Numerous back-to-back houses, two or three stories high, were built in Birmingham during the 19th century, the majority of them were still in quite good condition in the early 20th century. Most of these houses were concentrated in inner-city areas such as Ladywood, Handsworth, Aston, Small Heath and Highgate. By the early 1970s, almost all of Birmingham's back-to-back houses had been demolished. The occupants were re-housed in new council houses and flats, some in redeveloped inner-city areas, while the majority moved to new housing estates such as Castle Vale and Chelmsley Wood. In fact, back-to-backs were once the commonest form of housing in England, home to the majority of working people in Victorian cities, but they have now almost entirely vanished from our urban townscape. Author Ted Rudge, who is a National Trust guide at the Birmingham back-to-backs in Hurst Street (built in 1831), has collected many personal stories from people who grew up in these infamous houses. For some it was a harsh life, cramped and overcrowded, but it was also a place where life-long friendships and relationships were made. The approach of telling the story through oral history, before these stories are forgotten, will be a shock to many modern people who are completely oblivious that these living conditions were standard across much of the country. What was it like to live in a house with one bedroom and no running water? How did eleven families share two toilets? The rise and fall of the back-to-back is a sobering tale of how our nation houses its people, and illuminates the story of the development of urban Britain.

Erinoid. n. name given to a plastics material manufactured from milk: (arch.) artificial horn: also the name of a Company in Stroud, Gloucestershire where it was produced throughout much of the 20th century! This publication tells the story of the development of the Company into a major British manufacturer of plastics materials. It is extensively illustrated with historic photographs of the site, the manufacturing processes, the workforce and even the company's splendid sporting facilities. Erinoid was used to make fountain pens, buttons, knitting needles and combs. It would have been handled daily by almost everyone in Great Britain but is now almost completely forgotten.

A nostalgic tour of Jarrow illustrated by old photographs of the town, selected from the author's quite unique and extensive collection. The images, many of which have never been published before, feature street scenes, notable buildings, social history, industry, events and transport. Jarrow was renowned as a town built on shipbuilding and steel working, courtesy of the Palmer shipbuilding empire, who reigned supreme supplying the world's fleet with more than 1000 vessels until its demise in 1933. It was this abrupt closure of the world famous shipyard which instigated the infamous 'Jarrow Crusade'. The fascination eight picture postcards which were given to Paul Perry in 1966 were the beginning of a journey, a journey which has lasted close to fifty years. The postcards were to form the backbone of the author's extensive collection and have multiplied into many thousands of images, some of which he share's with you within the pages of this publication.

An intriguing account of what has attracted musicians, artists, writers and people of the theatre to the delights of coastal Suffolk over the last 200 years and beyond. Inspiration has been drawn from the constantly changing North Sea, the generously proportioned skies, vast areas of serene marshes and abundant wildlife. All appear to be persuaded that there is something very special about the area. The likes of JMW Turner, Philip Wilson Steer and Charles Rennie Mackintosh found what they wanted here. The same applied to Benjamin Britten, Yehudi Menuhin, EM Forster and WH Auden. Elizabeth Jane Howard's books are as popular as ever and Jill Freud's Summer Theatre continues to thrive. There is something for everyone in coastal Suffolk.

This book about the history of the village of Eye, now in Peterborough but formerly in Northamptonshire, is written by local historian Andrew Pape using his extensive knowledge of the area. Whilst carrying out research on local pubs and breweries he became very interested in the broader history of Eye and collected old photographs, maps and postcards to produce this fascinating insight into the area. It is a must-buy for anyone interested in local history.

Take this next journey with me into Wednesfield's past and be assured that it will bring back memories of your own journey; and please enjoy! This 135 page book contains more than 100 photographs. This is my third journey into Wednesfield's past and I have loved doing it, it's been really great giving talks about our history to the Rotary Club of Wednesfield thanks to Mark Simmons and it was great to meet the Mayor and Mayoress in the Civic Centre. Thanks to Phil Bateman for organising that. Not forgetting the talks that I gave at The Vine Inn and also the Royal British Legion Club, once again it's been the main topic: 'Where did the famous battle between the Saxons and the Vikings take place?' Now all you folk of Wednesfield know.

This book commemorates one of Scotland's longest surviving village football teams. St. Monans, with a population of around 1500, is a small village situated in the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. St. Monan's heritage lies in the now long gone fishing and boatbuilding industries. This book preserves the heritage of the local village football team. St. Monans Swifts were the first team from the village and were formed in 1893. The team was renamed St. Monans Swallows in 1959 . Many local families have played for the village club over the years. Success has followed during various periods but the 1935-36 team's achievements will probably never be beaten. Many St. Monans men went on to play senior football and the village has produced international players, at different levels, in football, rugby and athletics. This book also illustrates the spirit and character of a small East Neuk community.

