Postman’s Park Park, London

A short distance from St. Paul’s Cathedral, on King Edward Street, EC1A 7BT, is the entrance to what, at first sight, appears to be a churchyard. Indeed, much of it was once St. Botolph’s Aldersgate Church burial ground. If you climb the steps into the shady area, you’ll find yourself in a tranquil oasis of lawn, flower beds, paths and benches. However, this is not just another green London space where city workers can enjoy their lunch in peace, away from the bustle and traffic. This is Postman’s Park, a place that has an unusual story.

A wooden shelter runs along one wall and contains the little-known Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice, a unique tribute to ordinary people who lost their lives saving others.

The park opened in 1880, and its name originates from its popularity among workers from the nearby General Post Office. In 1900, George Frederic Watts, a renowned painter and social reformer, decided to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee by commemorating ‘heroic men and women’ who had died saving others. His vision was to create a lasting tribute to ordinary people whose acts of bravery might otherwise be forgotten.

The memorial consists of ceramic plaques attached to the wall of the wooden shelter in blocks of six. Each plaque is crafted in Royal Doulton china with an ornate typeface designed by William De Morgan, and each tells the tragic story of an individual who sacrificed his or her life for another. It’s interesting to note that the memorial doesn’t discriminate by age or social status, and the youngest person commemorated is eight-year-old Henry Bristow, while the eldest is sixty-one-year-old Daniel Pemberton. The earliest case featured is that of Sarah Smith, a pantomime artist who died trying to extinguish flames that had engulfed her companion in 1863, and the most recent is Leigh Pitt who drowned in 2007. The plaques also honour people from all walks of life, including doctors, labourers, and even a stewardess who gave up her life belt during a shipwreck.

There are so many touching stories, such as Alice Ayres, a servant who, instead of jumping to safety from a burning house, threw a mattress from the window and went back three times to save her employer’s children by throwing them onto the mattress. Overwhelmed by the fumes, she fell from the window and died. Dr. Samuel Rabbeth, a young physician who contracted diphtheria after clearing a child’s tracheotomy tube. John Clinton, aged ten who was drowned near London Bridge in trying to save a companion younger than himself.

Initially, the memorial was unveiled with only four plaques, however, it grew over time, with most additions made between 1900 and 1930. Today, there are fifty-four plaques commemorating sixty-two individuals. The stories span a wide range of heroic acts, from rescuing children from burning buildings to saving others from drowning or runaway horses. It certainly makes sobering reading.

There is an app, ‘The Everyday Heroes of Postman’s Park’, which has more information on each of the people commemorated in the memorial. It can be accessed by a QR code given in the park.

If you visit, you may find people enjoying their lunch sitting on the benches in the wooden shelter. Unfortunately, that makes photographing the plaques difficult. I waited for some time for two gentlemen to finish eating and leave. Eventually, I asked politely if I could photograph the plaques above their heads. They agreed, but rather than stepping out of the shelter, as I’d hoped, they merely bent sideways, so their heads are in my photo!

If you’d like to read more about Postman’s Park, check out their website here

Have you ever visited the site? What did you think?

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A Rose in Plotlands

If you’re looking for a heartfelt historical romance that will sweep you away, ‘A Rose in Plotlands‘ is a must-read. Set in the charming Plotlands of Dunton, Essex, during the turbulent years before and during World War II, this novel is a poignant tale of love, loyalty, and self-discovery.

The story follows Rae Kingsley, a spirited young woman yearning for acceptance but caught in a web of misplaced loyalties and reckless decisions. Overlooked by her family and misled by a manipulative friend, Rae’s path seems destined for heartbreak. Meanwhile, Jamie MacKenzie’s steadfast love for her has endured since childhood. Despite disapproving parents and societal expectations, their forbidden friendship blossoms into something deeper as war looms.

When they embark on a perilous mission to Dunkirk, Rae is forced to confront her true feelings. Will their love endure the trials of war and the barriers society places between them? Or will it be too late?

This uplifting fifth installment in The Heart of Plotlands series beautifully captures themes of sweet romance, family bonds, and the resilience of community spirit. Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction or stories that tug at your heartstrings, ‘A Rose in Plotlands‘ is sure to leave you moved.

