POTTON Library will be celebrating its 50th birthday at the end of the month. Only a few years ago the library was under threat of closure until local residents mounted a fierce campaign to keep it open and eventually forced Bedfordshire County Council to

POTTON Library will be celebrating its 50th birthday at the end of the month.

Only a few years ago the library was under threat of closure until local residents mounted a fierce campaign to keep it open and eventually forced Bedfordshire County Council to drop plans to close it.

The library has been housed for the past half century in the heart of Potton in the historical Clock House and currently boasts 7,000 books attracting people of all ages.

To mark its 50 years in the town the library is staging a number of special events one of which is to design a birthday card.

A secret prize awaits the winner of the competition. Anyone wanting to enter the competition should go to the library, which is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and on Saturday until lunch time, and collect a piece of gold card from staff and use it to design a birthday card which will be put on the library wall.

"It is a lovely library and people get great enjoyment coming here," said Lesley Sale, the library manager.

"A few years ago the library was under threat and the people of Potton put up a good fight and saved it.

"This is why we thought it would be nice to have a series of events to mark the library's 50th birthday of being in the Clock House."

The celebrations kick off on Saturday, July 22, at 10am when the Potton History Society put on a display of pictures at the community centre in Brook End of 50 years of Potton Market Square.

On Monday, July 24, at 10.30am there is a free-puppet making workshop for children five to 11 years old at the library.

A quiz night is being held at the library the following day at 7.30pm and places are still available. If there is a big demand for tickets the event will be moved to the community centre.

International best-selling author Carole Matthews will be giving a talk at the community centre on Wednesday, July 26, at 7.30pm and tickets for the event can be obtained from the library.

Nursery rhymes and music for the under-fives will be the party theme on Thursday, July 27, at 11am at the library.

The big party celebrations take place on Friday, July 28, from 3pm at the library when there will be a big cake and refreshments for visitors and prizes handed out to the card competition winners.