A picturesque English town, Burford stands on the River Windrush and is often called “the gateway to the Cotswolds”. At first glance, time appears to have stood still with its centuries-old honey-stoned buildings, quiet courtyards and ancient inns all contribute to that impression. Yet, while the fabric of the town may be old and weathered, its inhabitants, both past and present, have continued to adapt with the passing of time.
This highly illustrated book, features 58 personal observations written by David Cohen, a long-time resident and chairman of the Burford Tolsey Museum & Archive, relating to different aspects of the town’s rich history and day-to-day life. Collectively, they offer poignant insights into the town’s response to historic events, the comings and goings of those who have spent time here, and the lives of some of its more colourful, and occasionally controversial, characters.
By documenting these often-amusing stories of a vibrant and historic community, this book serves as a record of life in this country town.
Cover photograph courtesy of Pete Gould
---------------------------------Hot off the Tolsey Press comes their third new book in a matter of months, following on from Treasures of the Burford Tolsey Museum and Burford’s Wartime Stories Now comes a new publication written by David Cohen. This is a selection of articles which previously appeared in the museum’s monthly newsletters. Whereas its two predecessors were themed around items in the museum and the memories and letters of local residents, this one has a broader approach. As its subtitle—A light-hearted look at its colourful past—hints, it is a miscellany of stories, some about local people and some about particular buildings or features of the town, some about a snippet of its history. But although light-hearted, it is clearly the product of a huge amount of research in obscure tales and dusty documents.
The stories, mostly two or three pages long, are loosely gathered into four sections: People—Mr Bowle the saddler, highwaymen, William Lenthall, Lady Tanfield’s ghost and others; Places—Asthall Barrow, the cottage hospital and so on; Events—the cinema at the Falkland Hall, an unusual game of cricket and some more wartime stories; and Other Asides— a mixture of other items. Perhaps few will read the book from cover to cover but it is ideal for dipping into for a few minutes’ diversion and entertainment.
Which of the 58 stories will appeal is very much a matter of personal taste. Some of them are familiar ones like that of Charles II and Nell Gwynne. Our old friends the Levellers, perhaps over-familiar to us, are thankfully omitted. There is not much mention of Burford’s most famous building—the one with a 55 metre spike on the top. Our interest was piqued by information about the days of travel by coach. Burford was a much-used stopping off point for coaches travelling between London and places to the west; hence all the pubs. A timetable from 1819 shows 14 coaches calling between midnight and 10.45am with no doubt a similar number during the rest of the day. David points out how busy the innkeepers and ostlers must have been ensuring a quick turnaround. There is also a longish section on the practice of wife-selling —clearly a preoccupation of the author.
As with the previous Tolsey publications (without disrespect to the author) much of the interest for us was to be found in the treasure trove of images, many from the museum’s own collection but others from different sources. Compiling these must have been a labour of love.
The final section is about the village pump, a symbol of a community gathering together, now to be seen in the archive’s garden. The book is available from the museum (in person or online) from the Madhatter Bookshop and other source
Review by Gordon Elliot, Joint Editor of The Bridge Magazine.