Review from Cake & Cockhorse, the Journal of the Banbury Historical Society, Autumn/Winter 2004, Vol.16, No. 4.

Aspects of Helmdon no.5, Helmdon Branch WEA, 2004, 60pp/ £3.50 incl. p&p from Audrey Forgham, The Old Barn, Cross Lane, Helmdon, NN13 5QL.

After a gap of three years it is good to see a further number in this praiseworthy series. Contents include a useful article on the shops of Helmdon and a history of the Parish Council form 1894 to date. "A Craftsman's Notebook" discusses an unusual source, a book whose 196 pages are covered with specifications for a variety of vehicles, farm and domestic items, and plans for cottages. It runs from 1876 to 1901, and probably was kept by Arthur Taylor, a Helmdon carpenter and wheelwright: fascinating, especially for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. "Helmdon and the World Beyond" uses the Parish Constable's accounts, 1653-1718, to identify the many unfortunates, particularly those formerly enslaved in Turkey or North Africa, passing through the parish helped on their way by relief, small sums of money. Comparison is made with the Wigginton Constable's Book 1691-1836 (ed. FD Price, BHS 11, 1971), but Helmdon's constables provided more detail. The booklet concludes with reminiscences of Jim Watson (b.1911), of Helmdon in the last century, and details of the village website: www.helmdon.com.