Buzzard Books, Leighton Buzzard

Today I discovered another independent bookshop in Bedfordshire that includes books on local history in its stock.

Buzzard Books is at 1 High Street Mews, just off the High Street and shopping area in Leighton Buzzard. Tucked away but easily visible to anyone glancing down the mews, its crisp blue bookshop sign is difficult to miss. The shop was set up in 2006 by Colin Ashby, fulfilling a 25 year dream to own his own bookshop after working for national booksellers.

It is a small shop and, when I visited it for a book launch, it was overflowing with people and books. That didn't stop me having a good look round as well as chatting to people at the launch. There was a prominent display of the book being launched, Leighton Buzzard and Linslade: a History, and a bookcase of books about Leighton Buzzard, the surrounding area and some of the recent books on Bedfordshire as a whole. I also noticed a selection of Cassini historical maps for the area.

The rest of the shop was eminently browsable and my companion remarked especially on the excellent quality of the children's books. They also feature in the links on their website http://buzzardbookshop.tbpcontrol.co.uk which lists some of the stock and provides for online ordering.

Of course it is not necessary to visit a bookshop to buy books these days, but it is so much more fun to do so and discover hitherto unknown books. So, if you are passing by, buzz down the Mews and discover local history books for Leighton Buzzard and the area and experience the independent bookseller's boast of a shop with 'great service, great knowledge and pleasant atmosphere'.

Where is that place?

Did you know that -

• Bedfordshire has its own California, Ireland and Stratford?

• ‘end’ is probably the most common placename element (even more common than ‘green’) in Bedfordshire hamlets and that there are fourteen places called Church End and six called Water End?

• St Peter de Dunstable was a parish in Bedford, not Dunstable?

• many places have the suffix –hoe, –oe, -o or –ow (derived from the Old English hoh, describing the shape of a hill)?

This and much more fascinating information about places in Bedfordshire can be discovered from Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service’s website.

It is unfortunate that the websites of county record offices and public libraries are so often hidden within the complex structures of local government websites because many of them contain information treasures for the local historian. BLARS’ home pages are one such hidden treasure. They are subsumed under Leisure and Culture at http://www.bedfordshire.gov.uk and are vital for Bedfordshire’s historians. One of the most useful sections is the Guide to Bedfordshire Parishes within the section on Guides to Collections.

It lists the county’s ancient and modern parishes (as you would expect), dating many changes of status. It explains civil parishes and ecclesiastical parishes. It notes the effect of county boundary changes on the counties into which parishes or parts of parishes fall. It also lists ‘hamlets, townships, ends and localities’ - the small places, the dispersed settlements that seem to occur in all except the smallest of parishes and are often so difficult to locate. And it goes beyond the county by listing the 80-or-so contiguous parishes and hamlets in the counties adjoining Bedfordshire.

Altogether, a treasure trove for local place names and an example for other counties to follow.

More Bedfordshire apprentices far from home

Following the posting about Bedfordshire boys being apprenticed in Gloucester, two more Bedfordshire boys have turned up out-of-county as apprentices, this time in Oxford. They are:

Thomas Gillett, son of George Gillett late of Clanfield (ie Cranfield) yeoman, deceased, who was apprenticed to John Knibb clockmaker of Oxford on 24 June 1698, presumably for 7 years although the record does not mention the period,

and

James Keats, son of Thomas Keats of Ampthill yeoman apprenticed to Edward Pittaway locksmith of Oxford for 7 years from 8 February 1741/2.

These two entries are from the published list of Oxford City Apprentices 1697-1800, edited by Malcolm Graham, 1987 (Oxford Historical Society, new series, vol. 31). The introduction to the volume describes the records and the system of apprenticeship in Oxford. Records of apprentices survive from the sixteenth century in various of the Oxford City Council books and maybe there are more Bedfordshire boys (and maybe even girls) apprenticed in Oxford in the earlier period.

What happened to these two boys after their apprenticeship? Did they remain where they were, return home or move on elsewhere?

Can anyone out there add the names of other Bedfordshire boys and girls apprenticed outside the county?

