A GROUP of local history enthusiasts have written a book of about their childhood memories. When I Was a Child has been written and published by people who meet at Fenland History on Friday meetings at Ely Library every week. The book has 20 contributors,

A GROUP of local history enthusiasts have written a book of about their childhood memories.

When I Was a Child has been written and published by people who meet at Fenland History on Friday meetings at Ely Library every week.

The book has 20 contributors, who all live in the Ely area, two of which, Lorna Delanoy and Barbara Slade, put it together.

Mrs Delanoy said: "The stories highlight some of the fundamental differences between our memories of childhood and the way children behave today.

"Children enjoyed a lot more freedom back then than they do now. The book contains stories of six and seven-year-old children getting on buses on their own and travelling to school, or going off with a packet of sandwiches and exploring. These days, parents don't let their children out of their sight.

"There are stories of growing up in war time when children had very few material possessions but the word 'bored' does not feature in their vocabulary as it does with so many today."

She added: "Some contributors observe how Sunday was once an important day with most people dressing up and going to church, where as the ritual for many people nowadays is to go to the supermarket."

The book's title has been taken from a quotation from The Bible.

Mrs Delanoy said: "Barbara suggested that we do it last May. We had a great response from people who attend the Fenland History on Friday meetings, we've had a lot of fun putting it together over the summer and it's started to sell quite well already."

* When I Was a Child is priced £4.50 and available from Burrows Bookshop, High Street Passage, Ely and Soham Books, High Street, Soham.

* Fenland History on Friday is on at Ely Library every Friday from 10.30am-noon.