So Many Books

The last few weeks have been so busy in the Lit and Phil, as there are so many books I want to get through in my one day. At the end of each day, I feel as if I haven’t done enough and I feel frustrated. But then the flip side is even if I was camping out at the Lit and Phil 24/7, I’m sure I still wouldn’t get through the whole heap of books I want to. So give myself a break.

But I’ve got to share what I found out just Monday gone. And I’ve been asking people about it and some knew and some didn’t. And maybe you’ll read this and think, well I knew that. So what, I say, as I think there’s a lot of people out there who don’t know, especially the young who just chose to meet there and not know the significance of it.

Earl Grey, born 13 March 1764 in Falloden, Northumberland, known for the blend of tea known as Earl Grey. Earl Grey's most remarkable achievement was the Reform Act of 1832, which set in train a gradual process of electoral change. Indeed, it sowed the seeds of the system we recognise today.

But what he might not be known for is this: in 1806, Earl Grey first took up office in government, under Lord Grenville, as First Lord of the Admiralty. Before the year was out, due to a death, Grey became Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Leader of the House of Commons. And within this capacity he issued the successful Bill for the abolition of the slave trade. On 25 March 1807, the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act entered the statute books and Earl Grey had a hand in it. Did you know?

Anyway, I chose to share this new found knowledge straightaway as Thursday was the last day in the series of workshops with Moorside Community Primary School. So we decided to bring the children down to the Lit and Phil to see what is was like. On the way down the hill we walked via the monument, Grey’s Monument, so the children could gain an understanding of what this man had done for the abolition of slavery. This is a monument that we have all passed, or met friends at and maybe not realised the significance of this man achievements to national and world history.

The kids had tour of the library and then went underground to the basement rooms to create some atmosphere while we talked about slavery and looked at the diagrams of slave ships, taken from the library’s tract collection. The kids had a good time at the library and created some good pieces of work that included Earl Grey, Slavery and The Lit and Phil. Here’s an example to read:

Grey’s Monument
Taller than the sky
Stone, as hard as stone.
Looking down towards
the Lit and Phil.
Remembering slaves

Aanisah, aged 9