There is no comprehensive, chronological history of Diss – as yet. However local historians have filled the gap, sometimes with quirky and bizarre stories.

 

This exhibit showcases some of the fascinating books which have been written about the town and its surroundings.

 

Some Grim Goings-on in Norfolk by William Bennett, describes a variety of supernatural and natural occurences. One such event was experienced by Bennett himself. In the early hours of July 7, 1931, he was woken up when his roof tiles shook and plaster crumbled on to the floor. It was a minor earthquake, scaring some people into spending the rest of the night outdoors. A quirky fact – William Bennett bought the Dolls House, the one displayed in Diss Museum, for his daughter.

 

The Village in Revolt by Shaun Jeffery describes the Burston School Strike – which lasted from 1914 until 1939. It began with a walk-out by pupils led by 13 year old Violet Potter, in support of their sacked head teacher. The protest was strongly supported by the local community and taken up as a cause by the Trade Union movement. A Strike School was set up in the village and was eventually accepted by the education authorities.

 

Memories of Diss and Surrounding Villages by Dennis Cross brings the past back to life with a display of old picture postcards – a favourite way of communicating when telephones were not widely available.

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There are some interesting entries in the Diss Air Raid Precautions Log Book - an entry on 3rd September 1939 of the British declaration of World War 2.

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Traders of the Triangle provides a focused look at the town’s businesses over the last 150 years, the heyday of the traditional high street. It ties together traders, trades and buildings over time. The “triangle” is a group of streets in the centre of Diss. The authors of the richly illustrated book are members of the Diss Heritage Triangle Trust, a charity set up to maintain and strengthen the historic commercial and social centre of Diss.

 

Waveney Valley Studies by retired head teacher Eric Pursehouse, offers a series of articles on the stranger aspects of local life. He described sporting events which included: an early, very dangerous form of football where the players literally battled for the ball; “grinning matches” to see who could pull the weirdest faces; and a contest to see who could catch a soap covered pig and hold it up by its tail. Pursehouse’s book also describes more serious aspects of life in the 18th and 19th centuries in its 298 pages. His articles were originally published in the 1960s, in the Diss Express.