Queen Camilla Visits CSC Library

It was a very special day at Spellow Lane Library on 4 September when Queen Camilla visited the library to celebrate its remarkable recovery and unveil a commemorative plaque. The library had been destroyed by fire during the widespread unrest following the Southport attack in the summer of 2024. Queen Camilla had previously donated a box of books to Spellow and returned to see how the library had been rebuilt, bringing more books with her. During her visit, The Queen described seeing the library rise from the ashes as a "happy ending" to such a terrible story. After unveiling the plaque, she told those gathered, "You can never have too many books." She also congratulated everyone who had helped bring the library back to life.

CSC runs a weekly club at the library and so it was fitting that chess was also part of the special occasion, with children from St Francis de Sales representing the Spellow Lane Chess Club. The Queen stopped to watch the children playing and took an interest in their games. When she was told about the chess club, explained that while she doesn’t play chess herself, all her grandchildren enjoy the game. There was a lovely moment involving Eloise from St Francis de Sales. When Eloise dropped a chess piece, The Queen immediately bent down and picked it up for her. For the children, having the Queen watch them play chess and having the opportunity to speak with her was an experience they are unlikely to forget.
For CSC, it was particularly special to see the children from St Francis de Sales representing their chess club at such an important community event. The image of children playing chess while the Queen looked on was a fitting reflection of what the library is all about - community, learning, opportunity, and bringing people together.