On Monday September 16, members of the Vale of Evesham Civic Society paid a visit to Berkley Castle in Gloucestershire, the home of descendants of the original Berkeley family, who also own Spetchley Park - 6000 acres at Berkeley and a mere 4000 at Spetchley !

Berkeley Castle is notorious for the story of the murder of Edward II , although our guide was quick to query the story of the red hot poker and suggested that perhaps he was simply smothered.

Less well known is that Dr. Jenner, the pioneer of vaccination lived in an 18th century house only a few yards from the Castle. The house is now a museum where the origin and eventual acceptance of vaccination are commemorated. Smallpox was a scourge until towards the end of the 19th century when vaccination became universal and without doubt Dr. Jenner, who took a tremendous risk in infecting a youngster, first with cowpox and eventually smallpox, to demonstrate his confidence in his theories must surely be one of the greatest benefactors of the human race.

DAVID WAY