Women's Land Army in Bedfordshire

Bedford Central Library hosted the launch of Stuart Antrobus’s book about land girls in Bedfordshire -

“We would not have missed it for the World”:
the Women’s Land Army in Bedfordshire 1939-1950

And what a launch it was! More than fifty former land girls (sporting their new WLA badges) and their families (including a couple from the USA) were amongst the audience viewing the display of information about their work and helping to launch the book. The event room overflowed and buzzed with conversation. Anglia TV took pictures and interviewed some people.

Book launches are about speeches to celebrate the successful completion of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. In this case, there was a double celebration because this was the book of the award-winning website.

Nicola Avery of Bedford Library’s Information Services welcomed everyone and explained the library’s involvement with Stuart Antrobus’s WLA research. She was presented by a trustee of the Library Services Trust with the Alan Ball Local History Award which is an annual award for local studies publishing by public libraries (see my blog earlier this year). The award was accompanied by certificates for the site’s webmaster and for the author. The book's publisher, Paul Bowes of Book Castle Publishing, praised everyone involved in its design and production, which was well-deserved as a great deal of care has gone into presenting information and illustrations in an attractive and clear fashion.

Finally, Stuart thanked all the former land girls who had contributed so much to the project and his team who helped compile the list of c3,500 names from WLA records. He has been working on the project for five years and is continuing to research the people and places.

And the book itself? It begins with a straightforward and brief account of the Women’s Land Army, nationally and locally. At this point it is worth noting that the book is about land girls who WORKED in Bedfordshire, not Bedfordshire born and bred land girls who were sent out of the county to work – that’s a different project!

The book ends with a superbly reconstructed list of the land girls who worked in Bedfordshire (the website contains information on some of them), the hostels they lived in and other useful facts on the WLA and farming jobs. The middle section of the book tells the story of some of these girls and what the work and the conditions were like. It brings home how different life was then, especially in comparison with the technology and convenience of the early 21st century. This is an essential reference work for anyone interested in women’s war work or the home front in Bedfordshire in WWII and it has the advantage of being updated through the website.


“We would not have missed it for the World”: the Women’s Land Army in Bedfordshire 1939-1950; by Stuart Antrobus. Yorkshire, Book Castle Publishing, 2008. £16.99. Is available from the bookshops on the side panel or online.

Sir Gregory Page-Turner

Anyone wanting to find out from the internet about the Page-Turner family of Bedfordshire will have a problem. If you put “page turner” or “Page-Turner” into Google, in excess of two and a half million hits will be generated, mainly in the senses of something (films as well as books!) of compulsive interest and a person or software that literally turns pages. Of course, adding a first name narrows the hits to nearly manageable proportions.

Earlier this year the National Gallery had an exhibition of paintings by Pompeo Batoni in the Sainsbury Wing which included his portrait of a Bedfordshire gentleman Sir Gregory Page-Turner, 3rd Bt, painted in 1768-69 while he was on his grand tour. It shows a rather preciously posed young man in a red coat against a classic architectural backdrop. The pose is reminiscent of the Apollo Belvedere but actually makes him look overweight. More information about the portrait and the grand tour is at
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/collection/features/grandtour/feature4.htm


The picture is owned by Manchester City Galleries and can be seen and downloaded for private use at

How many other Bedfordshire people were painted on their grand tour?

Lutonian Odyssey

Recently published by Dr Clive Field OBE, formerly of the British Library, is his mother’s account of growing up in Luton between the wars, entitled Lutonian Odyssey: reminiscences of Lily Field for 1915-52.

The introduction explains that Lily worked on the text over a number of years. The account of her life has both the immediacy of the first hand account and the accuracy of Clive’s editing.

It is particularly interesting for being an account of a financially, but in no other way, impoverished life. Lily’s father died when she was very young. She makes light of their poverty, concentrating on the highlights in her life especially her sister, who also sadly died young. A picture of support from her grandfather and from neighbours emerges. There are firsthand accounts of the excitement of visits beyond Luton and of her later immersion in Methodist culture. The description of places and transport in Luton gradually brings out how small the town was then.

At first I felt that insufficient attention was given to their financial hardship but then I realised that this is an account of happily making the best of what they had – a lesson for today.

