Preston Community Library

Large attendance for Wartime letters from Preston Park - Philip Grant
2026-04-19 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Preston Community Library, 160 Carlton Avenue East, Wembley, HA9 8PL, United Kingdom
Come to the Library on Sunday 19 April 3:00-4:00pm to hear Philip Grant from Wembley History Society uncover an amazing archive of letters which tell the story of what it was like to live in the Preston Park area during the Second World War.

Muriel lived at Derwent Gardens, on the Preston Park Estate, until 1938, and was friends with other local housewives who, like her, had young children. After moving back to Hereford, with her husband and son, she kept in touch by letter with her former neighbour, Nancie, and friend Doris, who lived in Allonby Gardens. After Muriel died in 2003, her daughter found that she had kept the letters she’d received from these friends between 1940 and 1945, with news from Preston Park about everyday life during the Second World War, and their children who went to Preston Park School. It was only during the Covid lockdown in 2020 that her daughter got round to reading those letters, and realising what an amazing source of first hand history they were, got in touch with Wembley History Society to share them with us.

Library volunteers will read out the letters.

Our Children's Laureate, author Saman Shamsie, visited the Library read to local Cub Scouts
2026-06-19
Our Children’s Laureate, author Saman Shamsie, visited the Library on June 19 to read to local Cub Scouts
On a hot June evening a group of Brent Cubs (South Kenton), began to arrive early at the Library: keen to see what we had in store. As they waited on the steps of the library, we noted that this was the first Young Writers’ Challenge -a unique programme run by the Library – to be held at the new building.

The group of 26 Cub Scouts with their leaders and a curious young visitor to the library crowded into the little garden at the rear of the library to see the two swift nesting- sites installed during the construction of the building. The Cubs learnt about a close encounter with 5 lively swifts the night before. All filed back into the cool breezy library for a magical meet-up with our Children’s Laureate , the Pakistani children’s author, Saman Shamsie.
Saman enchanted the Cubs and Leaders: with a true tale about a bird of prey – a Kite – which became stranded and taken up residence in her garden in Karachi, which she has named ‘Green’ . The children asked if she might write about ‘Green’s exploits? Yes indeed!

This was followed by captivating readings from her books , ‘’The Magical Woods’, ‘Slothful Slough-Off the Snake ‘ instantly engaging a four – year -old who knew ‘everything about snakes!’ and a newer traditional tale ‘Wali Dad’ with its message for today. As the Library’s first Children’s Event in its new home – a very successful evening! What’s more children and parents returned the next day and joined the Library!

Saman Shamsie is published by Penguin Books, and Oxford University Books. All Saman’s books are held in the Library and are available to borrow. Read more at Saman Shamsie Preston Community Library Children’s Laureate : Preston Community Library

Free Best Selling Author Event: Janice Hallett Live at Preston Community Library
2026-06-25 19:30 - 21:00
To mark National Crime Reading Month, we have invited best selling crime writer, Janice Hallett, to come along to the library to talk to us about her work and her latest novel ‘The Killer Question’. Several of her previous books have been based in North West London. Do join us on Thursday, June 25 at 7.30 pm.
