We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to host the Local Writers' Showcase for 2025. Building up to the event we put out posters, and I created a couple of displays. With lots of marketing locally, and a radio appearance on Phoenix FM's 'Eat My Brunch' by myself and my manager, it was getting exciting. 25 of the 27 authors attended the event We considered the event a success. Books were sold, and the Writer's Slam went well. It was so interesting to meet such a varie

To get the full benefit of the display, please view it at the Children's Library at Billericay Library. The house that this library is joined to - Burghstead Lodge, a grade two listed building, is described on the British Listed Buildings website as ‘a fine eighteenth-century red brick house'. According to Nikolaus Pevsner's 1950s guide to English buildings, it was the finest in Billericay. The initials and date ‘ST 1769’ are still visible on the hoppers at the top of the rai

Essex Library Service promotion of the history of Burghstead Lodge for May - Local History Month

On Saturday 25th November we had the second launch of the anthology, It Happened in Essex 2 at the Eastgate Shopping Centre, Basildon. We were honoured to have the presence of Mayor, Luke MacKenzie who officially launched the book. BHR's Angie McGlashon and Jacqui James. Basildon Wrtiers' Group members, Kevin Wood, Lisa Horner, Rob Coke, Benjamin Ditch, G K Lomax, Menderes Dogan, Dawn Knox, Pagan Field, Wendy Ogilvie Jacqui James and the Mayor, Luke MacKenzie Chairwoman of B

It Happened in Essex 2 is now out! Buy your copy here on Amazon It’s available in paperback and Kindle, as well as Kindle Unlimited. My story titled, A Beast of a Storm was inspired by the Great Flood of 1953. I spent a lot of time researching, including looking at various websites, especially canveyisland.org . I can promise you that I shed many tears when I read the people's stories on their website. In the video below, the MP, Sir Bernard Braine was familiar to me, he f

Larger than life, exuberant and a very happy, family man is how I would describe Aden Hynes. But what brought him to the point that he is...

Doctor Chowdhary's amazing life made such an impression on me that I was inspired to write a story which was based on him and how he affected those who knew and loved him, which was pretty much the whole community of Laindon at one time. I've got information from people who were his patients including his daughter who has written on Laindon & District Community Archive and information from other local history books. His daughter gave me her permission to write and publish t

I'm proud to have an article of mine published in the Essex Life Magazine. When I interviewed Geraldine Evans for my last book, Lost Basildon I felt that there was so much more to be shared, I'm sure Geraldine could write her own book. I asked her if she didn't mind if I wrote an article and submitted it to the magazine and she was happy to answer even more of my questions! This is the result.

Written 03/01/20 YARDLEY LONDON CELEBRATES ITS 250TH ANNIVERSARY AS WE REMEMBER YARDLEY'S IN BASILDON YARDLEY London, that legendary purveyor of perfumes, soaps and toiletries will celebrate its 250th anniversary this year. The company which was once called Yardley of London is one of the oldest brands in the history of perfume, toiletries and cosmetics. It has been awarded ‘Royal Warrant of Appointment’ six times, starting with Edward, Prince of Wales in 1921 then includin