The Rugby World Cup trophy in all its glory was the highlight Willesden’s new library launch.
Crowds attending the official opening of the £10m Library at Willesden Green in the High Road, got a chance to see the Webb Ellis Cup on its 2015 Rugby World Cup Trophy tour.
Named after William Webb Ellis, the man who is often credited as the inventor of rugby, the visit of the 38-centimetre tall, four-and-a-half kilogram silver gilt trophy marked day 94 of a 100-day tour of the UK and Ireland, in the build-up to the opening ceremony of the 2015 tournament this Friday.
Visitors enjoyed a packed day of events at the library, which features a children’s library, an art gallery, an exhibition space, museums, archives and performance space.
Cheerleading, steel bands, children’s theatre, face painting and carnival costume and sari trying were just some of the highlights of the day, along with a mobile local history cinema, dance sessions, performance arts and a ceilidh session.
Cllr Lesley Jones MBE, mayor of Brent said: “I am delighted to officially open The Library at Willesden Green, which looks absolutely fantastic.
“It was great to have the Rugby World Cup trophy here to mark this special day and also see so many people come along to experience what the stunning new community hub has to offer.”
Brent Council worked with developers Linden Homes on the rebuild of the library which, in providing homes on adjacent land, meant the library was built at no cost to taxpayers.
Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said: “This fantastic celebration was a real highlight for Brent.
“With amazing performances, music and face painting, today kicked off an exciting future for The Library at Willesden Green.
“Boasting 40,000 books, over 120 study spaces, 66 PCs and 14 iPads for public use, the new Library at Willesden Green has been built to play a role as a 21st century community hub.”
“This is a win-win for Brent residents as not only do they get to benefit from this superb new state-of-the-art library, which is jam packed with the latest technology, but it has been delivered at zero cost to taxpayers and also provided much needed new homes next door.”
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