Discover the magic of Plotlands—buy your copy today! Available in paperback and eBook here

Other books in The Heart of Plotlands series are:
‘A Cottage in Plotlands’
‘A Folly in Plotlands’
‘A Canary Girl in Plotlands’
‘A Reunion in Plotlands’

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Another Splash of Short Stories

If you’re short on time but still crave engaging stories, “A Splash of Short Stories” and its sequel, “A Splash of Short Stories 2” are perfect companions. Each book contains 100 stories, all exactly 100 words long, making them ideal for a quick read during a cup of tea or a short journey.

The stories range from humorous to poignant and cover a variety of themes. Some are quirky reinterpretations of nursery rhymes, while others twist Greek mythology or classic fairy tales. You’ll find tales that are whimsical, thought-provoking, and even deeply moving – a delightful mix for any mood. Whether you’re looking for a laugh or a moment of reflection, these bite-sized tales deliver in just the right amount of time.

Both books are available in paperback and eBook but the first Splash is also available in large print. You can find them here:
‘A Splash of Short Stories’ paperback and eBook and large print.
‘A Splash of Short Stories 2’ paperback and eBook.

Here’s one of my faves:

Oh, Icarus…
This time, Icarus had followed his dad’s instructions.

He’d taxied along the runway and was about to take off when his earbuds had fallen out and he’d lost contact with air traffic control. His legs were almost exhausted.

Then, a bit of luck. A jumbo jet had assisted his take-off, boosting him into the air. The pilot had gesticulated that Icarus should get off the nose cone, but that was easier said than done, although finally, he’d freed himself and plummeted to earth.

Thankfully, his fall was broken by the softened wax and broken feathers.

Back to the drawing board.

If you’ve read any of the stories from either book, which is your favourite? Please let me know.

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‘A Reunion in Plotlands’
It all started with a pair of socks! Not that the story would have unfolded if Evelyn hadn’t tucked a note containing her name, address and a poem of encouragement into the socks before adding them to all the other knitted ‘comforts’ sent out to the fighting men in Europe.

When Naval Lieutenant Jacob Adam, the recipient of the socks and note, arrives unannounced on her doorstep to thank her for her kindness, Evelyn’s life is thrown into chaos.

This is the fourth book in ‘The Heart of Plotlands Saga’, following on from ‘A Cottage in Plotlands’, ‘A Folly in Plotlands‘ and ‘A Canary Girl in Plotlands’. The next story in the saga will be ‘A Rose in Plotlands’ and although the two stories are standalone, they have links, just like the others that have already been published.

My inspiration for this story was based on real life. Apparently, many girls who knitted ‘comforts’ for the troops serving abroad during World War Two included their names and addresses, and I understand that grateful recipients often wrote and continued to correspond. Later, some knitters and recipients met up and even married – hopefully finding their happy ever after.

My other inspiration for ‘A Reunion in Plotlands’ was the place itself! Having lived near what had once been the Plotlands in Dunton, Essex and having bought what had once been a Plotland-style house, I became fascinated with the area and its history. My introduction to the Plotlands came shortly after I moved into Langdon Hills. During a walk in the nearby woods, I spotted the ruins of a cottage. I couldn’t believe someone would build a house deep in the woods. Later, when I heard about Plotlands, I realised that the cottage had once been a Plotland home and that it had actually once stood on cleared farmland. Over the years, the woods had encroached and swallowed up all remnants of the homes. And if that doesn’t deserve a story, what does? If you want to read a little more about my thoughts on Plotlands, why not sign up to my email newsletter and receive a free gift including exclusive stories and information about many of my books?

If you’d like to buy a copy of ‘A Reunion in Plotlands’, it’s available on Amazon as paperback, Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited, you can find it here

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The Lady Amelia Saga Box Set

My author friend, Mari Jane Law, recently suggested I gather the six books of The Lady Amelia Saga together into an eBook box set. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it but in the end, it wasn’t as hard as I’d feared.

The first thing I did was to make the image of the box set. That involved learning new photo-editing skills but I really enjoyed the process. Then, I had to ensure I could amalgamate all the manuscripts into one document and to format it. Thanks to another author friend, Michele Josie, who recommended the app, Atticus, which takes the pain out of formatting. I’d already bought a copy although I had only formatted single books, but making the set wasn’t very complicated.

I had the box set ready in much less time than I’d imagined.

