In
an effort to discover for oneself some of its magic it is well worth while
turning to an Oral History entitled KERSEY WITHIN LIVING MEMORY. Designed
by Martin Colyer (Executive Art Editor, Readers Digest), and now in its
second print, this most attractively produced book is lavishly illustrated
with black and white and coloured photographs. It was printed by Keith
Avis Printers, Hadleigh, with funding from Millenium Festival Awards for
All. However, it stands out from other Millennium projects about villages
for one reason: It contains a wealth of historical memories straight from
the mouths of residents, many of whom are in their seventies, eighties
and nineties.
The author Anne Maltby, a 'newcomer" who hadn't even heard of Kersey before 1993, fell in love with it on sight and was enthralled with the tales told her by indigenous villagers. Taking her courage in her hands she very soon began visiting willing residents with her tape recorder. in order to capture the memories they had of shops and businesses, housing, churchgoing, home and school, first jobs, farming, wartime - in fact every aspect of life and death over the past century. Over a period of five years Anne interviewed almost fifty people. including early and most recent newcomers to the village.
This is a mesmerising book. By the end you feel you know each character; his or her family background, attitude to life, manner of speech. Most of all, you begin to understand the fascination of Kersey and if you then visit the village, book in hand, you can follow the map of the street and recognise the names of houses in which so many dramas were played out.
Available from Kersey Church, Pottery, The Bell Inn and Post Office; Keith
Avis Newsagents, Into Books and the Idler Bookshop, Hadleigh; Waterstones
of Ipswich; Gainsborough Books, Sudbury; The Craft Shop, Monks Eleigh.
Price: £5.99. Proceeds to Kersey village organisations.
ISBN number 0-9538658-0-0
To discuss receiving copies by post ring Anne Maltby (+44 (0)1473-828383)
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