Colchester's history goes back to the Iron Age and the Roman settlement that was for a while the capital of Britain. There are extensive remains of Roman Colchester that can still be seen today, as well as from its medieval and later history, including its Norman castle built on Roman foundations. The wool trade brought prosperity and many buildings date from the Tudor period, but much of today's Colchester dates from its expansion in the nineteenth century. In the years after the Second World War, areas of the town were redeveloped and this has continued in recent years, including its extensive garrison area. Colchester Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Colchester with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Patrick Denney presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Colchester. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

The historic town of Colchester has a long history stretching back over 2,000 years to when it was the capital of Roman Britain, and before that a prominent centre during the Iron Age. Throughout the centuries the inhabitants of the town have engaged in all manner of occupational activities, bringing much prosperity to the area. During the Middle Ages the town grew rapidly as a centre for the manufacture of woollen cloth, and following the arrival of a large number of cloth workers from the Low Countries in the sixteenth century went on to achieve international fame as a centre for high-quality workmanship. In later years, the Industrial Revolution brought several new industries to the town, including Paxman's engineering works, which came to be one of the leading suppliers of diesel engines both in this country and abroad. Other industries to have boomed at this time include the boot and shoe industry and also the rag trade where the town flourished as a centre for the production of men's ready-to-wear clothing. The author has also included a chapter highlighting the working lives of a number of Colchester residents who were employed in the town during the early to middle decades of the twentieth century. Today Colchester is one of the fastest-growing communities in the country, benefitting from its university, new residential developments and its close proximity to Stansted Airport, Felixstowe and Harwich seaports and good connections to London. Colchester at Work explores the working life of this Essex town, and will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this part of the country.

This evocative compilation of reminiscences records life as it used to be in Colchester from the late nineteenth century up to the second half of the twentieth. Contributors' memories have been transcribed from taped interviews and appear here in their own words. Every facet of life is touched upon, from childhood to old age, work and family, war and peace. The oldest interviewee remembers the procession at Queen Victoria's funeral, which she attended as a young girl. Many contributors remember horse-drawn delivery vehicles, washing by hand using coppers and mangles, leisure and entertainment before television, and countless other facts of everyday life which have since disappeared. This fascinating vignette of a vanished society will doubtless appeal to all those who know Colchester. For older residents, it will offer a nostalgic glance back to the old days, while newcomers to the town will find this book an intriguing and invaluable historical resource for years to come.

Much has been written about Colchester's rich historical past, from the Iron Age settlement and the coming of the Romans, the Norman castle, the woollen cloth trade, the Siege of Colchester and many more notable events through to the present day. But the town's history has so much more to offer, particularly with regard to its more recent past, and in this present volume the reader will be taken off the beaten track and into the less well-known aspects of the town's history. From tales of interesting characters, both respectable and otherwise, strange events and hidden-away architectural gems, Secret Colchester will prove to be a must-have for everyone's bookshelf. Author Patrick Denney is a leading local historian and the book will certainly appeal to those with an interest in the history of Colchester, but also very much to the casual reader who wishes to learn more about this fascinating and historical corner of Essex.

Once regarded as the capital of Roman Britain, the town of Colchester has witnessed many events and seen many changes during its long history. This book describes the town's history from early Celtic origins and Roman settlement, through civil war and plague, Victorian enterprise and social reform, to the growth of industry and modern Colchester during the twentieth century. Despite the tremendous amount of new building work undertaken in the town, there remains an interesting mix of old and new. The book includes a walking tour of the town that starts and finishes at the War Memorial and guides the reader to places of historical interest in and around the town centre. It can be referred to independently of the main text of the book and enables both resident and visitor alike to embark on a journey into Colchester's past through its existing streets and buildings.