THERE seems no end to the interest in local history, old photographs and veteran vehicles so when a publisher puts together a volume involving all three he must be on to a winner.

If they were all as good as Wheels Around Wessex, compiled by Peter Daniels and published by Tempus Publishing Limited, that might be the case.

Even someone like myself, who has very little interest in any of these topics, found something worth picking out from this handy volume. The Victorians and Edwardians seem to have a fixation about photographing anything on wheels and there are nearly 130 pages of pictures depicting horse-drawn dustcarts to steam-driven traction engines.

Of local interest there is the delightful tale of Harry Drake, seen leading his horse-drawn wagon from outside the Three Crowns in Maryport Street, Devizes, on his weekly journey to Salisbury market, 25 miles away.

The variety of lorries and charabancs (buses to those who don't remember them) is fascinating and Mr Daniels manages enough information to stimulate the curiosity without jading it. For the middle-aged some of the later examples are worryingly familiar.

The section on emergency service vehicles includes a photograph of Calne fire brigade posing beside their fire tender, a reconditioned Ford Model T in 1928.

At £9.99, the book will not break the bank as a Christmas stocking filler.

Lewis Cowen