Review of Bentley, Langham and Wells's book Buxton and the High Peak, by Julie Bunting
This review is by Julie Bunting, and was published originally in
The Peak Advertiser, the Peak District's local free newspaper,
on 19th June 2006, and is reproduced with Julie's kind permission.
BUXTON AND THE HIGH PEAK From The Board Collection
This is the second volume of old photographs compiled by Mike
Bentley, Mike Langham and Colin Wells for the Images of England
Series. While their earlier book is centred on Buxton itself,
this new volume also strays beyond the town to bring nostalgic
scenes from as far away as Ambergate, Monyash, Whaley Bridge
and the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The Board Collection comprises photographs taken by the firm
of J.R. Board which opened in Buxton in the 1920s and was still
there half a century later. The firm was perfectly placed to
record Buxton's transformation from a spa town into a
conference town, always with an eye to visitors.
After the business closed, the historic glass-plate negatives
were donated to Buxton Museum, where Messrs. Bentley, Langham
and Wells took on the unenviable task of cataloguing the entire
archive. The image chosen for the cover of their book
is literally mouth-watering.
Between the covers are glimpses of a not-quite-forgotten past.
We see the old A625 before the 'downfall' of Mam Tor forced
its closure; interior scenes reveal coal fires, eiderdowns,
cane furniture and potted palms; gents wear spats and hats,
and prim ladies are done up the nines in furs, pince-nez and
button-strap shoes.
Out of doors there are smoking chimneys (without TV aerials),
kerbside petrol pumps, a countryside dotted with telegraph
poles, children playing on dusty roads with neither a vehicle
nor a road marking in sight. The bustle of working life
extends to a lorry piled with milk churns, ex-War Department
vehicles being converted to lime spreaders, and shops to
meet every need. The window of IXL Laundry entreats passers-by
to use their 4-hour shirt service and thus 'Feel Well Dressed',
while a 1960s milk bar promotes milk shakes alongside the
memorable slogan ‘Drinka Pinta Milka Day’.
Buxton and the High Peak is highly ‘browsable’, especially
with a magnifying glass. Published by Tempus
it is available locally priced £12.99. ISBN 0-7524-3951-0.
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[Created 26 Aug 2006. Last updated 24 Oct 2008 - 11:02 by Rosemary Lockie]