Yellowbelly Youth - A Fiskerton Boyhood

Fred Thompson was born in Fiskerton in 1913, and originally started to write an account of his paternal family in the 1980s. Encouraged by other village residents, he expanded the project to write about the Fiskerton they knew in the 1920s and 1930s. This was submitted to a publisher in Boston but it was decided there would be little profit and therefore was not published. The memoir was deposited with the Lincolnshire Archives, where it was later consulted by the Fiskerton History & Archaeology Group for an exhibition they were developing.

Members of the group were impressed with the way the memoir showed village life in the past, and the many aspects which have since disappeared - some examples being Fiskerton Hall, the role of the church and chapel in community life and the dominance of agriculture in employment and in the village way of life.

The group thought that it was important to place the memoir on record for past, present and future residents. Work on the project included a complete re-type of the document, research for additional photographs, editing and proof-reading - all of which was undertaken by volunteers from the group.

The memoir gives a real insight into life in the area in the 1920s and 1930s. Very descriptive and illustrated with original photographs of life in the village of Fiskerton between the wars, the book is a captivating read.

Copies of Yellowbelly Youth - A Fiskerton Boyhood cost £6 and are available from Fiskerton History & Archaeology Group (Sally Scott 01522 750121 or Dave Willey 01522 751633), or from Fiskerton Parish Council: e-mail parishclerk@fiskerton-lincs.org.uk

Cheques must be made payable to Fiskerton Parish Council.

You can view the book here but we strongly urge you to purchase your own copy as all proceeds from the book will be used for future heritage projects in Fiskerton.