The books in the set are ‘The Duchess of Sydney,’ ‘The Finding of Eden,’ ‘The Other Place,’ The Dolphin’s Kiss,’ ‘The Pearl of Aphrodite’ and ‘The Wooden Tokens.’

Blurb:

One ship. One journey halfway around the world. Six women’s lives forever changed.

In 1790, the convict transport ship Lady Amelia sets sail from England, carrying more than just its passengers. It carries the weight of betrayal, loss, and hope. Among those aboard are six women whose fates are intertwined:

Three wrongly convicted women, betrayed by their families and forced into exile.

A young girl, accompanying her convict mother, facing a bleak and uncertain future.

An unborn child, destined to take her first breath aboard the Lady Amelia just before they arrive in the newly established Sydney Penal Colony.

And one who remains behind—a sister stranded in a workhouse, separated from her family as she and her brother are apprenticed in a harsh cotton mill in northern England.

Each woman must summon unimaginable strength to survive the challenges ahead, as they grapple with betrayal and the fight to reclaim their lives. This is their journey of endurance, courage, and the will to overcome.

If you’d like a copy of the eBook box set, you can find it here on Amazon

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A Splash of Short Stories

Ever since I discovered flash fiction, I have loved writing stories and accounts in exactly 100 words. I submitted many to the CafeLit site and recently, I’ve been submitting regularly to Friday Flash Fiction. I realised I had a lot of drabbles (100 word stories) sitting on my hard drive, so I thought I’d collect them together and see how many I had.

Once the number of stories reached 100, I decided to put them together and publish them in a book, which I’ve called ‘A Splash of Short Stories’.

This is the second book of 100 stories of 100 words I’ve published. In 2016, my book, ‘The Great War – 100 Stories of 100 Words Honouring Those Who Lived and Died 100 Years Ago’ came out to commemorate the start of the Battle of the Somme during World War One.

‘A Splash of Short Stories’ is an eclectic mix of hopefully humorous stories and more poignant tales. It features fractured fairytales, short short stories, observations and my thoughts. It’s a great book to dip into and dip out of!

Here’s one of the fractured fairytales from the book:

The Princess’s Hand
“I’ve told you before, son, stop wasting money on gadgets from that online store. We haven’t got enough to fritter away on your weird inventions.”

“But Mum! The princess lost a ring in the Royal Meadow and the king’s decreed that whoever finds it can have the hand of the Princess. This is my chance to secure my future.”

“And you think that metal detector you’ve built will help you find the ring? That Meadow’s huge, and it’ll be packed with suitors looking for it.”

“Exactly! I’m going to make loads of detectors and sell them. I’ll make a fortune.”

‘A Splash of Short Stories’ is available in paperback and eBook and can be found here on Amazon

‘The Great War – 100 Stories of 100 Words Honouring Those Who Lived and Died 100 Years Ago’ is available in hardback, paperback and eBook here on Amazon

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The Post Box Topper Chronicles

It’s been a while since I’ve had a book published. Health issues have got in the way, but this year, I have a few books coming out and this is the first. ‘The Post Box Topper Chronicles’ is published by Chapeltown Books and is out now here https://mybook.to/PostboxTopper on Amazon, and here https://www.thebridgetowncafebooksshop.co.uk/2024/07/the-post-box-topper-chroincles.html in the Bridgetown Cafe online bookshop.

It’s the fourth in ‘The Chronicles Chronicles’ series and tells the story of the Creaping Bottom Post Box Topper Society.

A boring post box. Five knitters. Can one woman convert a post box into a work of artistic genius?
Vera Twinge is a natural leader. As chairperson of the newly formed Creaping Bottom Post Box Topper Society, she’s determined to make a splash in the village’s High Road with a stunning new post box topper for each month. But she’s constantly obstructed by an unscrupulous journalist, an insulted hairdresser and a possible mass murderer. Urging her society members on to create more ingenious toppers, Vera refuses to be defeated. But with negative reports in the local newspaper, a revenge haircut and the threat of alien invasion, Vera wonders if she is up to the task.
Will Vera and her post box topper society expose the strange happenings in Creaping Bottom and keep their beloved post box an object of beauty?

From the first time I ever saw a post box topper, I fell in love! How amazingly ingenious! My hat is off to anyone who has ever been involved in creating one, and my book is my tribute to you.

What do you think of post box toppers? Do they bring a smile to your lips?

