Town Hall to step back in time

Local people will re-enact a cemetery inquiry from 1847 on Thursday, May 26

NEWBURY Town Hall will step back in time later this month with the re-enactment of an inquiry from 1847.

The leader of the history group of the Friends of Newtown Road Cemetery, Ros Clow, recently spotted a report of the 19th century cemetery inquiry for sale in America on eBay and subsequently tracked down a copy in this country.

She then penned an hour-long dramatisation of the inquiry and enlisted the help of 11 local men to read extracts from the inquiry, including Newbury professional actor, Adam Kotz, who will play the only person who did not want the cemetery, the Rev Dr Hibbert Binney.

Other characters include the gravedigger of the parish church, local ministers, a doctor, a workhouse representative and Henry Godwin, the solicitor who assembled the maps and statements required by Parliament.

The re-enactment of the inquiry will take place at the town hall on Thursday, May 26, at 7.30pm.

Entry will cost £2 for members of the Friends group and £5 for non-friends.