The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle Upon Tyne (commonly known as the Lit & Phil) has operated the country’s largest independent library outside London since 1793. It’s here that George Stephenson demonstrated his invention of the miner’s lamp and Joseph Swann first unveiled the electric light bulb. And it was here on Tuesday, April 8th that I had the privilege to appear before a full-house to talk about my Harold Wilson biography. My interviewer was the incomparable Gerry Foley, renowned for his diligence in reading the book before questioning it’s author and for his ability to entertain the audience irrespective of how his interviewee performs. Gerry did me proud, as did the knowledgable snd literate audience at Lit & Phil.

Here I am with Chief Librarian Kay Easson who explained that the library is open to all free of charge as a research facility and by modest subscription for those who want to borrow from its extravagantly stocked library. Charles Dickens is said to have performed public readings here, but Kay said there’s no record of such an appearance.

She certainly runs a library that Dickens would have admired, and that I fully intend to return to.