During my last trip to Worcester, I didn’t have time to go to its fabulous library, The Hive. This time I spent some time in it. Once I’d walked around the library, I went to the top floor and read my book, The Bee Sting, which everyone seems to be reading and is a page-turner. On the train there, someone sitting diagonally opposite me pointed to the book and said, “I’ve not read it yet but apparently it’s very good!”
The upper floor of the library reminded me of the beautiful Oodi Library in Helsinki. They both have lots of big windows to view the surrounding area. The Hive is rare, and possibly unique in the UK, in that it combines the university library with a public library. Everyone has access to the academic books.
At the moment, The Great Waddle of Worcester is happening. It’s a charity event focused on colourfully designed penguins scattered around the city. The event has been organised by St Richard’s Hospice, whose charity shop has a well-designed bookshop on the first floor with a cafe. I didn’t buy any books but did buy a plant, which looked like lavender but wasn’t.
This time, I was able to see more of the city. Worcester has a lot going for it — the cathedral, riverside, The Hive library — and it’s full of cafes with outdoor seating, which give it a continental feel. The town centre is fairly compact so you can see it all on foot.
