Melford Memories (50th Anniversary Edition)

Ernest Ambrose was raised in rural Suffolk in the nineteenth century, where poaching was common, the Whitsun fair was a yearly event, and he witnessed the infamous street battle between factory workers from neighboring Glemsford and a bayoneted militia. He describes a vanished world of rural traditions and culture with humor, insight, and a freshness of observation in his tenth decade, making Melford Memories a much-loved Suffolk classic.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 14 November 2022
Publisher: Eye Books

Ernest Ambrose, born just a stone's throw away from the church and nurtured in the village school, was instilled with deep reverence for God, his parents, the two local squires of Long Melford, and the rector. However, the tranquil life of rural Suffolk in the 19th century was far from serene. Poaching was rampant, the annual Whitsun fair brimmed with excesses, and young Ernie's friends dared to conquer the novelties of high bikes or penny farthings, risking their lives in the process. He bore witness to the legendary street battle when factory workers from neighboring Glemsford stormed the village, only to be quelled by a bayoneted militia. Like his peers, he enlisted in the war in Flanders. Furthermore, as the church organist in another nearby village, he had firsthand accounts of the hauntings that would transform Borley Rectory into a national media sensation. Reflecting on his tenth decade, he paints a vivid portrait of a bygone world of rural customs and culture, employing wit, intelligence, and a keen eye for observation that have earned Melford Memories a cherished status as a Suffolk classic, celebrating its 50th anniversary since its initial publication.

Weight: 194g
Dimension: 129 x 196 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781785633683