Shortlisted for the James Cropper Wainwright Prize 2022 for Nature Writing - Highly Commended Winner for the Richard Jefferies Award 2021 for Best Nature Writing 'A rural, working-class writer in an all too rarefied field, Chester's work is unusual for depicting the countryside as it is lived on the economic margins.' The Guardian 'An important portrait of connection to the land beyond ownership or possession.' Raynor Winn 'It's ever so good. Political, passionate and personal.' Robert Macfarlane 'Evocative and inspiring...environmental protest, family, motherhood and...nature.' Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground, Costa Novel Award Winner 2021 Nature is everything. It is the place I come from and the place I got to. It is family. Wherever I am, it is home and away, an escape, a bolt hole, a reason, a place to fight for, a consolation, and a way home. As a child growing up in rural England, Guardian Country Diarist Nicola Chester was inexorably drawn to the natural landscape surrounding her. Walking, listening and breathing in the nature around her, she followed the call of the cuckoo, the song of the nightingale and watched as red kites, fieldfares and skylarks soared through the endless skies over the chalk hills of the North Wessex Downs: the ancient land of Greenham Common which she called home. Nicola bears witness to, and fights against, the stark political and environmental changes imposed on the land she loves, whilst raising her family to appreciate nature and to feel like they belong - core parts of who Nicola is. From protesting the loss of ancient trees to the rewilding of Greenham Common, to the gibbet on Gallows Down and living in the shadow of Highclere Castle (made famous in Downton Abbey), On Gallows Down shows how one woman made sense of her world - and found her place in it.

This is the remarkable and unlikely story of how a bakery came to be built in a small Derbyshire village. Of the two orphaned traumatized children living in no more that an improvised wind brake (a cott.) on the edge of the great forest of Sherwood, and the common lands that stretched for miles to the north and east, who schemed, firstly just to provide enough food to survive. Many didn't in the harsh economic climate, of the cruel, pre-Victorian times in which they lived. Of childbirth, that could be a death sentence, and medical advancement's that came gradually, and through unlikely ways. It is the story of trickery and superstition, bordering on witchcraft, and the remarkable advancement through the industrial age. Of how illness, or injury, blighted the lives of all, and success could be no more than the ability to stay alive and healthy. Through it all, runs the theme of the bakery, based on the people who lived, worked and died there. It is also a history of the area and the age through which they lived, from the days of the highwaymen, the coming of the roads, canals, and railways, of the expansion of the church, and it's often eccentric priests. And of how disease was largely conquered by the event of clean water. And a population that was dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age.

The purpose of this book is to highlight the most important documentary evidence available to the family historian wishing to research their Irish ancestry. It is aimed primarily at researchers whose time in Irish repositories is limited, and who want to know what is available locally and online. It covers more than eighteen individual sources of information, making it simpler to organise your search and easier to carry it out both locally and on the ground. Contents: 1. Where to Begin; 2. Administrative Divisions; 3. Civil Registration; 4. Census Returns and Old Age Pension Claims; 5. Census Substitutes; 6. Wills and Testamentary Records; 7. Election Records; 8. Board of Guardian Records; 9. School Records; 10. Migration; 11. Emigration; 12. Landed Estate Records; 13. Taxation and Valuation Records; 14. Church Records; 15. Military Records; 16. Printed Records; 17. Law & Order; 18. Local Government; 19. Researching Online.

In addition to the history of the bases themselves, this book covers the histories of all the USAF units who served there and the aircraft types they operated. Lavishly illustrated throughout, with many rare and previously unpublished photographs, the concluding chapter brings the reader right up to the present day, with an insight into the development of the Bentwaters Cold War Museum. This book will be invaluable to any aviation enthusiast or historian who wishes to learn more about the USAF years at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge.

In many of the earliest Masonic manuscripts we read of the great influence of York and a mysterious Prince Edwin, on the history of Freemasonry. This has been assumed a myth by most historians. But a ].could these early stories regarding the importance of York be true? Or at least based on true events, confused as they may have become when handed down over centuries? The story which is told in these pages has never before been fully represented and will change the way we view the origins of Freemasonry in the British Isles forever. Join the Revd Neville Barker Cryer on a historical detective trail through the history of York Masonry, from the 9th to the 19th century. Discover - The true origins of the American a oeYork Ritea ? The hidden mysteries of the City of York The first recorded Speculative Masonic Initiations. The first Royal Arch Chapter in the world The truth about the rival a oeGrand Lodge of All England.

