To celebrate my forthcoming book, Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919 (due out next Spring), each day from now until Christmas, I will be posting on this blog, postcards from the First World War with their messages home.  Click on the picture to be taken to an external website which will be of First World War interest. Each day, the link will take you to a different website and, hopefully, help you discover resources new to you.  Just like a traditional advent calendar, you’ll not know what you’ve got until you’ve opened (or clicked) the door.

My Advent Calendar is my Christmas gift to you. Happy Christmas!

What’s behind the door?… Click on the picture above. When you’ve finished viewing the external website, come back to my blog and, in the comments, tell me what you think of the website you’ve just visited.

My dear Olive, Just a photo of my ship, dear, to you. And so glad to hear from dear old friends once again, dear. We are all happy on board and looking forward for our happy return home again, dear. God bless you. From your loving friend, Arthur

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This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe by using the Subscribe via Email button.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the “Like” button or Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

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My books
You may be interested in purchasing my local history books. They make ideal Christmas presents!

Click on the picture to purchase my book

Click on the picture to purchase my book

Click on the picture to purchase my book

You may also be interested in
– Christmas Advent Calendar 2015
– Christmas Advent Calendar 2014
– Christmas Greetings from the Trenches 1914-1918
– Louis Wain: Happy Christmas Greetings 2013
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Plough Monday
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 1
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 2
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 3
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Massacre of the Innocents
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Feast of St Stephen
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Nativity of Christ
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Shepherds
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Magi
– Medieval Christmas Stories: St Nicholas Eve

© Essex Voices Past 2015.

To celebrate my forthcoming book, Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919 (due out next Spring), each day from now until Christmas, I will be posting on this blog, postcards from the First World War with their messages home.  Click on the picture to be taken to an external website which will be of First World War interest. Each day, the link will take you to a different website and, hopefully, help you discover resources new to you.  Just like a traditional advent calendar, you’ll not know what you’ve got until you’ve opened (or clicked) the door.

My Advent Calendar is my Christmas gift to you. Happy Christmas!

What’s behind the door?… Click on the picture above. When you’ve finished viewing the external website, come back to my blog and, in the comments, tell me what you think of the website you’ve just visited.

This is the view of the “grand terre” of the different Belgium weapons. From left to right:……
1. Carabinier, 2. Pupil of the Military School of Brussels, 3. Artillerymen, 4. Pomegranate & tree, 5. Guide (cavalry), 6. Infantry of the Line, 7. Light Infantry. Under (left) Lancer (right) Light Cavalry. Don’t forget it’s the dress of time of peace. [The central picture is of King Albert I of the Belgians]

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This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe by using the Subscribe via Email button.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the “Like” button or Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

My books
You may be interested in purchasing my local history books. They make ideal Christmas presents!

Click on the picture to purchase my book

Click on the picture to purchase my book

Click on the picture to purchase my book

You may also be interested in
– Christmas Advent Calendar 2015
– Christmas Advent Calendar 2014
– Christmas Greetings from the Trenches 1914-1918
– Louis Wain: Happy Christmas Greetings 2013
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Plough Monday
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 1
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 2
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 3
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Massacre of the Innocents
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Feast of St Stephen
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Nativity of Christ
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Shepherds
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Magi
– Medieval Christmas Stories: St Nicholas Eve

© Essex Voices Past 2015.

To celebrate my forthcoming book, Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919 (due out next Spring), each day from now until Christmas, I will be posting on this blog, postcards from the First World War with their messages home.  Click on the picture to be taken to an external website which will be of First World War interest. Each day, the link will take you to a different website and, hopefully, help you discover resources new to you.  Just like a traditional advent calendar, you’ll not know what you’ve got until you’ve opened (or clicked) the door.

My Advent Calendar is my Christmas gift to you. Happy Christmas!

What’s behind the door?… Click on the picture above. When you’ve finished viewing the external website, come back to my blog and, in the comments, tell me what you think of the website you’ve just visited.

On Active Service. 8694 C Company, 1 Battalion Cameronians, British Expeditionary Force. 1 July 1915:Dear Harry, just a card with best wishes for a happy birthday and many happy returns of the day.  With love from Daddy xxxxxxxxx

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This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe by using the Subscribe via Email button.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the “Like” button or Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

My books
You may be interested in purchasing my local history books. They make ideal Christmas presents!

