As anyone with an interest in history knows, you can't understand a person, an institution, or even a company, without knowing about its past. Time and time again, Henry Ford's famous claim is shown to be....well, 'bunk'.
The bumper 72-page edition of the Chronicle last week proved the point in style. The number and range of events for the Heritage Open Days festival directed by Nicky Gottlieb was impressive.
Who could not be thrilled by Clare Pollard's scintillating new translation of 'Sir Orfeo' from a 13th Century manuscript in Middle English, or Courtlye Musick in the Pilgrims' Hall, or Ryan Lavelle on the Liber Vitae written in the New Minster (predecessor of Hyde Abbey) in 1031?
The shocking story of the agricultural riots of 1830 and the penalties doled out to starving workers gave the English Project and Edward Fennell a great canvas to set out political and social arguments that are still in progress.
Cllr Jane Rutter was interested to know more about the effects of the riots on her home patch in the Worthys. In fact, the Worthys Local History Group has for the past 40 years found out a good deal about the Swing Riots - though there is no doubt more to discover.
One major incident involved the wife of the rector in his absence. The mob descended on the rectory and threatened her if she did not give them money. It is not surprising that when a new rectory, now Abbots Worthy House, was built a few years later it was protected with a massive wall.
A new book, The Four Worthys, published by the group with a grant from the Hampshire Archives Trust that I have written with book designer Tim Underwood says a lot more about the later history of the area. It is available from P & G Wells, where Steve Scholey wants to set up a museum. More History! Bring it on!
Barry Shurlock,
Marston Gate,
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