A MARCH man who has arguably done more than anyone to promote the history of Fenland has decided to call it a day.

Trevor Bevis, 83, of St Peter's Road, March, has written 126 books in the past 65 years, the majority of which have chronicled the history of Fenland, notably the work of migrants who settled here 350 years ago.

His work has proved popular as far a field as Holland and America and one of his books, Hereward of the Fens, has had 35,000 copies printed and takes pride of place in Cambridgeshire University library.

But, while Trevor has no plans to publish any more books, he says will he continue to write for magazines.

He said: 'I am retiring from book writing to concentrate on magazines.

'My ambition was to give the Fens a readable history and put it on the map.

'It has been a challenging experience and hard work but well worth the effort.'

Trevor was born in Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire, but has lived in March since he was nine-years-old.

He worked as a journalist and printer for Sharman & Co, publishers of the Cambs Times, at March and Wisbech before focusing on writing books, mainly about the Fens, which covered subjects ranging from drainage to rebellions.

He said: 'There were few cars in the early days but I had a hunch that cars would play a big part in tourism and was right.

'I planned a strategy to write extensively about the Fens which few people came to. I have written about almost every town in the Fens and all my books are illustrated by my line-drawings and photographs.

'They were designed for local interest and particularly aimed at growing numbers of tourists.

'At that time hardly any books existed about the Fens.

'I had no car in the early days but, being a keen cyclist, I carried book orders in a rucksack and delivered as far away as Peterborough, Whittlesey, Spalding, Wisbech and even Cambridge, getting wet through many times.'