This book should be read by Lutonians, who will be interested in the people and places described, and by anyone who is caught up in that period of Bedfordshire’s (and England’s) social history.

To buy a copy, price £6, email Clive at c.d.field@bham.ac.uk

How Bedfordshire Voted

BHRS's 2008 volume, published in September, is the second in the series of Bedfordshire poll books published under the title How Bedfordshire voted: the evidence of local poll books.

The aim is to make Bedfordshire people's voting record in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries available for study. A review of volume 1 says that it shows "how county politics actually functioned at the level of the individual voter.” and that "this edition … will be absolutely essential for those with specific political, local or familial interests in late seventeenth-century Bedfordshire, as well as those seeking material for a comparative analysis.”

(H R French in History, volume 93, no 311, July 2008, p428-9)

HBV1 covers five elections from 1685 to 1715. HBV2 continues the poll book transcriptions for 1722 to 1735 covering the elections for two representatives of the borough of Bedford for 1722, 1725 (a by-election to elect one representative), 1727 and 1730/1 (another election of one representative) and for two knights of the shire for 1722, 1727 and 1734.

Accompanying text sets the elections in their local, county and national context and demonstrates that political calculations in selecting candidates and how many votes could be counted on are not a new phenomenon. This volume needs to be read with volume 1 where the electoral system and method of voting are explained.

HBV1 and 2 contain around 20,000 names of Bedfordshire voters in 12 elections for the half century from James II’s reign. Three of the poll books were printed at the time and the texts may be found on the internet, but most of the poll books are in manuscript only, so these two volumes make available a massive amount of new information for the historian of Bedfordshire. They give a vivid – and changing – picture of life in the county at a time of social and political upheaval.

Last word to the reviewer “Given the work involved in editing, checking and indexing these lists, the retail price [£25] offers good value, as is usually the case for county record society volumes.” Both volumes are available from the publisher, Boydell & Brewer, and bookshops (see side panel.)

Born at Luton Hoo?

Recently I received a plea for help in tracking down information about Luton Hoo being used as a maternity home for London evacuees during World War II. The enquirer believed that she had been born there but could find no information about Luton Hoo as a maternity home other than a posting on the BBC's WW2 People's War site


With the help of the Luton hospital historian and other documentary sources, it became clear that Luton Hoo was never a maternity home. For most of the war, it was the HQ of Eastern Command, although the King Edward VII Hospital for Officers was evacuated there for a short time in 1939.


So where was this enquirer born, if not at Luton Hoo?

A bit of delving revealed that the place of birth was The Hoo and that The Hoo in question was Gaddesden Hoo in Hertfordshire. For someone not familiar with local placenames in the Beds/Herts area, the identification of The Hoo with Luton Hoo is understandable.

Hoo is not an uncommon place name and also occurs in Kempston, Pertenhall, Wootton, Meppershall and Clifton, although undoubtedly Luton Hoo is the best known. But Great Gaddesden, just north of Hemel Hempstead, also has a house called The Hoo, and Hoo Lodge, Hoo Cottages, and Hoo Wood - in fact, an estate with a large house, although not of the order of Luton Hoo.

The enquiry raises the whole question of maternity homes for Second World War evacuees. Were there any in Bedfordshire? If so, where were they?

BHRS - lucky winner

Recently BHRS's secretary, Richard Smart, took part in an ICT survey run by Community and Voluntary Service Mid and North Beds. His response to the questionnaire was one of 157 from organisations around the area that looked at requirements for IT support.

A full report will be published soon. Meanwhile general findings are that around half the respondents felt that more help was needed by the voluntary sector in supporting the use of computers in their voluntary work.

The names of survey participants were entered in a prize draw and - Richard won an HP all-in-one printer, scanner and copier for the Society.

Who Do You Think You Are - LIVE?

Well, several members of BHRS Council spent two enjoyable days at Who Do You Think You Are? at Olympia last weekend, 4 and 5 May. We met lots of family historians who either live in Bedfordshire now or whose ancestors lived there.

