You’ll know the story already, I guess. Heroic. The tramp steamer Stanbrook. And its legendary Cardiff skipper, Archie Dickson. The tragic closing days of the Spanish Civil War. 28th March 1939 and a final desperate group of Republican refugees carried to Oran, North Africa. To comparative safety. Out of rebel General Franco’s … [Read more...] about The Stanbrook Story
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May Day in Pocklington
An extract from A Betrayal of Heroes. Mid-1944, an entire company of Spanish Republicans, now fighting the Free French, find themselves in Pocklington, Yorkshire, waiting to the posted to Normandy. It was May Day and the men of La Nueve had insisted on celebrating their socialism in style. They didn’t quite understand the Maypole or the Morris … [Read more...] about May Day in Pocklington
Reynolds News and the Spanish Civil War
My three novels set during or in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War feature fictional journalist Jack Telford. But I needed a real-life newspaper for which he could report. And I chose the Sunday weekly Reynolds News. It had been founded as Reynolds's Weekly Newspaper in 1850 by radical journalist William MacArthur Reynolds. In … [Read more...] about Reynolds News and the Spanish Civil War
Five Steps to Recreating Sixth Century Britain
Yes, building a realistic setting for our historical fiction can be fun. But recreating the world of Sixth Century post-Roman Britain in The Song-Sayer's Lament had some real challenges. Normally, I'd always start with maps for the period, to get the geography right. But I have this "thing" about language and authenticity, like this... 1. … [Read more...] about Five Steps to Recreating Sixth Century Britain
Liverpool 1911 – Building the World of Suffragettes and Strikers
I've had lots of questions about building the world for The House on Hunter Street (2022). First, I was lucky enough to be invited to the Cheshire premiere for the stunning new movie, The Colour Room, telling the story of Clarice Cliff. Our thanks to Heidi Chapman for the invitation and for her hard work in organising the event as a fundraiser … [Read more...] about Liverpool 1911 – Building the World of Suffragettes and Strikers