The recent correspondence about railwaymen serves to remind me of the impact that the travelling bands of railway 'navigators' had on the towns of Buckingamshire during the building of the railways in the 19th century. The railway came very late to Amersham (its station wasn't opened until 1892), and the 1891 census reveals over 80 navvies either housed in temporary huts in fields alongside the railway or lodged in the town. The total (which does not include wives, mistresses or children) accounts for most of the population increase inAmertsham from 3001 in 1881 to 3129 in 1891, the first time the parish had seen an increase since 1851. The birthplaces of the navvies indicate that they were drawn from all areas of the country. It is not difficult to imagine the impact of such a large influx of travellers on a sleepy market town such as Amersham. I bet the pubs did well though. Richard Ayres