May 2011 Meeting
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Yesterday’s Children
The May meeting of the History Society was a preview of its current project: a compilation of memories of Bidford in the 20thcentury. The compilation was from the drafts of the commemorative book now approaching publication. Sandra Parker and Wendy Shaddick from the editorial group provided the narration with readings from former Chairman John Cole and Sam Precious. The main attraction was the personal recollections of Dorothy Johnson, Frank Spiers and Rodney Crompton, which are central to the story and the picture of the village the book will reveal.
“Yesterday’s Children” traces the history of Bidford and the changes that took place in village life during the 20thcentury, starting with the death of Queen Victoriain 1901 and punctuated by the two World Wars. It looks at the positive and negative impacts of social and economic change through the century as far as the 1980s – with pointers for Bidford as it is today.
As a blend of narrative and personal stories, “Yesterday’s Children” has a broad appeal for the entire community, especially those who lived through a part of it. But it is also relevant to the children of today, and the History Society is convinced that when the book is published later this year, it will have all the qualities of a “best seller”. |
