Three years ago Leasingham WI was awarded lottery funding of just over £14,500 to write a new village history, a copy of which was to be given to every household in the village.

Mary Bonaker was one of nine people who worked on compiling the book, which was purposely restricted to memories from the 20th century.

She said: "It has been a tremendous sense of achievement. With one exception, we are all incomers to the village and so it has been particularly interesting to learn more about the place where we live."

The Leasingham Village History Project was formed as the WI's contribution to the National Women's Institute's Community Challenge. Members interviewed residents to collect their memories of the village, which are recorded on disk.

Villagers loaned photographs and gradually an archive of material was collected.

Some of what was gathered has been put together into the book, called Leasingham in the 20th Century. This was unveiled at a launch in the village hall. All the households in Leasingham will be given a copy and there are extra copies to buy at £5.

Mrs Bonaker worked on the wartime chapter of the book and discovered there had been four wartime air crashes in and around the village – one in the First World War and three in the Second.

She said: "I had a letter from a man who has moved away now. He can remember picking up bits of a Halifax bomber from the ditches."

Copies of the book on disk will go to Lincolnshire Archives and Sleaford Library and a copy will remain in the village hall.