AN award recognising the Forest of Dean Local History Society's quarterly newsletter as the best in Britain has been made to its editor, Keith Walker, at a presentation in Birmingham.

Mr Walker, of Lancaster Drive, Lydney, has edited the newsletter since 2010.

He received the award from Professor David Hey, president of the British Association For Local History, after hearing glowing praise for the work of the Forest Society in a speech by Sarah Rose, the national association's reviews editor.

The Forest newsletter is distributed free to all of the society's 300 plus members as well as to a number of other bodies. It contains updates on the society's activities plus articles of interest on Forest history. It is printed in full colour.

The newsletter and the much praised annual publication, The New Regard, edited by Ian Standing, puts the Forest society among the leading local history groups in the West of England.

Mr Walker said the newsletter was very much a team effort and its success was down to the contributions from the society's membership.

•A party of members visited Bristol last Saturday. Following a fascinating guided tour of the huge Victorian Arnos Vale cemetery they took to the water for an hour-long tour of the floating harbour. Future summer events include another coach trip visiting "honeypots of local history", a visit to a Forest free mine with an opportunity to go underground, and, on Sunday July 12, a morning visit to Ruardean.