Books Cumbria : People : People : Changing Times: The Millenium Story of the People of Bolton, Westmorland Changing Times: The Millenium Story of the People of Bolton, Westmorland Barbara Cotton £12.50 This book is a millenium history of the village of Bolton, near Appleby. It covers every aspect of village life, past and present, with detailed histories of village houses and people. It is illustrated with 160 excellent photographs of village people and places. In many ways the book is a community venture, with chapters contributed by different local people, and all profits going the Bolton village. This book is a must for anyone interested in the history of the Eden Valley. Publisher : Hayloft Published : 2001 Pages : 274 Format : Paperback. Illustrations : b&w photographs. Maps. ISBN : 9780954071134 Quantity:  Review Adam Day is Livestock Director at Mitchells Livestock centre in Cockermouth. During the months of the Foot and Mouth crisis he was employed in visiting the affected farms and making valuations of the animals that were to be slaughtered. Many of the farmers he visited were old friends whom he met regularly on sale days at the auction mart, people he drank with, played his soul music for in a pub, or men he had played rugby with. It was not easy having to be present at their hour of greatest despair day in day out throughout the months that the disease devastated the farms of Cumbria. This book is his diary of those days. He recorded the events of each day, the farmers he visited, the animals he saw and his own thoughts as he made his way around the north of the county. He records his impressions simply and directly and his words are a testimony to the feelings and anguish of the many who have not spoken out about the greatest crisis to hit the county in modern times. On Tuesday, 28th February the auction mart was empty. That night he discovered that a neighbouring farmer in Greystoke had been forced to destroy his animals. The animals were placed on a massive pyre which burned brightly for many nights until it eventually faded into a glowing mass. "Only the stench of the burn remained" It was an eerie stench that crawled into the house and hung about every room. The first animals he had to value were on the farm of a friend, David Owen from Tirril. The animals were clearly distressed. "Some were unable to walk because their feet were so sore. Others had huge amounts of mucus trailing in wisps from their mouths and noses. Others left tell-tale drops of blood on the concrete from weeping sores within their mouths." He wanted to put them out of their misery there and then but Ministry policy would not allow it. On 31st May Adam made his valuation at David Gills Hall Farm in Morland. He sat at the kitchen table with Mr and Mrs Gill waiting for the slaughtermen to do their work. Mrs Gill couldnt bear the thought of hearing the gunshots. As Adam assured her it would be done very quickly and quietly a gunshot rang out like the crack of a whip. They hurriedly put the television on to drown out the noise, only to be confronted by a crazy cartoon of a man letting off a double-barrelled shot-gun at an old cow. At times things became too much for everyone. The killing of the animals is an eerie process. On Thursday, 14th June, Adam watched the slaughtermen going about their work. "Three slaughtermen calmly climbed into the pens. The cattle were very quiet. The bolt action stun guns made little noise as one by one the slaughtermen put the bolt guns to the temples of the beasts. In just a few seconds each animal lay dead on the ground. Not a word had been spoken, not a single second attempt was needed." Let us hope something like this never happens again. On Friday 12th October Adam is able to report that there have been no new cases in the month. The Foot and Mouth epidemic is over. On Friday, 24th May, 2002, the first lot, a good cow and calf, is sold at Mitchells new auction mart. Adam starts the bidding at £600 and the lot makes a good price of £1220, sold to an old friend, Willie Miller from High Aikton. Adam Day lived through the Foot and Mouth crisis in Cumbria. He saw what took place and he knew the people involved. This is his story, and sadly, the story of many thousands of other people. - Steve Matthews, Bookcase.