Getting Bookish at the Baths

The biggest ever book swap in Islington is heading to pools and playgrounds across the borough.

From Finsbury to Archway, people heading to leisure facilities can exchange their favourite reads as part of the initiative from Islington Council.

Book swaps are now available at Ironmonger Row Baths, in Norman Street, Finsbury and Cornwallis Adventure Playground, in Cornwallis Road, Upper Holloway, as well as all the borough’s leisure centres and the Islington Tennis Centre, Market Road, Holloway.

New swaps are planned for Timbuktu Adventure Playground, Grenville Road, Archway and Cape Play and Youth Project, in Crouch Hill, Hornsey Rise, in the near future.

Tollington ward councillors Richard Watts and Fiona Williamson unveiled the book collections with local children at Cornwallis Adventure Playground.

Cllr Watts said: “Getting children into the habit of reading books from a young age helps them to develop essential skills that can be taken from the classroom to the work place.”

“But it’s not just kids that benefit, all our residents old and young alike, can take part, so we’re really pleased to have been able to open this new reading initiative at Cornwallis.”

More about the scheme can be found at: www.islington.gov.uk/bookswaps.