Kensington Central Library

Unfortunately, this library falls short in providing a peaceful reading environment due to its frequent noise levels. It's challenging to concentrate when surrounded by constant disruptions. Overall the desks are nice and the atmosphere when quiet is very good

Perfectly fine library, but the clients are 80% students so if you're not one, you might not find the reading area as peaceful as in other libraries. Also, very few plugs for computers.

I was directed to this big brother from Staff at Notting Hill Gate library ( little brother). In my search for books on Domestic Abuse. I also needed to spend some time in their Local Studies department which you can only visit by appointment. So success was close at hand. I found a couple of non fiction books concerning Domestic Abuse. (Or the Counseling of Domestic Abuse and Violence).The library was fairly busy. But I was able to find a vacant seat so I could make some notes.I did not spend a lot of time in the library. But I could only find a book related to Domestic Violence which had a small directory of; counselling and psychotherapy associations.
Ironically I eventually found a book entitled Domestic Abuse Act 2021 in Foyles bookshop (price @£65-70.00)

On the last Thursday of November, the festive occasion of Thanksgiving celebrated on the other side of the Atlantic but the factual currency remains relevant to the event held at Kensington Central Library late that evening. It was an event embellished with the thematic concerns celebrated through family, loss and other necessities that made the literary event live on beyond the pages within the text The Lost Homestead : My Mother and Punjab and the Partition. The author Marina Wheeler exhibited her wry sense of humour as well as setting the scene for contextualised frameworks to neatly fit into the conversation with Victoria Schofield who in her own right encapsulated an in depth knowledge of southern Asian history via her close friendship with the late Benazir Bhutto for more than three decades.

The duality between the guest Marina Wheeler and Victoria Schofield felt organic to the touch of each audience’s ears and their words resonated to the level recognisable to the subject matter being well researched and understood for us all to feel emotionally invested in the personal family jewels being verbally displayed. Wheeler vividly idolised her mother Dip (pronounced Deep) with bold and broad brushstrokes - as to characterise her life using the butterfly effect. When Dip left India she was in a cocoon of political upheaval yet her new sense of self had been fulfilled in a variety of guises involving being a daughter, niece, wife, motherhood, finding professionalism brought kaleidoscopic reflections of what it meant to be a modern woman after the British Raj to life.

The poetics behind a life lived well echoes in interpreting what it would mean for most to leave a place of familiarity to search for something new. In its honesty the voice of narration offers such clarity in speaking truth to power in measuring the titans of Gandhi and Nehru in spades. Seemingly the lasting legacy of the Partition was to pick a political side and be ingrained in the politics that goes all with the cause (and that was it). Dip proved that she had the determination and intelligence to embody a nouveau femininity in life after what she had witnessed before she had left India.

Denoting the conversation was at a close, I profusely had my hand in the air for the Q and A of the event. Alas I wasn’t chosen to speak - but true to form after Marina Wheeler I caught up when she left the stage. I complemented the author's efforts in demarcating family, time and history into her text and then told her that my mother used to work with her father at the BBC during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

‘What is your mother’s name?’ asked Marina.

‘My mum is called M. H.’ I replied.

‘My mum spoke of how hard your father worked and the distinguished legacy he left at the BBC. They all worked as part of the News department - it was great in those days as my mum always tells me’ I explained.

‘He was great - wasn’t he’ proclaimed Marina.

What’s a purpose of this huge building, if it’s open only for certain hours and it’s closed most of the evenings? I think that tax payers money could be better spent. It’s outdated inside, old tables, there are not that many sockets, poor choice in reading, there are some sections that are from 90’s, as someone mentioned there is no control of people some can be quite disrespectful, staff seams just care about making the day and getting the salary, this building is perfect example how the Chelsea and kensington council is wasting public’s money, considering “the library” is on the paper that provides minimum services to people. Outrageous, but what other options around the area not that many. I hope this library will be closed for good, Chelsea needs a new library!

📚 Amazing place to study. You don't need to register or have a card, just walk in and head to the first floor and find a place to sit. There aren't many plugs, only on the left side of the library and it's usually packed.

🛜 The internet is absurdly fast, I've done a test with speedtest, and take a look at the results in the video I've added.

🏛️The Library is quite spacious, and has several floors

Spacious and welcoming place. Good kids library and one for teenagers. Great that the local libraries are connected: you can take smth in Chelsea or Paddington and return in high street Ken. Convenient. Staff is kind, attentive, knowledgeable and helpful. Wheelchair accessible facilities.