A ROUSING speech by a best-selling author celebrated the efforts of campaigners working to save Crown Street Library.

World-famous author and historian Philippa Gregory addressed a sold-out event at the historic Darlington library yesterday, calling plans to close the much-loved facility ‘insane’.

The author of The Other Boleyn Girl was in the town to promote her latest novel - Three Sisters, Three Kings – but used her platform to celebrate the unexpected legal challenge that has given campaigners fresh hope for the library’s future.

On Tuesday, August 16, The Northern Echo reported on how an anonymous woman had used legal aid to secure the backing of esteemed lawyer Michael Imperato in the fight against Darlington Borough Council.

In June, the authority voted to close the Grade II listed library forever and move most of its resources to the nearby Dolphin Centre as part of a £12.5m programme of swingeing budget cuts.

The vote came despite a The Northern Echo’s campaign that was backed by more than 7,000 people, including Ms Gregory and fellow authors Anne Fine, Peter James and Gervase Phinn.

Throughout a contentious consultation period and ever since, campaigners have worked tirelessly to convince the council to rethink the proposals.

Ms Gregory lives on the North York Moors and spent time in Crown Street Library studying for her PhD.

Addressing the audience at ‘An Afternoon with Philippa Gregory’, she said: “I thought I was coming here to a funeral.

“The last time I came here was to speak about the threat to the library.

“I came to join the campaign to keep it open and was so disappointed when I heard the council were going to close the library.

“It seems to be insane when you have a purpose-built, beautiful building like this serving the public need.

“The people who use the library know how important it is.

“It’s insane to close a building like this in a way that ensures you can never go back to it when better times come.

“And our experience of life in the North-East is that those better times do come.

“I was absolutely delighted to hear of the legal appeal and I am here, not present at a wake but at a revivalists’ meeting.

“Let us say hallelujah.”

She added: “I am sure you have all petitioned and are doing everything you can to make your feelings known to the council.

“Anything that makes the ridiculous bodies making these decisions do anything sensible comes from the sensible people telling them.”