A former Ludlow journalist who wrote about Tenbury Wells for several years has published a new book about the area.

Jen Green has written a volume to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Tenbury Agricultural Society.

Her book is called Changing Scenes: Celebrating 150 Years of the Tenbury Agricultural Society and it is available in local bookshops.

The book has been dedicated to the memory of another former Ludlow journalist, Pauline Clark, who died following a battle against cancer.

Jen and Pauline worked together on the Ludlow Advertiser, a weekly newspaper, between 2001 and 2004.

Today Jen said she had thoroughly enjoyed writing Changing Scenes. She completed it with help from the agricultural society’s representative David Pillsbury.

She had also researched archives at local newspapers and gathered anecdotal evidence and stories from farming families.

Jen said: “The book took nine months to research, write and lay out. It wasn’t the easiest of jobs because I didn’t know a lot about farming when I started it. Really, I did it for the town.

“Being the town’s reporter for some years helped me to learn about farming. I took to Tenbury Wells because it’s a delightful little place and the people are so friendly. I wrote the book to put something back because people had given me so much friendship.”

Jen had previously written a number of books, including one about a woman from Presteigne who was hanged at the turn of the 19th century for murdering her own child. The book was turned into a screenplay and bought by Hollywood director Ridley Scott, who made Gladiator.

Marvellous

Jen added: “I loved writing Changing Scenes. I loved working with some of the old farmers. Their stories and anecdotes were marvellous.

“When you look back at what they had to put up with for 150 years, simply to make a living, it is utterly remarkable.

“There was disease and illness, plus two wars. Writing the book opened a door to a world that I’d never really understood.”

* A full-length interview and feature will appear in a forthcoming issue of The Shropshire Magazine.

By Andy Richardson