THE BOOK OF CALBOURNE by Keir Foss (IWFHS member 234), published by Halsgrove Publishing in October 2009 at £19.99. Avaialable from the IW County Press Bookshop, or Waterstone's, Newport.

Keir's earlier books about the ancient parish of Calbourne (The Book of Newtown published in 2004 and The Book of Porchfield and Locks Green published 2006) proved to be extremely popular and this volume about Calbourne itself promises to be equally attractive to Islanders in general and family historians in particular.
(click for larger image)
Many of you will be familiar with the author's evocative portrayal of village life down the centuries, tracing the influence of parson and squire, agricultural labourer and village artisan. Keir explores the impact of the railway and the chapel on village life and considers the industrial importance of a small brook to the village community, and the vital contributions of particular families to the social and commercial fabric of the place.
This handsome 160 page book, published in A4 format and with hard covers, is about the folk who helped make the village what it is today. Reference is made to some 300 family names and their stories are illuminated with over 350 captioned photographs examples of which are shown below.
(click for larger images)


- Keir Foss, 18th May 2009.
E-mail contact Click for email address

Just Fifty Yards from the Floating Bridge
– a story of John Samuel White’s of Cowes, Isle of Wight, as told by those that worked there.
Compiled by Brian Greening.
A Cowes Heritage publication with 124 illustrated A4 pages priced at £10.00 and available from The Parish Chest.

Born to be a Farmer
One of the earliest members of the Isle of Wight Family History Society, Christine Broom, has just written "Born to be a Farmer". This is an account of her life as a farmer on the Island. It contains much local knowledge and is an example of how many smaller farms derived a way of living and cared for the countryside plus some lighthearted parts.

The Price is £9.95 and post and packing £1.55. It will also be available at IWFHS meetings or by phoning Christine on 01983 840665 evenings or answerphone.

Men of Chale by Derek Sprake. Published by Coco Design Co, 2006. ISBN 13: 978-0-9552916-0-9. Price £11.95.
The first step in family history is to explore what is available within the family. Imagine inheriting the contents of a house where nothing seems to have been thrown away for over a century. When Edward ROBERTS died in 2004, Derek Sprake found himself the possessor of a wealth of documents, papers, letters, photographs and general artefacts that gives a graphic picture of life in Chale through the end of the Victorian era and a century dominated by two world wars. A fascinating book.

Isle of Wight, The Complete Guide by Roy Brinton
This book is a must, not only for visitors to the Island but to those already living here. It is a fund of knowledge about the Island: all the towns, villages, castles, old houses, walks, history, geology and much more. It is lavishly illustrated with pictures: it has maps to guide you to all the places mentioned in the book: it is interspersed with interesting articles. Places are easy to find in the book as they are in alphabetical order.
Produced by Dovecote Press it is available for £12.95

The Book of Whippingham
The Book of Whippingham is part of the award-winning Community History Series from Halsgrove. Published in July 2006, this captivating hardback book has been compiled by Sarah Burdett who's research uncovered so much material there was no doubt but to publish it all.
The book tries to shed a little light on the rich history of Whippingham. With particularly strong connections to Queen Victoria, the church redesigned by Prince Albert and the village being the centre of the royal estate supporting Osborne House and Barton Manor, this community has had its fair share of a royal presence. Furthermore, seaplanes and half the nation's plywood were made at the Saro works here during the Second World War, combining in an offer of a fascinating past - one not to be missed!
Sarah Burdett's Book of Whippingham provides a richly illustrated lifeline to the past and a link for future generations to treasure. Boasting over 300 photographs and well over 100 family names, this 160 page A4 size book will interest all those with an affinity to this Queen Victoria's Island Village.
Available at £19.99, £2.95 p&p, to order your copy, contact the publishers Halsgrove on 01884 243 242, sales@halsgrove.com, visit their secure website www.halsgrove.com

The Book of Porchfield and Locks Green
Following the enormous success of his book about Newtown (The Book of Newtown, published in 2004 by Halsgrove) Keir Foss has prepared a companion volume about another of West Wight's rural communities.
The Book of Porchfield and Locks Green will be published in November 2006. The author traces the changing fortunes of this robust community from the era of the Lord of the Manor and the Big House, into a long period of religious zeal and Nonconformist self-reliance, and on to an age of owner-occupation and enterprise.
The book's evocative style portrays the lifestyles and personalities that made the village what it is today and reflects the passions and traditions of country folk. With over 250 historic photographs and nearly 300 family names mentioned, this handsome 160 page hardback book in A4 format will hold great appeal for many Islanders.
To order your book, £19.99 (plus post and packing £2.95 in the UK), telephone the publishers, Halsgrove, on 01823 653777, or email hales@halsgrove.com or visit their website
www.halsgrove.com