There have been many memorable years in Wrexham's history.1463, and the great fire which destroyed so much of the town and the original church; 1643, another fire and Cromwell's troops occupy the town; 1715, and the terrible anti-Dissenter Sacheverell riots; 1857, and the town receives its borough charter; 1864, and Wrexham AFC formed. But then … [Read more...] about 1876, Wrexham’s “Year of Wonder”
It’s Here – Blood Among the Threads
Wrexham, 1876. Meet Alfred Neobard Palmer, an unlikely hero. “It was a death which had brought him here. Death by snake venom, of all things.” Palmer – and his more courageous sweetheart, young Ettie Francis. A series of accidental deaths which increasingly seem – well, more than simply accidental. Deaths luring Palmer and Ettie, slowly but surely, … [Read more...] about It’s Here – Blood Among the Threads
George W.M. Reynolds – Forgotten Rival to Charles Dickens
In 1876, most people would have been familiar with George W.M. Reynolds and I couldn't help including him in a couple of chapters in Blood Among The Threads. But I originally ran into George Reynolds about ten years ago. I was writing the first of my Spanish Civil War novels, The Assassin’s Mark, and I needed to find an appropriate real-life … [Read more...] about George W.M. Reynolds – Forgotten Rival to Charles Dickens
Life and Times of Amado Granell Mesado, 1898-1972
At Sueca, in that old Valencian town, they showed me to the stone which bears his name. Granell – and then the date on which he died. A carved palm frond and bold insignia. The letters S, then L, small D, and H. Society of the Légion d’Honneur. A Spanish paladin of France, it seemed. You’ll want to know the story, I suppose. So, sit with me … [Read more...] about Life and Times of Amado Granell Mesado, 1898-1972
Wrexham Revealed – Introduction
It began with a quilt, a tapestry of colour and images here at the Wrexham Museum during the summer of 2017. I’d been working with the rest of the team helping to organise Wrexham’s Carnival of Words – the city’s own literary festival with a difference. We’d held one of our events at the Museum and arrangements were in full swing to display the … [Read more...] about Wrexham Revealed – Introduction