Story of Worcester, The

Description

Here are gathered many tales of the city and its inhabitants over the centuries: events and personalities from visiting monarchs to food riots, from a friar who was found up to no good in the Cardinal’s Hat, to crowds flocking to see an amazing learned dog who could ‘read, write and keep accounts’.

Trades and tradesmen, crime and punishment, building and rebuilding, the pattern of the streets and the ever present great River Severn, the ebb and flow of generations of Worcester families and the arrival and departure of many visitors, welcome and unwelcome: the city seems to appear before our very eyes. Whether caught up on the fringes of the Wars of the Roses or besieged in the Civil War, Worcester keeps going – and growing, as its traditional trades are joined by the arrival of newer industries. The story tells of both the rich and the poor, city officials and felons condemned to transportation, the idle and the industrious.

After years of research, historians Pat Hughes and Annette Leech have many tales to tell, from early experiments with wind and wave power to the flourishing of Happy George and Hallelujah Lily, all gleaned from their extensive research among the city’s archives, and illustrated with a wealth of photographs, paintings, drawings and plans.

This is history brought to life through the words and deeds of those long gone, and provides an inspiration to look for the past in Worcester’s ancient street names, its mediaeval and later buildings, and even in its parks and open spaces.

Paperback | 320 pages | 242 x 171 mm | 2011
140 colour and 90 b&w illustrations
ISBN 978-1-906663-57-3