Why not drop me a line and let me know? And if you belong to a post box topper club, please let me know where. I wonder if it’s anything like Vera Twinge’s club in Creaping Bottom…

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It’s been several months since I last posted on my blog. Those of you who are friends will know why that is. However, I haven’t stopped writing and now have several projects in the pipeline. One of those is to release the books in the Lady Amelia Saga as audiobooks. ‘The Duchess of Sydney’ came out last year but there has been a delay in producing the others. Now, however, ‘The Finding of Eden’, narrated by Abigail Langham is out.

And Abigail is over halfway through the third audiobook in the Lady Amelia series, ‘The Other Place’.

It’s been an interesting experience finding a narrator on ACX and seeing (and hearing!) the progress until the final product. First, I had to send off a passage from the book to ACX and anyone interested in auditioning to be my narrator posted their recording. Over the next few days, I received about a dozen recordings. Abigail was the first to reply and by far the best, so I accepted her, and she’s proved to be an excellent choice. She’s professional, easy to talk to and has a wonderful voice!

When Abigail had finished recording all the chapters, I listened to the entire book so I could approve it, and the finished product was submitted to ACX. Shortly after, it was available on Amazon and also on Audible. You can find ‘The Duchess of Sydney’ here on Amazon and here on Audible .

Betrayed, maliciously accused and transported. Will she ever be free?

Betrayed by her family and convicted of a crime she did not commit, Georgiana is sent halfway around the world to the penal colony of Sydney, New South Wales. Aboard the transport ship, the Lady Amelia, Lieutenant Francis Brooks, the ship’s agent becomes her protector, taking her as his “sea-wife”, not because he has any interest in her but because he has been tasked with the duty.
Despite their mutual distrust, the attraction between them grows. But life has not played fair with Georgiana. She is bound by family secrets and lies. Will she ever be free again – free to be herself and free to love?

‘The Finding of Eden’ is here on Amazon and here on Audible.

Torn from her family. Transported as a convict. Will she ever find a home?

1782 – the final year of the Bonner family’s good fortune. Eva, the eldest child of a respectable London watchmaker becomes guardian to her sister, Keziah, and brother, Henry. Barely more than a child herself, she tries to steer a course through a darker side of London she hadn’t known existed. But her attempts are not enough to keep the family together and she is wrongfully accused of a crime she didn’t commit and transported to the penal colony of Sydney, New South Wales on the Lady Amelia.
Treated as a virtual slave, she loses hope. Little wonder that when she meets Adam Trevelyan, a fellow convict, she refuses to believe they can find love.

And very soon, ‘The Other Place’ will be available in audiobook too.

Have you had experience of recording an audiobook? Or would like to find out more? Why not get in touch?

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The Basildon Writers’ Group had brought out a second anthology to raise money for their friends at Basildon Hospital Radio. The first anthology was entitled ‘It Happened in Essex’ and came out in 2020. It consisted of ten stories written by members of the group in the first part. In the second part, I wrote the beginning of a fractured fairy tale and the other members – including chair of Basildon Hospital Radio, Jacqui James – wrote their own ending. And how varied the endings to the story were! If you’d like to buy a copy of the first anthology, you can find it here on Amazon

Now, the second in the ‘It Happened in Essex’ series is out. This new book includes stories based in Essex from fourteen authors – all with a historical twist in the first part. In the second part, you’ll find drabbles written by the authors to explore their thoughts on Essex. What’s a drabble? Well, it’s a story of exactly 100 words. So, they’re short and sweet.

Here’s the blurb:

Do you think you know Essex? Take a fresh look through fourteen pairs of eyes.

Fourteen local writers take us on a trail of hope, horror and myth in It Happened in Essex 2 as they once again donate all the profits from this latest book to Basildon Hospital Radio.

Personal memories, fictional accounts of real events, and some that will keep you guessing. You will not be disappointed – the members of Basildon Writers’ Group have over 100 published novels and anthologies between them.

The group’s first book, It Happened In Essex was published in 2020 to acclaim from TV star Richard Madeley, the local MP, the Mayor of Basildon, and veteran radio DJ ‘Diddy’ David Hamilton, among many others. It also achieved a remarkable 4.6 stars out of 5 on Amazon reviews.