The main area of interest was the east of the county, especially around Biggleswade, although the Society's three books on Luton excited some interest - Strawopolis, The Education and Employment of Girls in Luton, and Vauxhall Motors and the Luton Economy 1900-2002 - as did the The Shiny Seventh: the 7th (Service) Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment at War 1915-1918.

People wanted to know "what we had on ..." their village and we were able to direct them to the Bedfordshire Family Society History stand where there was a wider range of books for sale and to BLARS stand for advice on the resources of the Bedfordshire and Luton Archive and Record Service.

I had a long discussion with one lady about the importance of poll books in throwing light on political, economic and social background. With the publication in August of the Society's second volume of poll book transcriptions, the voting patterns in Bedfordshire for the 50-year period 1685-1735 will be available.

BHRS expands

The Bedfordshire Historical Record Society is going through an exciting time of development. In addition to the annual volume, which has been the centre of the Society’s activities for many years, the Society is currently -

· planning a major new database to update the Bedfordshire Bibliography,
· discussing digitisation with British History Online,
· planning to reprint articles from the Bedfordshire Magazine, and
· discussing participation in the national Hearth Tax transcription project with the project management at the University of Roehampton.

They are all exciting projects that will provide access to sources for the history of Bedfordshire to a wider audience through the internet. They also present many opportunities for participation by BHRS members and non-members.

If you are interested in being part of this expansion or contributing to its annual volume, why not contact BHRS - bhrs@bedfordshirehrs.org.uk - and volunteer? The Society is looking particularly for people with IT, admin., fundraising, research, bibliographical and transcription skills – and a little time. And you don’t have to live in Bedfordshire to take part.

Who Do You Think You Are - LIVE

Bedfordshire Historical Record Society has a stand at WDYTYA for the two days, Saturday and Sunday 3 and 4 May.

We shall be selling recent BHRS volumes and a few of the older ones, all at competitive prices.

Of particular use to family historians is How Bedfordshire Voted, volume 1 edited by James Collett-White. It contains 8,500 names of people who voted in the Parliamentary elections for representatives for the borough of Bedford and county of Bedfordshire in the period 1685-1715. The poll books transcribed in this volume were not printed at the time, so the information is a new published source for people researching Bedfordshire's history. Introductions to each election put it in a local and national context. The second volume will be published in August this year taking coverage to 1734 and revealing the voting history of the county for a 50 year period. The two volumes contain nearly 20,000 names.

Amongst the older volumes on sale will be the four Church volumes - Bedfordshire Churches in the Nineteenth Century, by Chris Pickford, BHRS vols 73, 77, 79 and 80. They are a mine of authoritative information about the design, architecture, artefacts and administration of Church of England churches including the many mission churches and rooms built in the 19th century to provide for the increase in population in such places as Luton.

Bedfordshire Women's Land Army site wins award

Congratulations to Stuart Antrobus and the Bedfordshire County Council’s Local Studies Library staff on winning the Alan Ball Local History Award 2007 for Bedfordshire Women’s Land Army Internet Archive.

In announcing the winners on 28 February 2008, the judges praised the site for being “well structured, easily navigable, and a good example of a library working with a local historian to provide newly researched historical information within an existing website.”

Established nearly 25 years ago and administered by the Library Services Trust, the awards are an established part of the library awards scene and provide publicity for local studies, both nationally and locally, particularly in the winners' home areas. Both Stuart and the library staff must be delighted with this recognition of their contribution to the recent history of Bedfordshire.

Have a look at the website at http://tinyurl.com/2nq2up and see for yourself who the land girls were, and where they lived and worked. The project is on-going. The website is up dated frequently and Stuart is still calling for more information. There's still a lot to fill in about the careers of individual girls. Look at the list: maybe you'll recognise a name and can tell him about the person.

His book on the subject will be published by The Book Castle, Dunstable in October this year.

The Book Castle, Dunstable

The Book Castle on Dunstable’s Church Street is a stone’s throw from the High Street and is located in one of Dunstable's most historic buildings, dating from 1872 and used as a drill hall by volunteer soldiers for many years. The bookshop was established nearly 30 years ago and is the largest independent bookshop in the area.

