EDITORIAL

This edition carries the usual regular features – the Secretary’s letter, review of summer outings by Russ Clynick, forthcoming programme of meetings, and Mrs Pat Knight contributes her final list of recent books of interest to members – her duties in future, both as librarian and book ‘noticer’, will be taken over by Miss Enid Pawley. As to the remainder, there is the second part of Miss Joan Rendell’s article on Sunbonnets, former Borough Librarian, Mr E.A.Batty writes of historians, Mr A.L.Denner has transcribed a diary account of an 1896 visit to Wells, and Mr Robin Ansell, Yeovil Library’s Reference Librarian, is welcomed as a contributor in allowing us to print his article on the Charles Tite Collection in Yeovil Library which appeared in the library journal ‘The Local Studies Librarian’ Vol.2 (1), Summer 1983.

This issue is the eleventh since its inception as the ‘Chronicle‘ of Yeovil Archaeological and Local History Society, in September 1978. On looking, back I see that prior to this present number, there has been a total of 116 pages plus covers – multiply that by one hundred and you have the total pages produced up to this time.

Since I shall not be seeking re-election to the office of Hon.Editor at the AGM, I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all who. have contributed to ‘Chronicle’ during the past five and a half years, and made each issue an interesting and varied one. I trust my successor will continue to receive the same measure of support!

SECRETARY’S LETTER

Looking back at the last issue of ‘Chronicle‘, my remarks seem to have occupied an unwarranted proportion of the space, so I will try to be briefer this time.

Perhaps the most important thing is to remind members of our forthcoming AGM in December, when three of our most important members retire and do not wish to continue – our Treasurer, our Editor, and our Librarian. These functions are essential to the continuance of the Society, and we must, have some nominations for the first two posts. As far as the Librarian is concerned, Miss Enid Pawley has volunteered to take over Mrs Pat Knight’s duties, and will in future be in charge of the library which, incidentally, is to be housed, through the courtesy of Mr Eric Dove, in the South Street offices of the Public Library, and thus will be more easily brought to our meetings.

This leads me on to record our very sincere thanks to Mrs Knight who has looked after the library for so long, including its transport, to and from meetings, and contributing to ‘Chronicle‘ not only details of acquisitions but also a regular list of recently-published and forthcoming titles that are likely to be of interest to members. Luckily Pat’s interest in the Society, which extended far beyond her duties as librarian, will not be lost, as oil her resignation she was co-opted as a Committee member.

Reverting to the AGM it is proposed to make this rather more of a social occasion by having an extended coffee break between the business meeting and a dialogue by Mr Dove and Mrs Swetman on Yeovil, with a modest buffet to supplement the coffee and biscuits.

The report on our summer meetings by Russ Clynick appears in this issue, to which I would add that a modest feeling of satisfaction that it was going reasonably well has been rather dampened by having to cancel the visit to: Hatch Court because bookings were insufficient – only 13, with Hatch Court requiring at least 20 to justify opening the house on a special day. Why did it not attract more people?

The replacement duplicator which our chairman has acquired for us is now housed in the Museum, not I hasten to add as an exhibit, and after cleaning away the results of years of neglect, seems to be in working order – even to the power operation – so a future Editor need not be deterred by tine thought of producing ‘Chronicle‘ by hand, as Leslie Brooke has done since it started.

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