'˜Local books for local people' show Misterton during wartime

David Seymour’s books describe efforts made by Misterton residents during the Great War, examining how this impacted the local economy and village life.

The launch of the second two parts, If I Should Die and A Foreign Field, will coincide with an art exhibition inspired by the war at the All Saints’ Parish Church on Saturday, July 7.

Mr Seymour said: “The war changed the villages forever, bringing economic decline and a changed world, national, and local outlook.

“These three books chronicle those changes using lots of local primary resources, including photographs, newspaper extracts, and oral history records to give a local slant to changes felt across the whole world.”

If I Should Die covers the optimism of the first year of the war in this area – including the belief it would be “over by Christmas” – despite this being the period which saw the first local casualties.

A Foreign Field describes the involvement of local people in major First World War conflicts, including Gallipoli, Ypres and the Somme, as well as village life after the end of the War.

The two releases follow Mr Seymour’s first book, Suns of Home, examining the “boom” times prior to the war and the local ancestry of the 50 Misterton residents who died.

Mr Seymour said: “These are a local book for local people, and I’m grateful to all those who have contributed to it.

“It has taken four years to research and compile and as we commemorate the end of the First World War this year, it is timely that we can look back at our villages’ involvement in that global war and its impact on our local communities.”

The final title, Under An English Heaven, will be published later this year.

Mr Seymour will be signing copies of his books in the parish church at 11am before moving to the Misterton Gala, where he will have books to sell and sign at £12.