Laurence lights up the library (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Laurence lights up the library

9:00am Saturday 22nd November 2008

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CIRENCESTER celebrity Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen officially opened the town's new state-of-the-art library this month.

The Bingham Library reopened to the public in October following a £1 million refurbishment and Laurence alongside his wife Jackie cut the ceremonial ribbon at a launch event on November 14.

The celebrity couple were joined by Gloucestershire County Council chief executive Pete Bungard, cabinet member for libraries, Ron Allen, and county councillors Deryck Nash and Roger Brown.

Chairman of Gloucestershire County Council, Cllr Mavis, Lady Dunrossil, spoke at the launch event, along with Geoffrey Adams, vice chairman of the Bingham Library Trust.

Laurence said: "The library looks so glamorous, a great place for the community of Cirencester to come and enjoy. Some of the design features in the library are unique, like the wavy wooden ceiling, although if I were designing it, it would be made of wavy lollipop sticks."

Customers have been impressed by the new and improved facilities on offer which include a ground floor children’s library with storytelling area, an internet café with new broadband PCs, a Nintendo Wii console and easy to use Quick Serve terminals.

An extra £100,000 was spent on updating Cirencester's stock of books and other media.

Cirencester's Ian Taylor said: "My wife has been bringing the children here since they were tiny and they eventually dragged me along. I’m glad they did. It’s great to be able to escape from the town for a few minutes to sit down with a newspaper and a coffee here."

County councillor Deryck Nash, said: "I think some residents had reservations about the new technology and the very modern style but I think the vast majority have been won over. The new and improved library has generally been very well received."

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