Keeping an Eye on the town's past
Views of Eye never previously seen by the public feature in the latest offering from prolific local historian Stephen Govier.
Hoxne-based Mr Govier is creating a niche in the publishing market with a series of local history books – Eye joining a stable which already includes Hoxne and Diss, as well as the diaries of Olive Gilman.
Mr Govier's books are not just about places, but the people, shops and businesses that gives a community its heart.
He said: "I'm creating a style of publication that people recognise and they are already asking me what will be next.
"They are not just the history of a place but are based on personal angles featuring local people. It gives more context."
An Illustrated History Of Eye took about six months to put together and is based on previous research done by Mr Govier.
The A4 book contains 60 illustrations, varying from modern pictures and 19th Century photographs to 200-year-old engravings of all manner of the town's sights, buildings, businesses and families.
Illustrators include Mr Govier's father James, landscape artist Thomas Gainsborough and many other famous painters of various eras. Mr Govier's own work is included with a fascinating illustrated plan of the town.
"Many of the images have never been previously published, indeed many will be seen for the first time," said Mr Govier.
The book's 50 pages are packed with details about the architecture of the town and its famous families – the Kerrisons, Hennikers and Cornwallis'.
Ballet dancer Freddy Ashton, antiquarian Frederick Duleep Singh and brewer Charles Tacon are features, as well as lesser-known residents such as publicans, shopkeepers and farmers.
Sections cover the town's castle, church, mills, pubs and schools as well as the workhouse, railway, hospital and theatre.
"I have files on virtually every town and village in Norfolk and Suffolk at hand," said Mr Govier.
"It's surprising what turns up. I did some research on Bungay and found out there was a big silk weaving industry on the outskirts of the town I was not aware of."
He is already planning four more books based on north Suffolk and south Norfolk places and plans to take two to three months on each.
"Each one pays for the next one and I have been lucky to find a good printer, Ivan Stanford, of Dickleburgh, who runs IS Print in Norwich, who lets me do them in batches of 100.
"The Hoxne book sold 800, which is very good for a small village. The Diss one sold a similar number and went all over the world with orders for it from local history societies and family historians doing their research."
An Illustrated History Of Eye is 8 and is available from The Eye Bookshop, Eye Library, Church Street Books in Diss and Diss Tourist Information Centre.
Signed copies can be ordered direct from Mr Govier at Maynards, Hoxne, Eye, Suffolk, IP21 5AH (add 1 for postage).
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Weather for Diss
Thursday 02 September 2010
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Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
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