Over thirty members of Pershore Civic Society gathered at St Andrew’s Centre on Tuesday 27thOctober for a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining talk entitled Coaching Inns, delivered by the distinguished local historian and author Julian Hunt.

Born in Worcestershire in 1949, Julian began his career at Birmingham Reference Library in 1968, and then spent 12 years as Local History Librarian in Oldham, Lancashire. Moving to Buckinghamshire County Library in 1988 he began to write a series of histories of market towns in Buckinghamshire and elsewhere in England, establishing an enviable reputation for historical research.

Julian’s enthusiasm for coaching inns is infectious. He transported his audience back to an age when journeys were measured in days rather than hours, describing the great coaching establishments of London and the routes radiating towards destinations including Bath and Worcester.

Particularly fascinating were his descriptions of the practical arrangements of coaching inns, where accommodation for horses and carriages frequently outweighed that provided for travellers. He contrasted the relative luxury enjoyed by wealthier passengers with the distinctly uncomfortable conditions endured by others, explaining journey times, fares, and the considerable challenges of travel before the railway age.

The arrival of steam railways brought a remarkably swift end to a thriving industry that had supported countless inns, stablemen, ostlers and coach operators.

Delivered with warmth, authority and evident affection for his subject, Julian’s presentation held his audience spellbound. One delighted member declared it “the best ever!” — surely the finest compliment any visiting speaker could hope to receive.

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