Books Available from Here at £10-50 ($15) posted anywhere Syresham .. A Forest Village By Philip Pettit Philip Pettit was born and brought up in Syresham. After gaining a First Class Honours degree in Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford, he did a Doctorate of Philosophy, supervised by Dr. W. G. Hoskins. His book, The Royal Forests of Northamptonshire, has been widely acclaimed. Although a Methodist local preacher, he served as Principal of an Anglican College in Nigeria before being Headmaster of Maidstone Grammar School for 20 years. He has retired to his native Syresham and has been elected to the South Northamptonshire Council as a Liberal Democrat. This history will be of wider interest than merely to the people of Syresham who wish to understand their roots. It explores the effects of a forest environment on the village - topographically, economically and socially. Beyond that, it shows how an "open", boisterous village developed its vibrant Wesleyan (later Wesleyan Reform) chapel. It considers the backcloth of Puritan influence in the area and assesses the role of the local Anglican clergy, but it also includes social analysis. Then, with biographical and genealogical illustrations, it examines the characteristics of late 19th century nonconformity in one real village community. Finally, and largely based on personal recollections, it offers a vivid portrait of village life in the early decades of the present century. Copies are available from Syresham Shop and Post Office or direct from Francis James at 30 Bell Lane, Syresham. The book costs £6 plus p&p Syresham .. A Bygone Age By Francis James Francis James has lived in Syresham all his life, only leaving the village to serve his country in the Second World War. Most of his working life was spent as a builder, painter and decorator and there are few houses in the village which have not experienced his handiwork. He is also a keen gardener and writer of poetry. He has been a lifelong member of Syresham Wesleyan Reform Chapel, playing his part over the years as, Sunday School Superintendent, Chapel President and Local Preacher, which he continues to this day. This book contains his personal memories of life in Syresham during the first half of the twentieth century. The book is a celebration of an age very different to our own, an age when the village was a self-supporting community which, in its early days, was somewhat distanced from the outside world. It brings to life the characters who once lived in the village and who played their part in shaping it into the village it is today. Life was often hard and difficult and yet there exuded a sense of happiness and concern for each other that appears to be missing in today's fast moving world. We would be truly enriched if we could recapture something of that bygone age.