Walking the Hamster to the Fountain

'Walking the Hamster to the Fountain' is an extremely entertaining, well-researched book which chronicles, in lively and unforgettable detail, some of the thousand-year history of the English village of Hempstead, Essex, from the Norman Conquest to the Kray twins. Firmly grounded in English history, the book is packed with stories of country life, parsons, celebrities, arson, political and intrigue. It will appeal to all those who enjoy disappearing down historical 'rabbit holes'.

The title comes from an interview with a former resident, recalling hot summers between the wars when the wells dried up and people had to 'walk into Hempstead to the fountain' for water. When the interview was transcribed, the computer produced the titular hamster.

'Greedy vicars, a school bully turned merchant, child brides, hellfire preachers, eccentric generals, family curses and dynamic women. This wide-ranging and thoroughly researched work weaves vibrant personal stories into a national and sometimes international narrative. This is local social history at its finest.'

---Dr Elizabeth Goodwin, Senior Lecturer, Late Medieval and Early Modern Studies, York St. John University

Ross Midgley, whose father was a journalist, has a degree in Human Sciences from Oxford University; in later life, he added a first-class law degree from Nottingham Law School. Married to Alison, with three grown-up daughters, Ross has lived in Hempstead for over thirty years and has always taken a keen interest in its history. Retirement has converted this interest into a passion: fortunately, it has also provided the time to research and write this, his first book.