Historian praises Vale Rawlings book

Dr Trevor James, editor of the Mid-Trent and Mercia Historian, has reviewed the Vale Rawlings book, Friendship, Love & Truth, and said he highly recommends it as a carefully researched and meticulous study of life in the first 40 years of the 20th century.

Author Elaine Pritchard said: "It was a wonderful surprise to learn that Dr Trevor James, a respected and experienced historian, had read my Vale Rawlings book and written such a glowing review of it for the monthly newsletter of his historical association."

The Mid-Trent and Mercia Historical Association is a highly active regional branch of the national Historical Association. It is spearheaded by Dr James and hosts weekend lectures and study days, which are usually held at Burton upon Trent library.

Elaine added: "I am particularly pleased that Dr James highlighted the context that the book provides for the life of Vale Rawlings by examining the lives of working people in the late 19th and 20th centuries and the issues that faced the town of Burton upon Trent during those years. It is more than JUST the story of one man; it is the story of the town that made him."

Dr James had kindly given us permission to reprint his review in full below.

Vale Rawlings book review by Dr Trevor James

Friendship. Love and Truth: The Vale Rawlings Story, by Elaine Pritchard, Goldcrest Books, 2025, 339p, £15.99. ISBN 978-1-9-9192133-3-0.

This is a very carefully researched and meticulous study of a local Burton upon Trent man, Vale Rawlings. The author herself reveals that, until four years ago, she herself had not heard of his life and experiences. His relatively short life involved roles in local trades unionism; activity in the co-operative movement; a highly questionable court case where he was accused of assaulting a policeman; his treatment and imprisonment during the Great War as a conscientious objector; and his middle-aged involvement in local government in and around Branston.

It is salutary comment on his time that a man who was 4ft 11 inches in height and about eight stone in weight should even have been considered for military service when we know that other short men, under 5ft 3 inches, had to protest loudly to be included, leading to the formation of the celebrated ‘Bantam Battalions’: he was badly served by the panels that considered such issues. His was an eventful life and Elaine Pritchard has presented it very clearly. Most of us will never have encountered his life story and it is very particular to his local community.

It is, however, important that people like Vale Rawlings are celebrated because they come from a social setting where their lives are likely not to be recorded or only in sporadic detail. What Elaine has done is to present his full life and experience, so that we can understand what someone who was a socialist, pacifist and community activist endured during their lives in the first part of the 20^th century, in other words the social and political obstacles that stood in his way.

My view of this book, however, is that it has important additional qualities. What Elaine has done is to present us with a wider understanding of life, opportunities and deficits, that people encountered in the first 40 years of the 20^th century. In my mind it has qualities like those I encountered when I read Walter Brierley’s novel Means Test Man where he depicts the life of an ordinary family in Waingroves, near Ripley, in the 1930s while they wait for the arrival of the ‘means test man’ who will be assessing their eligibility for benefits. This type of exploration gives us insights into the lives of our grandparents and their experiences. A specific example is for us to know that provision of a sewage system for Branston was late to be implemented, with all the inherent public health risks that were involved. The social interaction between working class politicians and people who felt that they were part of an established social hierarchy also comes across very strongly.

This highly recommended book is a social commentary on life at that time. It happens to relate to Vale Rawlings and the community around Branston, but it would be valuable resource for anyone researching in similar neighbourhoods, what I might label ‘industrial villages’, anywhere in the Midlands or further afield. - Dr Trevor James.

How to buy the Vale Rawlings book

The book is available by emailing: valerawlingsprojectcic@gmail.com 

All profits from sales go to YMCA Burton and SARAC [Sexual Abuse Rape Advice Centre].

Copies of the book can also be bought online from our shop on the ko-fi platform - https://ko-fi.com/valerawlingscic The cost there is £22 to include robust packaging and tracked postage.

Copies are also available from the offices of both YMCA Burton and SARAC and Elaine will also have a stand at Burton Regatta on Saturday July 11th and Barton under Needwood Steam Rally & Family Festival on both July 18th and 19th where she will be selling copies in person.