Portrait of Pirton – a century of change

This new book from the Pirton Local History Group provides a photographic portrait of a century of change in the village of Pirton. It has been arranged in nine chapters, each with its own theme, with photographs chosen and chapters written by different authors. The book, edited by local historian Helen Hofton, begins with a chapter that sets the scene to introduce this village of about 1,300 people and 450 houses. Each chapter has its own introduction, identifying those changes that most strongly influenced a particular aspect of village life. In addition to setting the scene, chapters cover: houses, pubs and shops, transport, growing up, jobs, farming, church and chapel, and events. The 152 pages include some 400 black and white photographs. Each caption provides a detailed interpretation of the photographs to give a better understanding of the present day context. Locations are identified and, where possible, individuals are named.

The source of almost all of the material has been interviews and discussions with past and present residents of Pirton, or with people with strong connections with the village. The book records the opinions and memories of the community and provides a picture of life as they remembered it. Other important sources were the Parish Magazine, the Minutes of the Parish Council, and newspapers and documents from Hitchin Museum and the County Record Office in Hertford.

The book, published in paperback, is available from the Pirton Local History Group (phone: 01462 712 583, email: val.guess@tiscali.co.uk, 73 High Street, Pirton, Herts, SG5 3PU, UK), priced £14.99. For postage and packing please add £3.00 for the UK, for the rest of Europe add £4.50, for the rest of the world add £8.00.

Please mention the website when ordering