SINCE Miriam Tong started as manager of Gilbert White's House and The Oates Museum on Monday, the phone has been constantly ringing with requests for information about the effect of an erupting Icelandic volcano on Selborne in 1783.

In that year, the famous naturalist Gilbert White wrote a letter, describing the effect on the village of erupting Skaptar-Jokull.

This week's telephone calls were in response to the ash cloud from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which brought air travel to a halt.

For full story, see this week's Alton Herald.