The Book Castle has three strings to its bow: although principally selling new books for all the family, it has a large range a second hand books for all tastes and - uniquely in the whole country - it is also a publisher, specialising in history, autobiography, pictorial and walking guides about its catchment area of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and the Chilterns. With over 120 titles to date, this is an impressive record.

The shop prides itself on being a really traditional bookseller, offering excellent customer services – fast new book orders and out-of-print book search. It has also kindly lent books for review by BHRS on this blog – much appreciated!

If you can’t get to the shop itself, visit the website where its local interest titles and more are listed.

The Book Castle, 12 Church Street, Dunstable, Beds LU5 4RUTel: 01582 605670 Email: bc@book-castle.co.ukWeb: www.book-castle.co.uk

County Town Books, Bedford

On a recent visit to Bedford I browsed around County Town Books, a marvellous bookshop, situated in the heart of the town opposite St Paul's Church and round the corner from the Swan Hotel on the Embankment of the river Ouse.

For anyone in the north of the county wanting a first rate choice of books about Bedfordshire, this is the place. On the left just inside the shop are around a dozen shelves (possibly more) devoted to Bedfordshire - parish histories large and small, the marvellous book on Bedfordshire Bridges, books on Bedfordshire regiments and airfields, picture books of bygone eras, railways, pubs and some of the current and older publications of BHRS.

I came away with more than I had intended buying - inevitably. One of the specialist books was Bedfordshire Barrels: a directory of commercial breweries in the county by Keith Osborne, which sets out the rise, fall, mergers and amalgamations of Beds breweries over the last 150 years or so. Of a general nature was Sandy Chrystal's Bedfordshire at work on old picture postcards. It shows the wide variety of work undertaken in this "rural" county and is a must for anyone interested in work and working conditions.

County Town Books does not have a website but a phone call or a visit would be well-worthwhile for anyone looking for books on Beds.

County Town Books, 7 High Street, Bedford MK40 1RN
Tel: 01234 341789

“At 12 Mr Byng was shot” – the court martial and execution of Admiral Byng

© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

The Byng family was prominent in Bedfordshire in the 17th and 18th centuries. After a successful naval and political career, George Byng was created Viscount Torrington in 1721. His son, Pattee Byng, was MP for Bedfordshire until he succeeded his father in 1733. The family had strong naval connections, the best known being John Byng, a younger son of the first Viscount, who rose to become an Admiral.

Admiral Byng was charged with neglecting his duty during an action against the French fleet in the Mediterranean in summer 1756. At a court martial he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Pleas for mercy were unsuccessful and he was executed by firing squad on board his former ship, the Monarch, on 14 March 1757.

The story is simply told on the Royal Naval Museum website http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_john_byng.htm and on the National Maritime Museum site http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC0380 where there are also some excellent portraits of Byng and a painting of his execution.

His execution has long been controversial and a group at Southill in Bedfordshire where the Byng family lived is campaigning for his pardon. Despite a set back last year on the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his death when the MoD told a descendant that a pardon after so long was inappropriate, the campaign continues, with several local initiatives -

• A seminar entitled “Admiral John Byng (1704-1757): the life and death of the Admiral of the Blue" will be held on Saturday 23rd February 2008 from 10. am to 4 pm at the Function Room of the White Horse Public House, High Street, Southill, near Biggleswade, Beds SG18 9LD (This is 200 yards from the Byng Vault – his resting place, open to view during the day.) Speakers include Dr David Davies, David Wyllie, Dr John Byng Hall, James Collett-White, Chris Byng-Maddock, John Taylor QC, Rev. Mark Aaron Tisdale, Sarah Saunders Davies and Thane Byng Nelson.
  Bookings must be made in advance of the day. Tickets at £6.00 (excluding lunch) from Nico Rodenburg - email rodenburg@btinternet.com
  
• A petition - ask Nico Rodenburg about signing it, but be quick! It will be handed in on 12 March.


