BRLSI House Manager Bob Draper (left) welcoming a part of visitors from the Devon and Exeter Institution to the BRLSI
We had the pleasure of a visit from members of the Devon & Exeter Institution, who had come up to Bath for the day. They are our seniors, having been founded in 1813 (BRLSI is a mere latecomer, founded in 1824). The party were welcomed by Janet Cunliffe-Jones, given coffee and the obligatory Bath Buns, and had a talk by Bob Draper about the history of the Institution and its workings, with Rodney Tye adding material about our finances.
The visitors were then shown round the collections by Rob Randall and Matt Williams (this required two shifts, due to limited space downstairs, giving the ‘other’ shift a chance to view our Caveman to Celt exhibition in the Jenyns Room). After that we let them loose for some fresh air, lunch, shopping and then on for a walking tour of Bath by the Mayor’s Honorary Guides. The Devon and Exeter is very much Library centred, its collections having been hived off for a new Museum in Exeter. The members were very enthusiastic about their visit and took back many new ideas. The Institution is situtated in the grounds of Exeter Cathedral – read more about it and its members at www.devonandexeterinstitution.org.
– Bob Draper