WRITER
All families have stories; some stories are almost myths… did my ancestors really come from Sweden? Were they really river pilots or pirates operating out of the east coast port of King’s Lynn? Some family stories are true, although some facts may be hidden; my great-grandparents loved each other across a religious divide, but where and how did they meet? Some family stories are only revealed through census records and some genealogical detective work. I want to tell the stories of my family, and others who otherwise might be lost in the past.
Stychens Lane in Bletchingley, Surrey, runs out of the village, in a northerly direction. It’s pretty and old, and I have used it in my story of the Radwinter family, putting one of the children there in 1851, according to the census. If you look at the census return you won’t find him, because I’ve […]
MoreI’m very particular about the names I choose for my characters, and I’m sometimes criticised for my choice… but usually I am trying to find a name that does not belong to a real person in real life… obviously I can’t hope to avoid it all the time, and sometimes names jump out and ambush […]
MoreThis photo of my husband’s grandfather must have been taken some time before the war… what a different age, and how hard their lives must have been.
MoreA friend who has just finished reading my novel, ‘Flipside’ commented that “at least there aren’t any strange names in it”, which is true, David,Steve, Denise, Danny, Kiran… and I have to admit for several reasons I do sometimes have unusual names in my stories. However, in my defence, I don’t think any of them […]
MoreThis is Ernest Colgate and his father John; I think the picture must have been taken in the early 1900’s as Ernest was born in 1881 and looks about twenty-ish here. They certainly look very smart, and there is definitely a Colgate look which my husband and son have inherited. They were both born in […]
MoreI had a visitor this morning; this cat, Smirnoff, owns our neighbours and thinks he also owns us! he heard me in the kitchen while I was making a cup of tea and asked if he could come in for some love. He came up and helped me write my blog this morning, had a […]
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Lois Elsden 