Romsley & Hunnington History Society -

New Book: Worcester in 50 Buildings

Worcester in 50 Buildings by James Dinn

It's all too easy to walk past a building and not give it a second glance but this treasure trove of architectural gems invites the reader to stop and take a closer look.

James Dinn has selected 50 iconic buildings in the Faithful City that represent its evolution from the distant past to the present day. That continuous stream of history is clearly and concisely summarised in the Introduction, that part of a book which is often overlooked as being over-lengthy. Not in this case. Each of the 50 buildings has its own story and, collectively, weaves a narrative of Worcester's many attributes - commercial, administrative, industrial, judicial, agricultural, educational, domestic, ecclesiastical, medical and recreational.

The book is very well illustrated so the buildings, by and large, are easy to find. Despite the map, however, some of the outlying sites may be difficult to locate for those without a thorough knowledge of the layout of Worcester and its suburbs. Notable are Warndon, Lower Wick and Powick and extra directions or grid references would have been helpful; as would an index.

Following in James Dinn's footsteps, the owner of this handy-sized guide book can discover the magnificent city of Worcester over many weekends of delight and enlightenment. At £14.99, its 96 pages of interest will make an excellent Christmas present – and it's available now in local bookshops.

Court Rolls of Romsley 1279-1643

Wednesday 13th September was a very auspicious day for the Romsley and Hunnington History Society. It was the day the book, Court Rolls of Romsley 1279-1643, edited by Matthew Tompkins, was launched. Many members of the Worcestershire Historical Society, who published the book, and members of Romsley and Hunnington History Society gathered in the Church Hall to celebrate the occasion.

Matthew Tompkins gave a talk explaining how it took him 10 years to transcribe and translate the rare Court Rolls of Romsley, which remarkably had survived for over 300 years. Fortunately, he had modern technology in the form of a digital camera to help him, but his task was by no means easy. The result is the very interesting book, which gives an insight into the lives of people living in Romsley over 700 years ago.

Armistice Anniversary Display

Photos and memorabilia of the First World War were on display as part of the Remembrance Day commemoration held on 11 November 2018 at the Scout HQ in Romsley.