There were a number of reasons for us to visit, probably the most important is the presence of The Reader Organisation. The Reader is a Liverpool based organisation which promotes the benefits of reading, something very close to our hearts! In their own words, The Reader is "a national charity that uses the power of literature and reading aloud to transform lives". We use the concept of "shared reading" in much of our community work, and we see the power of reading to make a positive impact on people's health and well-being.
The Reader Organisation is based at Calderstones Park, in the beautifully restored and refurbished Calderstones Mansion House. There is a small, but very attractive, bookshop; two cafés and an ice cream parlour. This is in addition to the house itself and the grounds. There are also the eponymous Calder Stones themselves. Chris took some photos of the stones and I'm sure they will be the subject of a separate post.
We had a really enjoyable couple of hours, browsed in the bookshop, enjoyed coffee and cake in the café and strolled in the very warm March sunshine.
