GEORGE Foot, the man from the cottage in the woods in Up Cerne who once killed six adders, has provided us with much to talk about.

And it's amazing to hear just how far Looking Back travels - we were delighted to hear from Patricia Kuestner of Germany who is the granddaughter of Alfred, one of George's 15 children!

Alfred was one of George's children with an interesting background, he was a coachman and a chauffeur and worked for a short time at Glamis Castle in Angus, Scotland, for the Bowes-Lyons - the Queen Mother's family.

Patricia was contacted by her relation Mark Foot of Bristol, who originally got in touch with us appealing for a picture of the cottage, which was provided by Christine Caddy of Dorchester, granddaughter of George's daughter Emily.

Patricia's mum, Constance, filled her in on visiting the isolated cottage as a child.

"She told us a lot about visiting the house as a child," Patricia said.

"She always warned us about the adders which she said were caught and used for serum

and if anyone is tempted to explore the immediate area where the cottage stood, they should also be aware that there is a deep well somewhere. "This always put us off trying to get nearer. The cottage was demolished by a Mr. Broadhead in the 1960s according to local information, as well as other buildings. I have a dias of the cottage in bright sunshine, taken at a distance by my mother before it was demolished and am trying to get an improved photo through various means. If I have any luck I shall pass it on to others."

Patricia tells us she and her husband have just returned from a holiday in England, where they stayed for a week at a campsite overlooking Up Cerne and visited the church.

She tells us: "George's gravestone lies flat in the grass but we think it must previously have been upright. It is gradually being covered

by moss and next time we visit we shall take a brush!"

"We met many friendly people in Cerne Abbas who are dedicated to the village's history and gathered a lot of information whilst there.

"It is still a beautiful & peaceful part of England, probably due to not having the railways and we hope to be able to go back before long."

What a wonderful insight we've had into this extraordinary family and its patriarch George Foot, who lived in the most primitive of cottages in Up Cerne wood. Thanks so much to Patricia for getting in touch.