A NEW book by a local historian provides a fascinating look into Malvern's past.

Malvern Voices - Childhood - An Oral History, compiled by Gill Holt, is being published this week by Malvern Museum.

Mrs Holt, a member of the museum's board, has spent the last two years interviewing local people and transcribing the tapes.

The book covers memories of childhoods spanning much of the 20th Century, from the 1910s to the 1960s.

"They are mainly people who were born in Malvern and who have lived here most of their lives," she said.

"I started off with people I know and it snowballed from there. People used to say to me 'You should speak to so-and-so'.

"I didn't want it to be just about royal visits and things like that. I wanted it to be about the incidents of day-to-day life. There are people from privileged backgrounds and from poor backgrounds."

The reminiscences in the book include a recollection from Jimmy Nott, who died a few weeks ago, about visiting the swimming pool at the old Imperial Hotel, now the Malvern Girls' College.

Dorothy Willis recalls, at the age of three, seeing searchlights illuminating the skies above Worcester during a First World War zeppelin raid.

Malvern's famous Lanchester Marionettes are recalled by Mary Dixey, who says: "They had a little theatre at the top of town in a house opposite Brays. . . . they had underwater ballet with fishes and Paderewsky playing the piano."

The changes that have occurred in Malvern over the last century are charted by the contributors' words, showing how much more rural life was then. Brian Iles, a regular contributor of old pictures to the Malvern Gazette, said: "Years ago, we used to be able to hear, at home, the cows on the farm where the Cedar Road estate is now. Sheep would be driven up Bank Street on to the hills and if our gate had been left open we would get a garden full of sheep eating the flowers."

And Graham Collings said: "Up Poolbrook the people had lines out on the common to hang the washing on, and there were cattle and sheep and geese and chickens roaming all over the common."

Mrs Holt found herself with a wealth of material, far more than could be accommodated in a single book, and sequels are planned.

"We hope this sells well," she said. "It is priced at £1.99, which we feel is very reasonable."

The book is illustrated with plenty of pictures, many of them donated by interviewees. Subsequent volumes will cover topics including school and church, work and leisure, Second World War Malvern, the environment and the women of Malvern.

Mrs Holt is still interested in hearing from potential interviewees. If you have interesting memories of old Malvern that you want to share, please call her on 01684 568055.

The book is on sale at Malvern Museum, in the Abbey archway. After the museum closes for the winter at the end of this month, it will be available direct from Mrs Holt or, on Saturday November 3, from the Museum's stand at the Combined Charities Fair in Malvern Theatres.