Click on the picture to purchase my book

Click on the picture to purchase my book

Click on the picture to purchase my book

You may also be interested in
– Christmas Advent Calendar 2015
– Christmas Advent Calendar 2014
– Christmas Greetings from the Trenches 1914-1918
– Louis Wain: Happy Christmas Greetings 2013
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Plough Monday
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 1
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 2
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 3
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Massacre of the Innocents
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Feast of St Stephen
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Nativity of Christ
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Shepherds
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Magi
– Medieval Christmas Stories: St Nicholas Eve

© Essex Voices Past 2015.

Firstly, an apology for lack of posts over the last couple of months.  In the background, my writing has not stopped.  In fact I have been frantically spending every waking hour researching and writing for my next book due out next spring Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919 (ignore Amazon’s date of publication as this is wrong).

My book is the story of a handful of men and women who went to war exactly one hundred years ago, as told through their postcards sent home to their loved ones.  Many of the stories in my book come from single postcards, as single cards is all that has survived from that person. However, I have been able to thoroughly research and retell the story of three peoples’ war.  A female volunteer nurse who nursed throughout the Battles of the Somme in one of the British Army’s largest military hospital in France; and two brothers, one of whom won the Military Cross for his courageous action during the opening day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) and the other brother (aged only 19 years old) who was in the Royal Flying Corp/Royal Air Force in the 49 Squadron and took part in dog-fights in the skies above France in 1918.  So my book is a combination of eye-witness accounts (as told through brief messages on postcards), information from War Diaries, and newspaper reports.

My book is due to be published in May of next year. As a taster for my book Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919, throughout December, I will be posting on this blog, postcards from the First World War with their messages home.  Click on the picture to be taken to an external website which will be of First World War interest. Each day, the link will take you to a different website and, hopefully, help you discover resources new to you.  Just like a traditional advent calendar, you’ll not know what you’ve got until you’ve opened (or clicked) the door.

My Advent Calendar is my Christmas gift to you. Happy Christmas!

What’s behind the door?… Click on the picture above. When you’ve finished viewing the external website, come back to my blog and, in the comments, tell me what you think of the website you’ve just visited.

To Mr Burley. With the best Compliments from The Front

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This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe by using the Subscribe via Email button.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the “Like” button or Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

My books
You may be interested in purchasing my local history books. They make ideal Christmas presents!

Click on the picture to purchase my book

Click on the picture to purchase my book

Click on the picture to purchase my book

You may also be interested in
– Christmas Advent Calendar 2015
– Christmas Advent Calendar 2014
– Christmas Greetings from the Trenches 1914-1918
– Louis Wain: Happy Christmas Greetings 2013
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Plough Monday
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 1
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 2
– Christmas in a Tudor Town: Part 3
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Massacre of the Innocents
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Feast of St Stephen
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Nativity of Christ
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Shepherds
– Medieval Christmas Stories: The Magi
– Medieval Christmas Stories: St Nicholas Eve

© Essex Voices Past 2015.

A date for your diary…

I will be at Bishop’s Stortford Tourist Information in the Market Square on Saturday 6th December 2014, from 10am until 12pm, signing copies of my new local history book on the town.

I look forward to meeting some of my readers then.

If you can’t make the book signing, but still wish to purchase my book, then please do click the picture below to purchase (in book format or Kindle) from Amazon.

In October 2014, I had a virtual book tour around the internet talking about my book and Bishop’s Stortford.  I visited the following blogs:-

• Worldwide Genealogy Blog: The process of writing a local history book.
• Essex Voices Past: Q&A session with Amberley Publishing on “how to get a publisher interested in your history book”.
• Ross Mountney’s Notebook: Home education and teaching history to children.
• Family History Across The Sea: Correlation between local and family history.
• Anglers Rest: Using vintage postcards to add to family and local history research.
• Bishop’s Stortford Museum’s Blog: Oral history of Bishop’s Stortford.
• Essex Voices Past: Bishop’s Stortford’s postcards which got away.

