Air Raid Warning
Peggy Vanderkar was studying at Chelsea College of Physical Education when the Second World War was started. I was at 111, the Solkhorn family home, when war was declared on…
The Traction Engine
One of my favourite books is ‘Before the lamps went out,’ by Esme Wingfield-Stratford, his account of growing up in Edwardian England. Here he recalls the advent of the Traction…
The Working Class Tea
For the Edwardian working-class meals were very different to their rich counterparts. J. Rey in ‘The Whole Art of Dinning’ published in 1914, enlightens us: The Working Class Tea “The…
Air Raid Warning
Peggy Vanderkar was studying at Chelsea College of Physical Education when the Second World War was started. I was at 111, the Solkhorn family home, when war was declared on…
Night Flying
In his book ‘Tiger moths to Typhoons’ F/Lt Peter Watson lets us into the world of the Second World War night flying school. “There were one or two consolations about…
Medieval 'Listeners'
Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Derby, may be called one of the earliest great English military engineers, for in 1345, the year before Crecy, he first taught the troops under…
Night Flying
In his book ‘Tiger moths to Typhoons’ F/Lt Peter Watson lets us into the world of the Second World War night flying school. “There were one or two consolations about…
Medieval 'Listeners'
Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Derby, may be called one of the earliest great English military engineers, for in 1345, the year before Crecy, he first taught the troops under…
A night on Hill 60
I was reading Norman Gladden’s book ‘YPRES 1917’ when i came across his account of his dealings with the Australian’s on Hill 60. Although the account is not specifically about…
Henry V Guns
Henry V’s force of 1415 was the first English army to use real artillery, though siege guns played no part at Agincourt. They had pet names as ‘London’ and the…