• A dramatic oratorio “The Musket Ball and the Tragic Fate of Admiral John Byng" in three parts, devised by Thane Byng and composed by David Wyllie. The European premiere will be in Brussels on 7th March and the British premiere is on 14th March 2008 at 7.30 pm at All Saints Church, Southill, Beds, in aid of the Restoration Fund. It will be performed by members of the Bedford Choral Society
  Tickets at £12.50, including light refreshments from 6.30 pm from Nico Rodenburg: e-mail rodenburg@btinternet.com
  
  
  
  
  
  

Tent peg makers in Bedfordshire?

I was asked recently whether there were any makers of wooden tent peg working in Bedfordshire during the Second World War. There is plenty of evidence for the production of millions of tent pegs for the war effort in the woodlands of the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Chilterns, but none so far for production in Bedfordshire, either in the Chilterns or other woodland areas.

If you know of tent peg making in Bedfordshire at any period, please post a comment.

Vale of Aylesbury

‘Tis the Far Famous Vale: National Influences on the Vale of Aylesbury

Ken and Margaret Morley
The Book Castle, Dunstable, 2007 £25.00

If you stand on the Chiltern Hills at Dunstable Downs, you will be looking across the Vale of Aylesbury. The boundary between Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire can be traced quite easily by the lines of willows beside the Ouzel river and, in fact, some Bedfordshire villages are a part of the Vale.

We live in a very small county but we have much to learn if we look across our borders. As the fly leaf to this book states, `there is an increasing realisation that local history cannot be fully appreciated unless national factors are taken into account`.

Probably the first thing to strike anyone who looks at this book is the enormous amount of detail. It is truly remarkable and, if a book could be found to give a concise history of what was happening in this country during the last few millennia, this could well be it. The list of contents leaves very few subjects untouched, from early settlers to life in a medieval village, through religious conflict to the opening up of the countryside by canals, roads and rail, to the demise of cottage industries and the establishment of new industries and education for all. The text is supported by diagrams, maps, personal recollections, pictures, many of them in colour, references and tables.

The present and future are not neglected. The last chapter is devoted to threats to the Vale. In 1969, the Roskill Commission proposed the siting of a third London airport at Cublington. Fortunately this damaging plan was rejected but now there are plans to flood the area with greenfield-brownfield housing. Again, the authors have provided considerable detail on this topical subject.

Information is provided about places to visit and the rights and wrongs of accessing the countryside and, at the front of the book, is a list of places which are `well worth a visit`. Some of these, such as Stockwood Park and Wardown Park Museum are in Bedfordshire. There is indeed a great deal to learn from looking across the county boundary.

Reviewed by Anne Allsopp

Luton Hoo Walled Garden

In 1763, the Earl of Bute purchased the Luton Hoo estate in south Bedfordshire and commissioned the celebrated gardener, `Capability` Brown, to landscape the grounds. A five-acre octagonal walled garden was also established. This flourished under subsequent owners and, together with the large glasshouses, provided flowers, fruit and vegetables for the estate for almost two centuries. The garden became famous in its time and its reputation was such that any gardener who had worked on the Luton Hoo estate was sure to find employment.

Many ladies and gentlemen from the higher echelons of society were invited to the Hoo for weekend visits; they would often spend time admiring the grounds before taking tea in the beautiful tea house nearby. In 1903 Luton Hoo was sold to Sir Julius Wernher whose family still owns the estate, although the mansion has now been sold to Elite Hotels.

Sadly, after the Second World War, the gardens became overgrown and the sturdy glasshouses, which The Victorian Society considers to be `probably the last survival of this type of lavish glasshouse range` were in need of repair. It became obvious that there was much of historical and horticultural interest at the site that should not be lost; the gardens needed to be brought back to life, not as a society showcase but as a local amenity.

In 2000, research began into the history of the gardens and much archival material has already been found. Also a team of volunteers is doing practical work to reclaim the land. The garden opens its gates regularly to visitors and the team is working to encourage a wide involvement with community groups. It is hoped that this nationally important site will become `a vibrant tourist attraction and valuable local resource`.

More can be found out about this fascinating project on the website: www.lutonhoowalledgarden.org.uk
Or phone 01582 721443

Posted for Anne

Limbury-cum-Biscot

The Story of Limbury-cum-Biscot
by Colin R. Cook
Published by Colin R. Cook in conjunction with the Book Castle, Dunstable 2007
£8.99

Limbury and Biscot were hamlets just outside Luton but both have now been urbanized and the former `rural paradise` has given way to housing and traffic. However, the river Lea can still be found, the Moat House, the oldest secular building in Luton, looks in many ways as it always did and the peaceful churchyard still gives Biscot a countryside feeling.