Now, It Happened In Essex 2 aims to beat the previous contributions to Basildon Hospital Radio, which is run by a team of dedicated volunteers 24/7. It is funded by initiatives such as this, keeping Basildon Hospital Radio on air for patients, relatives, and staff.

It Happened In Essex 2 – will you recognise all the locations?

Buy the book for yourself or as a gift, and take the challenge today.

Buy the book here on Amazon. Thank you!

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I had intended that my next blog post would be about my summer meanderings, however, two days ago, something happened that shocked me.

I’ll start back at last Tuesday. Several neighbours and I went to a council planning meeting to hear the verdict on a building proposal. The developer was proposing to replace the house on a nearby plot with two new houses. The proposal also included landscaping of the garden. ‘Landscaping’ apparently meant the removal of 22 out of 28 trees.

The house hasn’t been lived in for several years and was rather overgrown, so obviously, some clearance was necessary. However on the boundary between that house and our next door neighbour’s was a magnificent Dawn Redwood tree. Although Dawn Redwoods are endangered, they are not protected (find out more here).

Each year since we’ve lived in this house, I’ve watched the needles change from green to brown in the autumn and when the early morning sun lit it up, they glowed like copper. The plot is elevated above many of the neighbouring houses and since it was such a tall tree, most of the neighbours in our area could see it too. The lady who’d lived in the house must have planted it because she and her husband had been the people who’d built the house. Before that, I believe the area was an orchard. She once told me that experts from Kew Gardens had come to look at the tree and had said it was the largest specimen in Europe. It was a truly magnificent tree. 

At the council meeting the proposal to build the two houses and carry out the landscaping was turned down, although it was very close. Seven votes to reject the proposal and 6 to allow it. Strangely, the six members who voted to allow the proposal didn’t speak up in defence of their opinions although they were encouraged to do so on several occasions by the chair. Indeed, one of the six had earlier given a good reason why it was not a good proposal to accept. Nevertheless, he still voted to allow it.

During the meeting somebody from the planning office said that the trees weren’t the issue regarding privacy, after all there were no tree preservation orders (TPOs) on any of the trees and the developer could go in the following day and knock them all down. She said that privacy should be achieved by design. That’s quite a task since the existing house is much higher than the houses around it. With no trees providing screening, it is bound to look out on them.

A planning officer came around several weeks ago when the first planning proposal had been submitted by the developer for three houses on the plot (that was later rejected), and she told us that the council tree expert had decided the redwood tree was too large and would have to be chopped down. Although we’d considered trying to get a TPO on the tree, there didn’t seem to be much point if we would have to apply to a man who had already decided it needed to be cut down. We learnt at the meeting that the council tree expert had been advised by the developer’s tree expert. So, we might have stood a chance of getting a TPO if we’d tried. Of course, the following morning, the first thing we did was to start the process of getting a TPO on the tree. Little did we suspect there’d be no time. We hoped that common sense would prevail. After the success on Tuesday, we imagined that the developer would submit new plans and that sooner or later the existing house would be demolished and more houses built. However, we were only really worried about the trees, the privacy they offered and particularly the redwood which everyone loved.

On Friday morning, the developer arrived with tree surgeons who were going to clear the area. And guess which tree they made for first? Yes the magnificent Dawn Redwood tree.

The neighbours couldn’t believe it. For most of Friday, chainsaws were going as they lopped off branches until it looked like a totem pole and then I brought the whole thing down with such a crash that it shook our house. In fact, I thought the tree had fallen the wrong way and hit our side wall.

The tree surgeons will be back on Monday to clear more. I cannot believe that such a wonderful tree has been destroyed. The plot is directly opposite a primary school. What sort of message are we sending those children? We talk about preserving trees and valuing biodiversity and then we do exactly as we please with our environment.

If the Dawn Redwood had been in the way, I would’ve understood it, but it was on the boundary. It had been there all the time the previous owner had lived there.

And now it is gone. Each time I look out of the window all I can see is sky. Next week I’ll be able to clearly see the house next door for the first time ever if they clear as much of the remaining trees as I suspect they will.

Friday was a sad day.

So, the moral of the story is that if you have trees near you that you enjoy, even if they’re not yours, consider applying to your council for a TPO. Apparently you don’t need to own the tree to do that. One day, someone might appear with a chainsaw and simply remove it, so if you value it and would miss it if it disappeared, apply immediately. It takes many weeks before one might be granted, so don’t delay.

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