Ledbury Library Development Group has been carrying out fund-raising to make sure that the Master's House, when it opens as the town's new library next year, will have plenty of new books.

One recent fundraising activity included a morning with Paul Costello, author of “The Great Escape”, a book which tells of how he ran a guest house in Shropshire.

Local crime writer, Suzette Hill, has also given a fund-raising talk.

A total of £300 has been raised for audio books, and an anonymous donation of £250 has purchased art history books.

Chairman of the Development Group, Nina Shields was at Ledbury Library to look over new books with Herefordshire Senior Librarian Jan Nesaratnam, who said: It will be brilliant to have these books in the larger children's area which we are setting up in the Master's House for next spring”

Mrs Shields said: “We want to encourage children to read and we are delighted that our first donation has bought so many lovely children's books. We know from talking to families who use the library that the current children's area in the library is very cramped, which is why it makes sense to have the new books where there is more room, in the new library.

"Our next challenge is to raise £750 for a 'quick pick' shelf unit and we are holding a "putting the fun into fundraising" quiz at the Feathers Hotel in Ledbury on Friday 21st Nov at 7 p.m. as our next fund raising event. Tickets will be available from the Library shortly."

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALAN GREATWOOD, shows Nina Shield, Chair of the ledbury Library development group with Jan Nesaratnam, Senior Librarian