Review of ‘I Remember Clay Cross’, by Margaret Wombwell

This review is by Julie Bunting, and was published originally in The Peak Advertiser, the Peak District's local free newspaper, and is reproduced with Julie's kind permission.

Certain to be of interest to readers tracing their family trees and to some of our advertisers, the narrative of this new publication is based on interviews and recordings compiled by Margaret Wombwell of Ashover.

Clay Cross was transformed and its population increased threefold when excavation of a tunnel for the North Midland Railway revealed rich seams of coal and ironstone rakes. Collieries, furnaces and foundries provided employment into comparatively recent times. Many voices and illustrations take these and other recollections through the past century, from working life and healthcare to hard- earned leisure activities. One main attraction was the Ashover Light Railway with its special day outings that brought townsfolk in the direction of the Peak District for a breath of fresh air.

Review by Julie Bunting