Although these are the memoirs of five girls living in Shipton Gorge, a village three miles east of Bridport, readers will recognise similarities to their own childhood. It will also be of interest to social historians and simply people who enjoy a good read.
It brings to life, events, interests and everyday living of village people in the not-too distant past. From lack of mains water and electricity and infrequent transport to the austerity of the war years, it was a hard life, especially for the adults. Simplicity of life was the norm, but for certain, life was never dull.
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Please make cheques payable to Sylvia Weston for £9.90 including p&p
75 Bristol Rd, Forest Gate, London, E7 8HG
Testimonials:
(no adverse comments received!)
Thank you so much for the book which arrived today, what a lovely surprise! I had to start reading it immediately and am about half-way through Joyce’s contribution, it’s amazing how much detail she remembers, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the book. Congratulations on the front and back covers, perfect views of the village and Hill I hope you do really well with sales and thank you again so much for sending me a copy.
B.B.Bridport, Dorset
I’m going to find it all very nostalgic. June’s poem touches me deeply – it says just what I feel as I come over Askers each time I visit.
J.J.Launton, Oxford
What a lovely photo of sunny Shipton Gorge on the cover. I hope it gets great reviews and you get good sales, you deserve both for all your hard work.
Thanks for bringing back these and some other fond childhood memories which no doubt others reading your book will also have.
M.B.Caerphilly, Wales
I meant to spend the morning practicing Chopin but put my feet up and read “Memories of Shipton Gorge” instead. It’s fascinating to see the same place recalled in different ways through the personalities and memories of those five very different little girls.
N.C.Totnes, Devon
Your book enabled me to spend a very enjoyable weekend reading. I was so interested in learning of your early days at Shipton.
P.H.Gt.Wakering, Essex
I bought your book from the Somerset and Dorset FHS. Saw it in their recent magazine and rushed straight out to the post box! Luckily just by our gate.
C.S. Wilts
Just received your book today. It is fantastic. Thank you very much for this on behalf of Shipton Gorge Village as I know this is going to create a lot of interest.
S.P. Shipton Gorge, Dorset
Such a lot of your effort is familiar to me. Everything was exactly as you describe. Book excellent, thank you. Well done.
P.P. Bothenhampton
Thanks for sending me a review copy of your book. I’m glad that it all came to fruition.
I have just read it from cover to cover in a single sitting. The unsophisticated grammar and occasional spelling errors are no distraction whatsoever; on the contrary they add to the fundamental honesty and charm of the five memoirs. The book will be a delight for those who live in the village now or know it well. For people like me, the curator of a local museum, it is also without doubt an extremely useful record of various aspects of rural life in the middle years of the last century, not least the experiences of wartime. The vignettes of the village school (in the capable hands of the saintly Mrs Osborne), the pub-cum-shop, the net braiders and the children’s games are complimented by the authentic sights, sounds and smells that bubble up out of every single page. I had almost forgotten the unique fragrances of washday and Vick!
I shall deposit this copy in the Reference Section of Beaminster Museum. Life in Shipton Gorge was not at all dissimilar to life in our own area a little further inland and your reminiscences are more evocative than any I can think of in our current collection. Well done.
B.E. Curator, Beaminster Museum
This book is a great piece of social history stretching far beyond this village. Surely everyone who now or formerly had a family living at Shipton Gorge will want one.
C.D. The Greenwood Tree
P.P has lent me her copy of the book but I’d dearly love a copy so will be sending off for one.
Your book has arrived safely – I really am delighted to have it. Thank you so much for writing it.
R.H. Woburn Sands
Many thanks for the book. It’s lovely! I had to read it, cover to cover, before doing anything else.
G.G. Sutton
Your book was such a delight to read. It brought back many memories for me. Words that I hadn’t heard in many years jumped off the page – starch, blue rinse, pull-throughs, cod liver oil and malt, biscuit barrels, milk churns carried on a yoke ( I remember how I liked to drink the milk while it was still warm from the cow – can’t imagine doing that now. It’s illegal here to sell raw milk), fresh mackerel, Ovaltinies ( I was one and I still drink Ovaltine), picking wild water cress (I have to pay for it now), dried egg powder, and the wild flowers – primroses, violets (for Mothers’ Day – sorry, Mothering Sunday), cowslips, bluebells and foxgloves .
I especially liked your page about the smells of Shipton and June’s poem at the end of the book.
D L-S Canada
ONE COMPLAINT!
I enjoyed the book so much that I feel that I must complain that it isn’t three times as long.
Anon, Shipton Gorge
