STAFF and users of a South Lakeland library have celebrated the 50th anniversary of its official opening.

There has been a week of events to mark the day on July 12 1968 when the doors to Grange Library were first thrown open.

Among the events was a special 1968 storytime for pre-school children, a visit of a representative from Barrow Archives and a talk by local author Zosia Wand about her book ‘Trust Me.’

Students from Cartmel Priory School also designed a special display for 50 books for young people from the past five decades which is being displayed in the library for the rest of the month.

The Grange Library Reading Groups have been reviewing sets of books published in 1968 and memories and photographs of the library have been collected and are being displayed throughout the month.

The special anniversary week culminated last Thursday with a presentation on the history of the library and the cutting of a special anniversary cake by Cllr Bill Wearing, who represents Grange on Cumbria County Council.

Invited guests included local councillors, ex-library staff, a joiner who worked on the building as an apprentice and local residents. This was followed by Read Regional author, Jenn Ashworth, about gave a talk about her book ‘Fell’ which is set in Grange in the 1960s and present day.