TWO new books which bring a Forest village into the limelight were launched at the author’s local pub.

Jenny Care is the author behind A Whitecroft Scrapbook, a collection of residents’ photos and news cuttings, while Welcome to Dabdown, is the story of the village from the 1600s on.

She launched the books at the village’s Miners Arms, watched by Countess Bathurst – who wrote the preface to Welcome to Dabdown and owns a house in the village – and those who provided stories and images.

“The scrapbook is an enjoyable nostalgic journey and has been compiled to help raise funds for the Memorial Hall’s village defibrillator,” said Jenny.

“Welcome to Dabdown chronicles the rise of the village into a bustling hamlet with 16 shops and three major industries, employing nearly 1,500 people, to its decline into a commuter community.”

Youi can buy the books at the Miners Arms.