COLOURFUL medieval costumes greeted the mayor when she attended the official launch of an anthology celebrating 900 years of charter markets, writes Roger Malone. Cllr Jenny Metcalf was presented with a copy of ?Tavistock?s Medieval Inheritance? ? containing items by more than 40 contributors. The book was the idea of Jackie Waddle and Myfanwy Cook, founder members of the creative writing group Liaisons With Words. ?It is a fantastic feeling to have got this book out. There are so many different people taking part ? not just members of our group,? said Jackie. ?There are contributions from the whole borough of West Devon. People from as far as Okehampton took part ?people from the Leaze did a group poem. We even had a couple of entries from Japanese students who visited the town. The whole thing has been great fun to put together.? Cllr Metcalf said the launch of the book last Wednesday on Goose Fair day was an added bonus: ?This publication is very splendid. To bring out something like this is great for the town. It has all age groups writing for it.? At the launch, held appropriately in Tavistock Pannier Market, were the anthology?s youngest and oldest contributors ? 10 year old Jessica Quinn and 87-year-old Enid Gill. The idea behind the book was to provide a platform for people to celebrate 900 years of the market charter in poetry and prose. The book had a special foreword written by Bernard Knight, author of the Crowner John Mystery Series which are set in Devon. l Tavistock Mayor Jenny Metcalf is pictured receiving her copy of the book from contributor Bridget Collinge who was dressed in a splendid medieval costume.
