Book rescued from skip gives fascinating look at town life

The so-called Book of Nuisances charts the issues which the sanitary officer in Richmond had to contend with throughout the early part of the 20th century.

The diary of the town's sanitary inspector had been dumped in a skip before it was spotted by John Jamieson, a retired environmental health officer who used to work for Richmondshire District Council.

The book is now due to go on display at the town's museum to provide the public with a fascinating insight into some of the everyday problems which were encountered in Richmond from 1910 until the early years of the First World War.

The chairman of the museum, Mike Wood, said: "It's a daily insight into the work of this inspector – a man who basically went around the town clearing up mess.

"It's a fascinating read – one day he would be dealing with complaints about people emptying the contents of their toilets and the next he would be fumigating a house where someone had scarlet fever or cancer.

"It is a social history of the town and because it lists names and addresses, it will be a useful tool for people trying to trace their ancestors. I am so glad it didn't end up in the skip."

Coun Helen Grant handed the book over to the museum, and a display is now being prepared for it to go on show to the public later in the summer. She said: "Luckily John spotted this book and saw a home for it. It is an interesting social insight into life in Richmond – and well worth a look."