Reading Room at the Corner House

Mon 5 Jan, 18:29

Perhaps the occasion with badly behaved children was a one off occurance and won't happen again. However bored children are often bad children and a better place for them would be the community centre which is light and airy andhas plenty of board games and activities for children and staff on duty. I use it a lot to have a test , a coffee and a browse around the library books. I have always found the children delightful and enjoy chatting  to me and since I am verytottery  they are always careful to walk slowly near me and give me right of way. 

Mon 5 Jan, 14:46

Interesting idea John Dora, but have you been to a public library recently? They are full of children using it for storytime etc. or teenagers pretending to do homework. They are not somewhere for quiet time. The phenomenon is also seen in many a university library. I’m not saying whether this is right or wrong, just an observation.

In other words, the culture of a quiet library is rare these days, and expectations of the public may differ markedly from yours.

Mon 5 Jan, 12:27

May I offer an idea?

If it's a reading room, it should be treated like a library - with signs that politely ask for visitors to respect the tranquillity of the space:

"This room is intended as a quiet space for reading and similar activities. We kindly ask users to keep noise to a minimum

Thank You" 

Mon 5 Jan, 10:21

I've investigated.  It wasn't a booking, just people taking advantage of it being a publicly-available space.

I don't know what can be done about it:  I suppose you must just reckon that from time to time you'll not be able to use the room for civilised adult reading or conversation because others are choosing to be noisy, or to let their children be noisy, there.  But nine times out of ten it will be fine, I imagine.

If this becomes a frequent issue we'll perhaps have to look at it again -- but I for one am reluctant to start hedging it around with too many prohibitions.

Sat 3 Jan, 15:26

Booked or not they turned up at about 2.15 pm - the families probably thought the room would be a nice and warm place for the kids to play. Without any concern for other users.

Sat 3 Jan, 14:46

We're generally only taking bookings for after 3.00 pm now, and so I presume that this booking predates the metamorphosis of the Morris Room into a civilised adult zone!  I hadn't noticed that it was happening either - there seems to be a temporary glitch with the bookings diary on our website.

I'll investigate this one, but generally this sort of thing shouldn't be an issue in future.

(We shall occasionally, I'm sure, still have meetings & events in the room before 3.00 pm - I think, for example, that post-funeral refreshments are being held there one lunchtime later this month - but we'll try to make sure that it's infrequent, properly-publicised, and in keeping with the room's usual new purpose.)

Sat 3 Jan, 10:32

I also had to leave. It was total anarchy with very aggressive shouting & roaring from kids chasing each other around. Adults were there, but didn't say a word. Hopefully it was just a one-off but who knows ...

Fri 2 Jan, 16:47

Went to the reading room at about 2pm today. Was it peaceful and reasonably quiet? No. Some twenty children suddenly arrived making a lot of noise. I had to leave. 

Mon 29 Dec 2025, 09:10

 Many congratulations to all who have worked so hard on The Corner House and good that John mentioned Paddy and Roy, who has worked and worried over many, many years.  

It was a thriving community centre in the past and interesting to see some 'new' ideas coming up which also used to happen---for example the seminar/discussion/debate. Not so long ago Jonathan Luxmoore organised a series of debates which were very popular.

Good luck to all the enterprises.

Mon 29 Dec 2025, 07:38

A reminder that with the deli reopening today, so therefore is the bookshop and reading room. With regard to the latter ..

• It's an attractive overflow for the café. A large, warm comfortable space for coffee & conversation - a quiet, but not silent, space.
• If you have unwanted up-to-date newspapers & periodicals, do leave them for others on the large table there. Nothing older than yesterday's daily paper or last week's weekly journal or last month's monthly, please! (And take home & recycle anything older that you find there, please - the space is unstaffed and it's up to all of us to maintain it!).
• In the spring we're going to start a series of short talks/seminars/discussions there on a wide variety of topics, using the cornucopia of knowledge in town. Already planned are sessions on Tolstoy, Horace's Odes and Alma Mahler. Let me know what you'd like to lead one on!

