“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”
Martin Luther King
To mark the reopening of Spellow Community Hub and Library, Writing on the Wall launched a creative writing programme, commissioned by Culture Liverpool, celebrating the rich culture and history of Walton. Local participant Angela Cheveau reveals how she moved from hopeless horror to healing.
As a child, Spellow Library was a place of secret magic in my life. Every Saturday, my mother would take us to choose books for the week ahead. As a very shy child, the library was a space of solace and enchantment for me, a place where I could shuffle off my shyness, let my imagination run wild. The library was a magic carpet sailing me through the sometimes-stormy waters of childhood. Every book was a portal into another world, a doorway into countless magical landscapes, an escape from the harsher realities of life as a working-class child in a socially deprived area. Books opened my mind to new ways of thinking and being, to new and endless possibilities. In books I was a shapeshifter, an explorer, an adventurer, a warrior. I could be anything I wanted to be. Words were my warpaint, stories my shield, my pen was my sword.
In August 2024, like many others around the city, I watched in hopeless horror as our local library burned. Our tv and phone screens were filled with images of destruction, shattered glass, flames licking through the roof, hooded youths hurling missiles. As a lifelong Walton resident, I was devastated to see such utter destruction, to see the streets of my home burning and filled with so much hate. It was no longer the place that I knew, it no longer felt like home. A darkness had descended upon the streets, and I was desperately concerned for my own, and my 75-year-old mother’s safety. We could hear the shouts, screaming sirens and smashing of shops from our house, and I was glued to a live stream of what was happening as my family live on County Road and were trapped inside their home, gangs of youths setting fire to wheelie bins outside the windows. It was a dark day for Walton. For the whole country.
It is hard to describe the sadness of seeing the library burn, of seeing my childhood space of solace, safety and freedom flaring into flames. I knew the impact that this would have on the local community who depend upon the library as a place of education and knowledge. I thought of the children who would no longer have access to books and the magic they hold. Libraries are a vital lifeline for people, fostering lifelong learning and cultural engagement, ongoing education and much needed assistance. In a digital age they promote friendship and the importance of community support. For some they are a hand to hold in the dark, combatting fear, loneliness, and social isolation. They are a space of unity and boundless hope.
Now, seven months later, it is important to heal and look to the future. It is important to learn from what happened and look for light in the dark. Despite the awful events and the horrors of the riots, what has emerged from the wreckage is something profoundly beautiful. Even amidst the darkest of times, there were glimmers of hope and light; for instance, Adam Kelwick, the Imam who embraced protesters outside the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque, breaking bread with them, talking and listening, showing bravery, compassion and great consideration Or Alex McCormick, who raised thousands of pounds online to help rebuild and refurbish the library. Or the policemen who bravely battled to keep residents safe. Or the shops that opened their doors, handing out food and drink to those involved in the clean-up operation. These are the strength of Walton; these are the people who deserve the headlines, these are the people who represent beacons of light in the dark, who symbolise compassion, togetherness and unity.
When I heard about workshops celebrating Walton run by brilliant writing charity, Writing on the Wall, I was delighted to join. To be part of a project celebrating and highlighting the strength, resilience and community of my home is something I am proud to be a part of. I am proud to be from Liverpool, I am proud to be from Walton and I am incredibly proud of the area and how it has picked itself up and started again. Like a phoenix from the ashes, the library is once again a place of bustling activity and creativity, and Walton is looking forward towards a brighter future. Thanks to Writing on the Wall, local residents have been given the opportunity to come together, to tell their stories, share their fears, their hopes and dreams. To give themselves permission to be creative and express themselves through story, poetry and art. The project has been a joy to be part of and we have shared anger, tears and so much laughter.
As a group we are now looking forward to showing the work that we have created at a launch event, as well as showcasing our stories/ poems in an anthology. The thing I will take away with me from this project and which will stay with me, is that community is everything and that if people are unified towards the common good powerful things are possible. Transformation and change are possible. I will remember that there are always lights out there in the darkness, even if sometimes we can’t always see them. There is always, always hope.
