Eighty years a Claydonian and random lines and verses
Andrew F. Fox
Published in 1999 this is a interesting account of life in the village of Claydon during the lifetime of the author. Andrew Fox was born in the village at the end of the Great War & lived the rest of his life there. In this book he describes in detail the layout of the village & who lived in almost every dwelling & the shops & trades that were an essential part of village life but which have now mostly disappeared.
The book also gives an impression of the daily life of the village during these years & the links with Banbury & the surrounding area.
Claydon could be regarded as the heart of Banburyshire since the boundaries of the three counties of Oxforshire, Northamptonshire & Warwickshire converge just near the village. The meeting point was marked by three stones one for each county & it was possible for a boy to stand on two stones & by touching the other could be thought of as being in three counties at the same time.
The post war years saw the start of a revolution in rural living & Andrew Fox describes how the changes impacted on village life.
Andrew concludes with some favourite random lines & verses of various authors to end the book.
Family history seekers will find the names of many of the villagers are recorded with their location & their occupations.