Tregony Happenings: Memories and Photographs of Tregony and District 1886-1921 by Franklin Grigg

Available from the author at info@tregonyhistory.co.uk or from Waterstones, Truro

The clue is in the title; this is a book about the history of Tregony. Too often this sort of book is of interest only to aficionados – not so this one. Fascinating, frequently unique, photos, personal recollections, newspaper accounts, parish records and other sources combine to produce a human interest history of a small pocket of Cornwall. References to the almshouses, the old boarding school (since destroyed), local industry, the impact of key events within and outside the parish all combine to produce the sort of account that encourages the reader to keep saying “did you know that…?”, much to the annoyance of anyone within earshot.

Although the focus is on Tregony, the social history could be applied to many other rural communities, so definitely not one just for local residents or others with a personal connection with the “town”.

Verdict: I confess that, until this year’s Roseland festival walk around the village, all I knew about Tregony was that it’s on the way to most places I visit and it has great Christmas lights. But Frank Grigg’s fascinating book has changed that – it’s well researched and his enthusiasm for the subject and the area shines through. With references to elopements (a glorious report from the Royal Cornwall Gazette), destructive rodents and a councillor resigning when he can no longer put up with the insults from a fellow councillor, this is a readable and interesting book. Wonderful.

Frank Grigg is interviewed in this month’s Writers Talking