Hertford Heath is a village of hidden treasures and colourful characters and stories. Embracing the ‘liberty’ of Little Amwell as well as Haileybury College, the present village has a Green which once contained ponds where local women did their laundry, a splendid collection of pubs and modern housing, cheek by jowl with ancient woodland through which runs a section of the Roman road, Ermine Street. This book’s title, Beating about the Bush, refers to the Hertfordshire term, “bushes”, meaning sparsely wooded heathland.

Pam Kimpton knows the village well – her mother’s family has lived there for five generations. She has taken part herself in most village activities and delights in recalling the fêtes, festivals, fairs and other celebrations of her time and times before. She has also listened to the stories of young and old, retrieved their photos and memories, and pieced the whole together in a rich patchwork of village life.

There are more than a hundred black and white photos, and four pages of photos in colour.