Library News

Our corresponding institutions include East Grinstead Town Museum and the East Grinstead Society just over the border in Sussex.

The latter's latest Bulletin, No. 58, contains an article which in essence begins the process of associating the names and boundaries of today with those of the past back to Domesday in 1086. This is a process fraught with difficulties and temptations to make facile correlations based on mere form of place names.

The author P. D. Wood has avoided the snares and hence restricted his specific conclusions to put but 10 locations of settlements which he is able to define with considerable precision. Would that someone undertake the task for us! Copies of Bulletin 58 are available, price £1.25, post free (stamps acceptable) from Michael Leppard.

Videos

The growth in availability of moving image recordings at low cost and minimal technical expertise is spawning not only Jeremy Beadle's television programme but also an output of material on Kentish subjects of somewhat more lasting significance.

Using professional skills and equipment, the economies of video tape and the sensitivity of modern cameras enable quality productions to be made available of subjects in which interest is relatively restricted.

Marsh Video Services of Hythe have recently made two such productions. The Medieval Churches of Romney Marsh with an introduction by Lord Runde and narration by The Rev. John Green (55 minutes) and Interesting Churchyards of Kent (40 minutes) covering 30 churchyards from Sandwich to Gravesend.

The cost of a copy of either, including postage etc., is £13.25. A possible Christmas present for expatriate Kentish folk? Marsh Video Services are at PO Box 133 Hythe, CT21 6AF.

Peter Draper, Hon. Librarian. KAS.