A new children’s book about life in Leighton Buzzard during Victorian times is being published next week.
The story is centred around four generations of the Bassett family who came to the town to open a shop in the High Street and became the town’s most influential citizens.
Called “All Sorts of Bassetts” the book contains a trail round the town taking in many of the important buildings, schools and even the trees planted by the family.
There are stories of what life was like for children of the period and Victorian pictures, some of which have never been seen before.
The book was written at the request of the library and by local teachers, both short of material about life in the town during the period.
It has been published by the Leighton Buzzard and District Archaeological and Historical Society and written by Paul Brown, a journalist, who is the society’s chairman.
The book, priced £4, is available at Leighton Buzzard Library on Monday night (April 23), where the society is taking part in the library’s World Book Evening.
At a meeting of the society earlier this month, Dick Denton gave an entertaining talk about the Bassett family, who were prominent Quakers. It attracted 99 people to St Barnabas Church Hall, which was full.