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Hay before the bookshops or the Beeman's family

A child's-eye view of post war Hay

Much as we all love Hay-on-Wye’s bookshops, what was life like in Hay before they arrived?

Bridget Ashton, a well-respected local history author, lived here as a child. In this compelling account, she sets out to recall, from the perspective of her girlhood self, what Hay was like in the 1940s and 50s: with trains, a half-ruined castle, and a cinema - (we all know what happened to that!)

‘The Beeman’s family’ lived in Market Street, off Castle Square.

How did they come to be here?
What was family life like in those frugal times?

This is the framework for a profound evocation of rural childhood in the post-war years.

“I loved this vivid description of life in post war Britain of the 1940s and 50s. We see it through the eyes of the author from her earliest memories until she finishes Primary school and from the pages of her mother’s diaries. Family life, play and friendships, school and church, and the people and events of a small Welsh border town are all brought back to life for us. It’s a gem.”

Alison Hutchinson

Publisher

Austin Macauley

Year

2022

ALL boOkS 1991 ~ 2024

The Hay Girl Trilogy books are available in your local bookshop, and online

Morpeth History books from Morpeth Chantry or from Greater Morpeth Development Trust

Or contact Bridget
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