(Selected by David Kindred)

This charming book comprises many black and white photographs taken in the 1920s and '30s by Ralph and Leonard Titshall, two brothers from Ipswich, and they appear to represent a real labour of love as these pictures were evidently not taken for commercial purposes.

The glass negatives were rescued from a garden shed, where they had been stored for many years, and had been badly affected by damp. When they were passed on to David Kindred he set about the onerous task of trying to restore and print as many of them as he could. His best results can be seen in this fascinating book.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words so this collection of photographs tells us a great deal about rural East Anglian life between the wars. In fact, since the area had few towns, rural life was the norm for the majority of the local population. This is a completely unique record of everyday people going about their work, tending animals, ploughing, harvesting or threshing … … it was obviously a hard life with few luxuries but one in which the horse still played a vital and integral role.

As well as the horse-drawn equipment, there are some wonderful pictures of 'new fangled' steam driven machines and highly prized tractors - which were, of course, to have such a dramatic impact on the rural horse population in succeeding decades.

This is a book to 'dip' into again and again because you are certain to spot new fascinating details each time. There is a wealth of history and information between its covers that will provide a delightful glimpse of a bygone era.

Strongly recommended.

Paperback £9.95 + £1.00 P&P (UK) £2 P&P Europe £3 P&P Rest of the world

Available from:

Old Pond Publishing
104 Valley Road Ipswich
IP1 4PA UK
Tel/Fax: 01473 210176
e-mail: roger.smith@oldpond.com

NB. The first printing sold out in six months. The book is currently being reprinted and the second edition should be available from mid-march 2000