About me
I have a MSt in Local and Regional History (Cantab); a BA History (Open University) and an Advanced Diploma in Local History (Oxon) – all gained as a mature student. Having been a business technologist in the City of London for the last 30 years, I am currently taking time away from my City career to write. My first history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, was published by Amberley Publishing in September 2014. I have been commissioned to write a further three history books for them:-

• Sudbury, Lavenham and Long Melford Through Time (due to be published summer 2015);
• Saffron Walden Through Time (due to be published summer 2015); and
• Postcards from the Front: Britain 1914-1919 (due to be published summer 2016).

I live in Essex, England, and regularly write about the local history of Essex and East Anglia on my blog.

This week, to celebrate the publication of my first local history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, I am very excited to be doing tour around various blogs talking about various aspects of my book: not just the subject matter, but also about writing and researching “history”.

One post a day – so 7 posts in total – spread across a wide and diverse mix of history-related blogs.

Today, day 7, I am back on my own blog to show some the postcards, photographs and pictures of Bishop’s Stortford which got away.  Postcards and images which I couldn’t include in my book for one reason or another.

Two mile start
Unfortunately, I was unable to identify this image of the “Two Mile Start”.  There is a group of women central to the image, which when zoomed in, shows that they are wearing very elegant Edwardian summer dresses with hats.  The official standing in front of the flag on the right is very formally dressed with what appears to be a watch on a chain.  The hoi polloi appear to be the crowd on the left edge of the postcard.

Whatever event this was, it looks to be have been supported throughout the entire town, from all ranks of Edwardian society.  Its location could have been on the cricket pitch by Cricketfield Lane on the outskirts of the town.

Where or whatever this was, it is a fantastic social history postcard of Bishop’s Stortford at play.

Distance views of the town

1821 etching by J Mawman showing Bishop’s Stortford in 1669. The town’s Norman castle in the foreground and the parish of St Michael’s in the distance.

Edwardian view of the town photographed from the rooftops.  The parish church’s spire in the distance.

Edwardian view of the town photographed from the top of Waytemore Castle mound.  The ever-present parish church’s spire in the distance.

The Causeway
The rural beauty of the Edwardian Causeway.  Now a busy major ring-road within the town centre.

Windhill
Victorian and Edwardian children going about their business in Windhill – compared to the modern-day influx of cars.  At least the lamp-post has remained!  The first photograph is a carte de viste photograph from 1866.

The CDV photograph of St Michael’s church is fascinating.  I wrote a blog post about it here and explained why I think it dates from 1866.

I had great problems photographing this area of Bishop’s Stortford – I must have visited it to take photographs on varying days and at varying times at least 20 times.  But always always there were cars.  Windhill was originally going to be the front cover of my book, but the cars were just too prominent in all the modern day photographs.  So we had to ditch that idea.

On one particularly eventual day, we decided to visit early on a Saturday and take the photographs of my children and their spouses.  This is the photograph which opens Chapter 2 of my book.  Getting my children all together at the same time was the first problem and a feat in its own right.  The second problem was that as we all drove up to Windhill, my husband decided to park his car in the area exactly where the photograph was to be taken.  I wasn’t impressed with this, and nor was he when he had to move the car. (Yes, there were “words”!)

Our final problem was… After my girls and their spouses had left, I decided to pay a quick visit to the church to take a couple of photographs.  We were only gone no more than 10 minutes. But by the time we came out there was a traffic warden fast approaching our car…  I’m glad to say we (just) beat him to our car…

I suspect the Victorian and Edwardian photographers of these images didn’t have such problems!

Workman’s revenge
Finally, this newspaper article in the Chelmsford Chronicle in June 1912 tickled me

My blog tour
I have thoroughly enjoyed doing a blog tour around the internet.  It has felt very self-indulgent being able to talk about my hobby – history – which has been a life-long passion for me.  Thank you for taking time out and reading my posts.

To recap, I have been on the following blogs this week:-

• Saturday 18 October – Worldwide Genealogy Blog: The process of writing a local history book.
• Sunday 19 October – Essex Voices Past: Q&A session with Amberley Publishing on “how to get a publisher interested in your history book”.
• Monday 20 October – Ross Mountney’s Notebook: Home education and teaching history to children.
• Tuesday 21 October – Family History Across The Sea: Correlation between local and family history.
• Wednesday 22 October – Anglers Rest: Using vintage postcards to add to family and local history research.
• Thursday 23 October – Bishop’s Stortford Museum’s Blog: Oral history of Bishop’s Stortford.
• Friday 24 October – Essex Voices Past: Bishop’s Stortford’s postcards which got away.

