The photo is of The Island in Midsomer Norton around the turn of the century?

Left to right - Old Town Hall with the balcony which was mended by the Sara Ann Trust during their thirty three years of looking after the hall.

Being a founding member of this group until recently, we had many repairs undertaken during this time. The face carved in stone over the front door was of my great, great grandmother who used to pass every day with a pitcher of water - no taps in her cottage over the road!

Next is one, The Island - a shoe shop for many years advertising moccasins, run by Mr and Mrs Gay in later years.

Number Two, The Island was a newsagents run by the original Purnells of Paulton, the factory came later. My parents bought this shop and ran it for fifty years and I was married from here in 1952, and moved to the Palladum Cottage for forty eight years.

Next, Number Six, The Island was a café and then a sweet shop run by Mr and Mrs Edwards. Next was the White Hart Pub, still there! Just behind the middle man walking away was St Chads Surgery - the first one!

Next, the tall building was the Mill where my husband had his first job before he went to the cinema. My mother was in service to the manager of the Mill in the 1920s - house just behind the Mill and that was where my parents first met.

The cottages on the right are now shops, one was an antique emporium in later times.

The River Somer had been covered in by the time this picture and is still under the pavement from the White Hart, down to the post box in the High Street - hence The Island!

Norton Fair used to be held here every year with all sorts of amusements side by side.

The picture shows a celebration with all the flage about the buildings.

Shirley Steel