Review of ‘Then and Now and Odds and Ends of Chelmorton’, by David Gould

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.

David Gould did sterling work with an earlier book on Chelmorton and has again enjoyed much local support and co-operation during his researches for this companion volume. As before, personal contributions have gone a long way towards the assembling of genealogical and other information. No wonder, for one of several pairs of photographs taken 100 years apart comes with the comment that members of the same family have lived here throughout. Similarly, we are shown many properties photographed both a century ago and how they look today. In the pages of this book, ducks are still paddling on a now lost village mere and the Church Inn still has its wooden window shutters.

So many properties in Chelmorton have earlier lives: a school which finally had only eight children on its roll, a chapel, shops, bakehouse, coaching pub plus farms and barns galore. The author has also transcribed two maps with the aim of recording place and field names that are fast passing into memory.

David has been also privy to details of a recipe containing mouse tails; hens ferried about by taxi; and the identity of the local housewives' nightmare. In the course of his researches, he has been advised of the whereabouts of 'cowshit corner' and been made aware of the recent sighting of a ghost.

The generous loan of old photographs is evidence of the assistance afforded to this local author and his two 'Time Travel' tours. Both books are certain to be of enduring interest to present and future generations.

Review by Julie Bunting