Even before the Norman Conquest, Limbury and Biscot would have been known to travellers along the Icknield Way and evidence of Roman occupation has been found. Saxons lived here and remained in control even though, in the ninth century AD, the boundary that separated them from the Vikings was in the immediate vicinity. The book gives details of the entry for Biscot (Bissopescote) in the Domesday book and then goes on to note the names of the manors and landowners who managed the area during the following eight hundred years.

Of particular interest is the Moat House which can be traced back to 1370-1400 AD. The original purpose of the building is disputed but the quality of the richly-moulded roof beams suggests that this was more than just a manor or farm house. There is speculation that a nunnery was set up in the area. Although there is no proof of this, it is said that `on dark foggy winters’ evenings you may still see black hooded figures hurrying along Nunnery Lane responding to the distant ring of a church bell`. Nowadays the Moat House is a very popular carvery and the old beams can still be seen.

There is an interesting chapter on rural industries: tanning, straw plaiting, hat making and osier gathering. The author has gathered information about schools in the hamlets and reproduced some entries from the log books. Biscot church, built in 1868, is described in some detail and, at the back of the book, is a note from the `Friends of Biscot Churchyard` who maintain comprehensive burial books from 1870 and have maps to help relatives to locate graves.

Sadly Colin Cook died just before Limbury-cum-Biscot was published but the book is a pleasing record of his love and dedication.


Reviewed by Anne Allsopp.

From Grand to Grove - entertaining south Bedfordshire

From Grand to Grove Entertaining South Bedfordshire
by Eddie Grabham
published by The Book Castle, Dunstable in 2007 at £16.99

Eddie Grabham’s book was published to coincide with the opening of the new Grove Theatre in Dunstable (which, incidentally, is doing very well - 01582 609351).

It has been claimed that Dunstable was `the cradle of English drama`. This was because Geoffrey de Gorham’s miracle play, based on the martyrdom of St Katherine of Alexandria and performed in Dunstable in the twelfth century, is thought to have been the first English production in the vernacular.

In December 1898 the much-loved Grand Theatre was opened by Lillie Langtry. It was near the Luton railway stations and, therefore, easily accessible to people from the surrounding area. It was demolished in 1957 and remained the only purpose-built theatre in the south of the county until the Grove Theatre was opened. However, live theatre could be enjoyed at other venues, for example at Dunstable’s Little Theatre and Queensway Hall, Leighton Buzzard’s Exchange Theatre and Library Theatre and Luton’s Alma and Library Theatre.

The author goes on to describe the age of film going. The first permanent cinema in Bedfordshire was opened in Luton in 1909 with the unimaginative name of the Anglo-American Electric Picture Palace. Some doubted whether the new `flicks` would be popular but they certainly were as the title of the next chapter in the book indicates: `South Bedfordshire goes Movie Crazy`. The book names local cinemas which became significant parts of people’s lives in Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Luton and Toddington in the first half of the twentieth century, a real trip down memory lane! Cinemas certainly played a considerable role in boosting morale during the Second World War. They also provided `a valuable channel for essential propaganda`.

The heyday of the cinema was challenged by television. One by one the lovely old cinemas, with their beautiful artistic interiors, closed and took on other lives, for example as ballrooms, bingo halls or nightclubs. Films were still shown but were more likely to be found at multiplexes.

Eddie Grabham’s book is full of delightful photographs. There are also mentions of famous personalities who came to perform on a Luton stage: Julie Andrews, Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Lane, Ken Dodd, Warren Mitchell and Sam Wanamaker to name a few. Recently, the actor Brian Blessed has shown a particular interest in the new Grove Theatre in Dunstable.

This book is full of memories but is also a social history of one aspect of Bedfordshire life in the twentieth century.


Reviewed by Anne Allsopp

Buy this book from The Castle Bookshop, Dunstable - see links to bookshops on the right.