to the buildings and extended the village.'
s with all things it has not been smooth going and sometimes it is difficult to understand how the minds of some people work. When you go to the village - and please do go because the only funds they receive are from visitors - you will be amazed at the quality of the buildings and their re-creation of the life of villagers in 1642. It is simply staggering then when you also learn that they have had to rebuild and repair on more than one occasion because of mindless arson attacks. What it does demonstrate, however, is the fortitude and the strength of character of the members and friends of the Society, especially when you realise that the only trained member of the team is an architect and quantity surveyor; he acts as the building supervisor to ensure that anything they build gets built safely, as it should be for the safety of the re-enactors and the visiting public. Mistress Eve continued to explain how the village of Little Woodham works. "Well, Master, the only money we gets in is from the gate takings and all the Society members give their time for free, see. Then as we gets more money then we can go out and buy some more green oak beams and start another building. See, it's simple, yeah; as the money grows, so does the village. "We have a fiveyear plan which is nearing its end now, and part of that is to rebuild the ale house following one of the arson attacks. We have enough money now to build the green oak framework and we are starting to raise funds for the expensive thatch that will sit on top of it. "We all muck in together with the building work or at least those with the muscle-power do and over the years we have all become self-taught with the building skills necessary to complete the project. Well, there weren't no building schools to teach us in 1642, now were there?" she chuckled. "We carry out the wattle and daub for the walls as well as the carpentry and joinery; the only professional help we needs is with the thatching." For a moment Mistress Eve took a back seat and Yvonne took over.