Schoolboy, Servant, GWR Apprentice

by David Wilkins (editor)

Alfred Plumley, son of a coachman, was born in 1874 in Somerset’s Mendip Hills. Written in his old age, this memoir of his youth was discovered in an auction sale. In it, Alfred vividly describes his country childhood and first job as a serving boy at the grand house on the hill above his village. At age 16, Alfred decides to improve his prospects by ‘going on the railway’ and is sent to a tiny village station on the Somerset coast. He quickly comes to love his new life and, undeterred by an unhappy temporary posting to the grim and chaotic engine yards of Bristol, ends up spending forty-five years as a GWR employee. Alfred writes charmingly, and always with the authentic voice of a West Country lad. His memoir has been edited by David Wilkins who adds just the right amount of detail to place the story in its proper historical context.

160 pages, Paperback

Published June 2, 2017

Reviews

[Sally Wragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book worked for me on two levels, first in the memoirs of Alfred Plumley, an elderly man, born in the late nineteenth century, recalling his rural childhood growing up in the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, an enjoyable read especially because of the ordinariness of Alfred’s life, illustrative of a fascinating period of history. Secondly it works because of the input of the book’s editor, David Wilkins, recounting his accidental discovery of Alfred’s manuscript and how the book came into being, a story within a story, as it were. His additions to the text to explain points whose relevance has been obscured through the passage of time are unobtrusive and help the reader to a greater understanding. I was left with the impression he thoroughly enjoyed his task and this shines through the book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into life at a time when a traditional sedentary time was rapidly replaced by our modern mobile lifestyles brought on by travel opportunities brought by the coming of the railways.

[Sarah Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read if you are into personal stories about local history. This was delightful and absorbing.