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
The Life and Times of Hunter Street, Liverpool, 1911-2022
You wouldn’t recognise it anymore. Anonymous, a dual carriageway. That stretch, behind the Walker and Museum. From Islington and down to Byrom Street. An endless stream of vehicles, both ways. In one, towards the eastern suburb sprawl, the motorway and hated Manchester, the two cathedrals, Toxteth and the south. The other? Mersey Tunnels and the … [Read more...] about The Life and Times of Hunter Street, Liverpool, 1911-2022
Winning the Vote for Women in Britain
In Poland and in Britain, hidden threads of history can sometimes coincide. The fight for women’s votes is one of those, since Nineteen Eighteen saw us each succeed – at least in some initial victory, five years after cold Norway won the race. In Poland, after Independence came. In Britain, after decades of campaign. Campaigns … [Read more...] about Winning the Vote for Women in Britain