Landscaping

Early in 1966 the British Legion put in a request for rose bushes to be planted in the Garden, but the City Librarian was only prepared to contemplate them being behind the Memorial. He complimented the Legion on keeping the frontage tidy, and actually asked them if they could take on the other side of the frontage as well! As far as I know, the roses were not planted. These details are of interest because of the subsequent history of the frontage. After a while, library users began to cross the grass when leaving the building, which affected the appearance of the area.

By late 1980, other plans were coming to fruition, and the wall on the right-hand frontage was partly removed, and a paved area with shrubs and trees was installed. Councillor Matt Redmond was involved in this work. Shrubs were also put in on the left-hand side around the Memorial. After twenty years, these had grown too large and were past their best. A rose garden has been planted there instead, at the request of the British Legion, with a couple of small trees remaining from the 1980 landscaping. This change took place within the LILA (Local Involvement, Local Action) process.