Submerged stories from the inland seas The newest addition to Globe Pequot's Shipwrecks series covers the sensational wrecks and maritime disasters from each of the five Great Lakes. It is estimated that over 30,000 sailors have lost their lives in Great Lakes wrecks. For many, these icy, inland seas have become their final resting place, but their last moments live on as a part of maritime history. The tales, all true and well-documented, feature some of the most notable tragedies on each of the lakes. Included in many of these tales are legends of ghost ship sighting, ghostly shipwreck victims still struggling to get to shore, and other chilling lore. Sailors are a superstitious group, and the stories are sprinkled with omens and maritime protocols that guide decisions made on the water.

When 12 year-old Jared Johnson's little sister dies, just hours after his mother breathes her last after wasting away so her children could eat, he knows he is on own. Desperate to avoid the workhouse, he does everything he can to survive the inhospitable streets of Birmingham. Jared is blessed with the gift of the gab and soon attracts the attention of the King of the Tatters, Toby McGuire. Recognising a kindred spirit, Toby soon has Jared out on a cart hustling for rags. Jared loves driving his horse Bess, shouting 'any old rags' as loud as he can, and it's not long before he's thriving. But being successful can bring you enemies as well as friends. Toby knows that Jared is destined for bigger things - provided his big mouth doesn't get him hurt first... The top 10 best-seller is back with an unforgettable story about an unforgettable boy. Heart-breaking and heart-warming, fans of Katie Flynn, Val Wood and Lyn Andrews will fall in love with this latest page-turner from Lindsey Hutchinson. What readers are saying about Lindsey Hutchinson: 'Couldn't put this book down. Brilliant story with many sad bits, but lovely happy ending. I would thoroughly recommend this book.' 'What a fabulous book from Lindsey again. She never disappoints. Read in 2 days it really is unputdownable! Can't wait for the next one as I know it will be another cracker.' 'It's a while since I didn't want a book to end. I absolutely loved this story as I have all of this author's books. She can't write fast enough for me, every book has been as lovely as the last and as usual I can't wait for the next.' 'Oh my goodness, I fell in love with each and everyone of the characters, except Edith, am glad to say she got her just rewards. Lindsey, you make them so loveable and real. Read it in 2 days. Brilliant!!!'

The Ancient Schools of Gloucester traces the history of education in the City of Gloucester from its origins in the cloister school of St Peter's Abbey about a thousand years ago. Starting in the early Middle Ages, the rivalries between the two Gloucester grammar schools maintained by St Oswald's and Llanthony priories are described. The contributions of the Benedictines, Augustinian canons and founders of the medieval chantries are assessed. The creation of new grammar schools in the reign of Henry VIII at the Crypt and King's is fully documented along with the development of these schools through the pivotal years of the Civil War and into the 18th century. There is a special focus on the career of Maurice Wheeler, Gloucester's most distinguished schoolmaster. As the country began to move towards mass education during the 18th century, the role of other initiatives, such as private schools for girls, Sunday Schools and Sir Thomas Rich's Bluecoat school for apprentice boys, is also covered. Whilst several histories have been published in the past of individual schools, this chronological and fully illustrated study is the first time an author has brought together the early histories of the ancient schools of the City into a single volume, which sets the Gloucester experience in its national context.

Great Britain unearths the hidden legends, laws, landscapes, discoveries, adventures and locations that have shaped Britain's compelling, and at times, tumultuous past. Explore how Britain was formed - its geology and climate, the quirky characters and events of its history and the origin of British institutions, such as public schools, fish and chips and driving on the left hand side. Brief, accessible and entertaining pieces on a wide variety of subjects makes it the perfect book to dip in to. The amazing and extraordinary facts series presents interesting, surprising and little-known facts and stories about a wide range of topics which are guaranteed to inform, absorb and entertain in equal measure.

For years the legendary John Seigenthaler hosted A Word on Words on Nashville's public television station, WNPT. During the show's four-decade run (1972 to 2013), he interviewed some of the most interesting and most impor tant writers of our time. These in-depth exchanges revealed much about the writers who appeared on his show and gave a glimpse into their creative pro cesses. Seigenthaler was a deeply engaged reader and a generous interviewer, a true craftsman. Frye Gaillard and Pat Toomay have collected and transcribed some of the iconic interactions from the show. Featuring interviews with: Arna Bontemps * Marshall Chapman * Pat Conroy * Rodney Crowell * John Egerton * Jesse Hill Ford * Charles Fountain * William Price Fox * Kinky Friedman * Frye Gaillard * Nikki Giovanni * Doris Kearns Goodwin * David Halberstam * Waylon Jennings * John Lewis * David Maraniss * William Marshall * Jon Meacham * Ann Patchett * Alice Randall * Dori Sanders * John Seigenthaler Sr. * Marty Stuart * Pat Toomay