Theodore House has always been described as a “retreat and study centre”. A key feature of any such place are, of course, books. Books to browse, to ponder, to draw solace from, to inform one’s knowledge, to expand one’s understanding, to acquire wisdom from. As you enter Theodore House’s spacious atrium, the door facing you from the left and back of the atrium carries the inscription “Hardwick Library”.

Peter and Brigid Hardwick were well-known as pillars of the Stonyhurst community, bringing the benefits of their wisdom and learning to the school for over 50 years. The Guardian’s obituary described Peter as “an English teacher of exceptional brilliance and inspiration, despite a complete lack of pedagogical training or qualifications”, and Brigid was the first woman on Stonyhurst College’s staff. The library was named after them for their profound influence on generations of Stonyhurst students, and for the kind bequest made of some of their books to the charity. Lord Alton paid tribute to them in this article, in which he noted the importance of books for education, whose ultimate aim is to prepare us for death – and the life to come!

To date, the “Hardwick Library” has remained a room used for meetings. The planning of a library, the seeking of funds for furnishing and of books to fill the library have all required time from amongst the many competing priorities.

So it is with great pleasure that we have finally moved this project forward. With some funds having been received from a generous donor, a basic scheme was agreed. In the meantime, the core of the CHC’s book collection had already been formed by the acquisition of Stratford Caldecott’s personal library, and by Karol Gajewski’s bequest.