About me
I have a MSt in Local and Regional History (Cantab); a BA History (Open University) and an Advanced Diploma in Local History (Oxon) – all gained as a mature student. Having been a business technologist in the City of London for the last 30 years, I am currently taking time away from my City career to write. My first history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, was published by Amberley Publishing in September 2014. I have been commissioned to write a further three history books for them:-

• Sudbury, Lavenham and Long Melford Through Time (due to be published summer 2015);
• Saffron Walden Through Time (due to be published summer 2015); and
• Postcards from the Front: Britain 1914-1919 (due to be published summer 2016).

Please do click on the image below to buy my book.

© Essex Voices Past 2014.

This week, to celebrate the publication of my first local history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, I am very excited to be doing tour around various blogs talking about various aspects of my book: not just the subject matter, but also about writing and researching “history”.

One post a day – so 7 posts in total – spread across a wide and diverse mix of history-related blogs.

Today, day 6, you can read me on Bishop’s Stortford’s Museums blog talking about Local history and Bishop’s Stortford. Please click on the link or picture below to read my post.

My blog tour
You can catch me on the following dates and blogs discussing “all things history”, along with explaining about my recent book, on the following dates and sites.

• Saturday 18 October – Worldwide Genealogy Blog: The process of writing a local history book.
• Sunday 19 October – Essex Voices Past: Q&A session with Amberley Publishing on “how to get a publisher interested in your history book”.
• Monday 20 October – Ross Mountney’s Notebook: Home education and teaching history to children.
• Tuesday 21 October – Family History Across The Sea: Correlation between local and family history.
• Wednesday 22 October – Anglers Rest: Using vintage postcards to add to family and local history research.
• Thursday 23 October – Bishop’s Stortford Museum’s Blog: Oral history of Bishop’s Stortford.
• Friday 24 October – Essex Voices Past: Bishop’s Stortford’s postcards which got away.

About me
I have a MSt in Local and Regional History (Cantab); a BA History (Open University) and an Advanced Diploma in Local History (Oxon) – all gained as a mature student. Having been a business technologist in the City of London for the last 30 years, I am currently taking time away from my City career to write. My first history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, was published by Amberley Publishing in September 2014. I have been commissioned to write a further three history books for them:-

• Sudbury, Lavenham and Long Melford Through Time (due to be published summer 2015);
• Saffron Walden Through Time (due to be published summer 2015); and
• Postcards from the Front: Britain 1914-1919 (due to be published summer 2016).

Please do click on the image below to buy my book.

© Essex Voices Past 2014.

This week, to celebrate the publication of my first local history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, I am very excited to be doing tour around various blogs talking about various aspects of my book: not just the subject matter, but also about writing and researching “history”.

One post a day – so 7 posts in total – spread across a wide and diverse mix of history-related blogs.

Today, day 5, you can read me on Julie Goucher’s blog Anglers Rest talking about Using vintage postcards to add to family and local history research. Please click on the link or picture below to read my post.

My blog tour
You can catch me on the following dates and blogs discussing “all things history”, along with explaining about my recent book, on the following dates and sites.

• Saturday 18 October – Worldwide Genealogy Blog: The process of writing a local history book.
• Sunday 19 October – Essex Voices Past: Q&A session with Amberley Publishing on “how to get a publisher interested in your history book”.
• Monday 20 October – Ross Mountney’s Notebook: Home education and teaching history to children.
• Tuesday 21 October – Family History Across The Sea: Correlation between local and family history.
• Wednesday 22 October – Anglers Rest: Using vintage postcards to add to family and local history research.
• Thursday 23 October – Bishop’s Stortford Museum’s Blog: Oral history of Bishop’s Stortford.
• Friday 24 October – Essex Voices Past: Bishop’s Stortford’s postcards which got away.

