A very welcome addition to Durham city centre, Clayport library replaced a not-very friendly…read morebuilding behind the Fighting Cocks. It is well set out and child-friendly, and with a good selection of books and other material. The ground floor is given over to books, with computers for internet access and downstairs is the digital media suite where dvd's, and cd's are available for loan, and there are more computers available. There are many holiday activities on offer also.

This is a superb library in Newcastle, and I would recommend anyone to check it out. We arrived at…read moreabout 12:30 on Saturday, half an hour before closing time, but the staff were so welcoming and told us we were welcome to roam around the whole place, including on the balconies. I was surprised at how welcoming it all was, and was slightly worried it would be a bit too elitist for us lowly tourists to visit. I was wrong. It's a quiet place, but certainly not a silent library, and murmurs of chat were heard all around the interior. People were reading newspapers, drinking coffee, catching up with friends, and generally relaxing. It was a lovely atmosphere. The interior itself is gorgeous, with vast collections of old books, music scores, and more. Arranged over two levels, access to the balconies is by some spiral staircases, and they offer a nice view over the library. It's completely free (though you can donate or buy some memorabilia), so please pop in for a visit if you're in the area.

Listen, ever since I was a schoolboy, the Lit&Phil was a desirable and mysterious place where you…read morewere guaranteed to get set texts for O and A level exams - the public libraries were good, but your name was just put on a list. The only problem was that the Lit&Phil was a private library and you had to pay to be a member. That gave it a mysterious caché for a struggling schoolboy. Eventually, I could afford to buy my way in and my only regret was that I didn't do it sooner. If you like to work surrounded by stacks of books, this is the place. It has a long pedigree of prestigious past presidents including Armstrong and Stephenson whose ghosts greet you on the stone staircase as you come in. We get student visitors from the other universities' libraries. Because it's good to see young people in a library, I always ask them why they prefer to be in the Lit&Phil. They always say, "It is so much quieter!" In fact there is an even quieter space downstairs in the Reference Section - almost too quiet unless you appreciate pure silence. I could go on for ages about this "Club," about how it has a special room just for the ladies, the legendary little hatch where you get cups of tea or coffee, the staff who know everything, the musical, poetry and literary events that are part of its regular programme, but all I'll say is that if you want a social meeting place in the middle of town, a place you can work and have serious conversations, and are able to enjoy its in-built charm, then the Lit&Phil is the place for you.

Excellent post office with friendly staff very helpful,and love the added bonus of the miners mug…read morecafe also friendly staff and lovely atmosphere, the cake is amazing as is the coffee they serve delicious snacks and breakfast sandwiches. Just what westerhope needed