confirm these. One business was for corsets, trousseaux and baby clothes, from the directories it had been there from early 1900, maybe a little earlier and from the advert it had moved from New Bond Street to Richmond.

These photos and information about them will be scanned, eventually you will be able to browse them in the comfort of your own home. Although that is good, there is still the delight of visiting a local studies library for the serendipity of finding nuggets in the directories for example. It is surprising how long some businesses had survived, many local names were listed that I remembered from my childhood. Then there is the excitement of coming across ones grandparents' names as residents in the directory.



Just so my readers know where I, and many other volunteers spend our time. The library is at the top of the Old Town Hall and affords views to the west  over the River Thames to the Middlesex bank. Thus there are some beautiful sunsets to be seen, I have attempted to capture one today although it was not one of the best, neither the photo or the sunset.


In the far right there is a hump on the horizon that is the famous Rugby Football Union ground, the foreground is part of the Quinlan Terry development that so transformed Richmond Riverside back in the 1980s.

Now I must leave my keyboard to carry on with The hare with amber eyes: a hidden inheritance as would like to finish it before reading group meets. Need to read it with computer or iPad handy to look up some of the references. Have to admit  the book hadn't registered with me at first, hadn't even realised it was non-fiction.

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