History – Page 3 – I Walk Alone

Sneak preview ~ A Dish Best Served Cold

You may have noticed that I’ve been quiet for the last couple of weeks. This is partly down to a horrible cold and a great deal of snuggling under a blanket, feeling sorry for myself whilst coughing and sneezing. I have also been busy reading through proofs and approving cover designs for my next novel, A Dish Best Served Cold. The book is set in Southampton in 1935 and features, amongst other things, a famous gold robbery at Croydon Airport. I promise I will tell you more about the research that went into this book later, but for now, I will give you a sneak preview to whet your appetite.

Research rabbit hole ~ population control 1931

Daisy Woodman, the inspiration for my third book, Seventh Daughter, was the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. She was one of nine children, and her mother, Florence Weaver, was one of eleven. Large families were nothing out of the ordinary in the early 1900s, but family sizes decreased dramatically in the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a seventh daughter would be a very rare thing indeed, and this is, in part, due to a book, Married Love, written by Marie Stopes in 1918. Marie Stopes’ book didn’t contain any new or revolutionary information about contraception, it simply made it available to the masses.

Silence, sacrifice surprises and swans

One of the first things people notice when entering the Old Cemetery’s main gates is the Cross of Sacrifice. It stands alone, in front of the Church of England chapel, signifying that Commonwealth War Graves are present. In fact, the cemetery contains 127 graves from the two world wars and others from earlier wars, including the Battle of Waterloo, the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Indian Mutiny and the Boer War, along with many Titanic graves. It was also the reason I chose the Old Cemetery as the halfway point in my morning walk with CJ on 11 November.

The eleventh hour

At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the Allies and Germans signed an armistice. It didn’t officially end the Great War, but it was the beginning of the end. The armistice expired after thirty-six days and was extended several times before the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919 brought lasting peace. Each year, on the day the guns fell silent, we stop, remember our war dead and lay wreaths of poppies to recall the flowers that sprang up in the fields where the soldiers fell.

Research rabbit hole ~ 1931, the oldest profession

Being a writer means stepping out of your comfort zone and trying to understand other people’s lives and motivations. Nancy, one of the main characters in Seventh Daughter, was a prostitute, and my research into her backstory uncovered many interesting facts and tales. For instance, East Street was the home of Southampton’s brothels in medieval times. They were known as ‘the stews’ because they had hot air or vapour baths, and the authorities tolerated them because the fines levied against the women and their customers were an excellent source of income. On December 19th, 1544, they were closed after a series of incidents and disturbances. This didn’t stop prostitution in the town. Instead, it moved it to other locations.

May in the old cemetery

As it’s Halloween, I thought I’d share some more tales from the Old Cemetery, although the walk in question was on 21 May, so it was more sunshine and flowers than dark spookiness. Bright pink rhododendrons were bursting out everywhere I looked, and the cemetery was resplendent. It would have been easy to be lulled into a false sense of security, but the shady corners still had a slightly sinister aura. These and the graves in them were what interested me, along with the secrets they keep.

Research rabbit hole ~ 1931 midwives and handywomen

People often ask me how I come up with the ideas for my books. Usually, I say research into my family tree inspired them, but that’s only part of the story. Inspiration comes from many strange places. Sometimes I stumble upon intriguing things by accident, like the story of Eugenia Falleni, and they spark parts of a story or a character. Other times, the idea is there, but the research brings the characters to life. In Seventh Daughter, one character, Mabel, was an unqualified midwife, known back then as a handywoman, and another, Winnie, was a midwife. Researching the role of midwives and handywomen in the 1930s really helped me develop the characters of Mabel and Winnie.

A surprise tributary

My walk on 28 September had taken me as far along Monks Brook as I could go without leaving Fleming Park and getting hopelessly lost, but I still had time on my hands before Commando was due to finish his run. Time for some aimless wandering along the paths and trails I knew well from several CC6s. So, I returned to the gravel path and began a circuit of what had once been a golf course. Huge pylons dominate the northern edge of the park. They rather spoil the view. The M3, on the other side of the trees to my right, didn’t help much either. The hum of traffic was a constant irritation.

Research rabbit hole ~ The Great Depression

The years of the Great Depression were hard for the working classes of Southampton. They had no control over what was happening, and most had little understanding of the causes. The Roaring Twenties had bypassed them. Men working in low-paid, insecure jobs, had no money for frivolity or playing the stock market. They lived from hand to mouth at the best of times. Sadly, the depression, when it came, did not bypass them. Lives that had always been hard became harder. There was little for it but to carry on as best they could. This is the world the characters in Seventh Daughter inhabited, and researching the political and economic climate in 1931 led me down some interesting rabbit holes.

War, peace and Canada geese

Back in May 2022, I was in the middle of a WIP set during the Southampton blitz, so the prospect of a VE day flypast by vintage World War II planes got me quite excited. Reports in the Daily Echo suggested there would be lots of planes, including Spitfires. By now, I should know not to believe the things I read in the Echo without double checking, but anticipation overcame scepticism and on Sunday 8 May, Commando, CJ and I found ourselves on Town Quay with a crowd of other Echo believers, eagerly awaiting the planes. To be frank, there was an air of cynicism amongst the crowd. Flypasts are often promised and the combination of ancient planes and unpredictable weather means they are not always delivered.