As we approach the end of the century, and look back at all the technological changes which have taken place, many Northamptonshire villagers have come to realize that a silent social revolution has also occurred in their midst. The motor car has given us faster private transport; mechanisation on farms has resulted in fewer farm workers, and old cottages have become fashionable homes for commuters. Local knowledge of village traditions becomes less with every village funeral. With encouragement from organisations such as ACRE and the WEA, inspiration from authors like Sheila Stewart (Country Kate, Lifting the Latch) and guidance from local historians, there has been a movement to record local history and traditions before it is too late.

The four authors of this book have taken four different "Aspects of Helmdon: the Bakehouse, the Railway, the Level Crossing and Lacemaking. Three of these include reminiscences from people who grew up in the village, including Phil Adams, whose father Terence Rigby Adams, was part of the well-known Northampton family of master bakers, W.O and T.R Adams. Sources for research also include Parish and National Records, including the ten-yearly censuses, which have been analysed to provide the reader with an overall "Aspect of Helmdon" throughout the nineteenth century. Even better, from the view-point of a Family Historian, are the alphabetical lists of surnames of village families, given for each Census year, although these are NOT a complete index of inhabitants.

In her introduction to the book, Jean Spendlove explains some of the benefits and limitations of tape-recording local memories; having attempted this myself, I should like to add "loud extraneous noises" to her list of problems! Like Sheila Stewart, she has not attempted to reproduce the local dialect, but in the chapter on the Level Crossing has given the reader a good indication of the mannerisms of the local speech.

Hopefully, this is only the first in a series of books about different "Aspects of Helmdon": the authors are looking for input from their hoped-for readership". To further quote Jean Spendlove: "Oral evidence may be useful to any of us for part of our information; and for some subjects it is all the evidence there can be. It would be helpful to hear your reactions to this first issue of "Aspects of Helmdon", and we should warmly welcome any memories you will share with us". This book is recommended to all those with an interest in the history of Northamptonshire villages, and those with a connection to Helmdon should definitely have a copy on their bookshelves.