Tue 9 Dec 2025, 16:39

A couple of tub armchairs and a coffee table are now in situ.  The armchairs are upholstered in "vegan leather" -- and so are ideal for sipping your oatmilk latte in.

And yes, Rachel is right:  the room is available for hire from 3.00 pm Monday - Saturday and from 12 noon on Sundays.  It's ideal for civilised parties, for public events, for business meetings (we have a pull-down screen in the ceiling, flip-chart easels, whiteboards etc - just ask!), or really at the low hourly price we charge just for getting away from the grandchildren or the in-laws over the Christmas period.

Sun 7 Dec 2025, 22:33 (last edited on Sun 7 Dec 2025, 22:54)

I believe it's still possible to rent the room after 3 p.m. - a lovely venue for meetings now.

Sun 7 Dec 2025, 14:06

I seem to remember somewhere asking everyone to bear with us (ie the D & C) a little while we work things out in our new home.  And as John says, this is all part of it.  And as I also keep saying (to anyone who'll listen), the potential here is huge!

Sun 7 Dec 2025, 12:35

.. But are there plans to open up more, especially at weekends? The front door is usually locked when Cornerstone closes and then the café closes ? I know this is difficult but this is a facility that deserves to be used! ..

Thank you for your kind comments, everyone.  It reminds me of when I used to be a proper vicar -- others did the work and I got the glory.  So a quick name-check for Paddy Gallagher with his Sisyphean labours and Roy Scott with his Zen-like patience over many years!

We'd love to see the building open for longer, but our insurance conditions preclude it being open when it's unstaffed.  I'm not wanting to hassle the good Deli folk .. the move has been quite a challenge for them .. but in time I plan to talk it all through with them (particularly about the front door, as well as the back, being unlocked throughout Deli opening hours).  Essentially, though, the Bookshop and Reading Room are available (if sometimes with ingenuity) whenever the Deli is.  We'd all like them to be open for longer too .. but that's a question of their turnover justifying longer opening hours.

Meanwhile, a couple of tub armchairs and a coffee table are on their way, and new curtains are being made for us.  I do hope you'll all come and support our local artisans at their sale in the room this coming Friday evening;  and why not book the room yourself for a function -- it's hard to imagine that there's a space that good available that cheaply anywhere else in the county!

Sun 7 Dec 2025, 11:10

It is indeed wonderful John. Love the Persian rug and plans for more improvements.good to see the Corner House becoming more of a community hub, especially  with the Deli and café. But  are there plans to open up more, especially at weekends? The front door is usually locked when sornesrstone closes and then the cafe closes ? I know this is difficult but this is a facility that deserves to be used! 

Sat 6 Dec 2025, 14:27

Look forward to checking out the Reading Room. 

Thanks to everyone who have given the Corner House a new purpose, funding it and making it happen. 

"Nobody can make you inferior without your consent. Never give it." Great quote. 

Maybe the people who don't like change.......

Sat 6 Dec 2025, 14:26

We also popped in to have a look today, so brilliant to see this building feeling so alive! Well done to John and everyone involved in bringing this project to fruition. 

Sat 6 Dec 2025, 11:35

Sitting in the reading room now, with a coffee from the Deli, what a great space to meet & chat with friends, let alone all the books.  Great job.

Sat 6 Dec 2025, 08:25

Congratulations John on the reading room and the deli move which I’m sure the ‘majority’ of Charlbury residents are happy with

Sat 6 Dec 2025, 08:05

Thank you, Marjie.  Having been abused, indeed sworn at, for "ruining the Corner House" and "riding roughshod over the wishes of the people of Charlbury", it's always encouraging to receive a compliment or two!

Sat 6 Dec 2025, 07:29

The Reading Room photos look fantastic.  Well done to all involved.  We saw some very hard working people lugging the large rug in the front door of the Corner House yesterday  -- great work and thank you.  Looking forward to seeing it in person and reading a book there.