About me
I have a MSt in Local and Regional History (Cantab); a BA History (Open University) and an Advanced Diploma in Local History (Oxon) – all gained as a mature student. Having been a business technologist in the City of London for the last 30 years, I am currently taking time away from my City career to write. My first history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, was published by Amberley Publishing in September 2014. I have been commissioned to write a further three history books for them:-

• Sudbury, Lavenham and Long Melford Through Time (due to be published summer 2015);
• Saffron Walden Through Time (due to be published summer 2015); and
• Postcards from the Front: Britain 1914-1919 (due to be published summer 2016).

Please do click on the image below to buy my book.

© Essex Voices Past 2014.

This week, to celebrate the publication of my first local history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, I am very excited to be doing tour around various blogs talking about various aspects of my book: not just the subject matter, but also about writing and researching “history”.

One post a day – so 7 posts in total – spread across a wide and diverse mix of history-related blogs.

Today, day 4, you can read me on Pauleen Cass’s blog Family history across the seas talking about Correlation between local and family history. Please click on the link or picture below to read my post.

My blog tour
You can catch me on the following dates and blogs discussing “all things history”, along with explaining about my recent book, on the following dates and sites.

• Saturday 18 October – Worldwide Genealogy Blog: The process of writing a local history book.
• Sunday 19 October – Essex Voices Past: Q&A session with Amberley Publishing on “how to get a publisher interested in your history book”.
• Monday 20 October – Ross Mountney’s Notebook: Home education and teaching history to children.
• Tuesday 21 October – Family History Across The Sea: Correlation between local and family history.
• Wednesday 22 October – Anglers Rest: Using vintage postcards to add to family and local history research.
• Thursday 23 October – Bishop’s Stortford Museum’s Blog: Oral history of Bishop’s Stortford.
• Friday 24 October – Essex Voices Past: Bishop’s Stortford’s postcards which got away.

About me
I have a MSt in Local and Regional History (Cantab); a BA History (Open University) and an Advanced Diploma in Local History (Oxon) – all gained as a mature student. Having been a business technologist in the City of London for the last 30 years, I am currently taking time away from my City career to write. My first history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, was published by Amberley Publishing in September 2014. I have been commissioned to write a further three history books for them:-

• Sudbury, Lavenham and Long Melford Through Time (due to be published summer 2015);
• Saffron Walden Through Time (due to be published summer 2015); and
• Postcards from the Front: Britain 1914-1919 (due to be published summer 2016).

Please do click on the image below to buy my book.

© Essex Voices Past 2014.

This week, to celebrate the publication of my first local history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, I am very excited to be doing tour around various blogs talking about various aspects of my book: not just the subject matter, but also about writing and researching “history”.

One post a day – so 7 posts in total – spread across a wide and diverse mix of history-related blogs.

Today, day 3, you can read me on Ross Mountney’s Notebook talking about Home educating and history. Please click on the link or picture below to read my post.

My blog tour
You can catch me on the following dates and blogs discussing “all things history”, along with explaining about my recent book, on the following dates and sites.

• Saturday 18 October – Worldwide Genealogy Blog: The process of writing a local history book.
• Sunday 19 October – Essex Voices Past: Q&A session with Amberley Publishing on “how to get a publisher interested in your history book”.
• Monday 20 October – Ross Mountney’s Notebook: Home education and teaching history to children.
• Tuesday 21 October – Family History Across The Sea: Correlation between local and family history.
• Wednesday 22 October – Anglers Rest: Using vintage postcards to add to family and local history research.
• Thursday 23 October – Bishop’s Stortford Museum’s Blog: Oral history.
• Friday 24 October – Essex Voices Past: Bishop’s Stortford’s postcards which got away.

About me
I have a MSt in Local and Regional History (Cantab); a BA History (Open University) and an Advanced Diploma in Local History (Oxon) – all gained as a mature student. Having been a business technologist in the City of London for the last 30 years, I am currently taking time away from my City career to write. My first history book, Bishop’s Stortford Through Time, was published by Amberley Publishing in September 2014. I have been commissioned to write a further three history books for them:-

• Sudbury, Lavenham and Long Melford Through Time (due to be published summer 2015);
• Saffron Walden Through Time (due to be published summer 2015); and
• Postcards from the Front: Britain 1914-1919 (due to be published summer 2016).

Please do click on the image below to buy my book.

© Essex Voices Past 2014.