After the Great War, regeneration was the focus of the country, with Harwich being no exception. In the 1920s and 30s, local projects included the construction of new roads such as Harbour Crescent and Mayflower Avenue, as well as the destruction of old derelict buildings, most notably the strip of Tudor-era houses on West Street, … Continue reading Area Number One
Birds of a Feather Flock… to Parkeston
In 1989, a brand new sitcom aired on the BBC by the name of Birds of a Feather. It was a bit of a golden era for BBC sitcoms, and this proved to be another success story. On Boxing Day of that year, the Christmas special aired, called "Sailing", the premise centring around tickets to … Continue reading Birds of a Feather Flock… to Parkeston
Harwich & North Essex: General Election Review
Series: Advance Preview / Preview 1 / Preview 2 Before we begin, let's showcase the results - since this is a history blog, let's do it through the medium of the Commodore 64: Bernard Jenkin retained his seat, but with the smallest majority he has ever received, just over a thousand votes. In Preview 1, … Continue reading Harwich & North Essex: General Election Review
Harwich & North Essex: General Election Preview 2
Life comes at you fast. Just four days after writing my first preview of the upcoming election, written with the idea that it would take place some time in the autumn, Rishi Sunak decided to utilise full meme potential and set a date of the fourth of July. With the candidates for Harwich & North … Continue reading Harwich & North Essex: General Election Preview 2
John Bagshaw the Rebel
I have been taking a personal interest in the Bagshaws recently, particularly John Bagshaw. There has been so much written about the Bagshaws, from several angles, that there has never been much of an urge to pick up on anything for the blog, but I have found it good for my own sake to get … Continue reading John Bagshaw the Rebel
A King and His Many Heads
"King's Head" is a phrase synonymous with Harwich and its history, not just thanks to the street, but also to the two former public houses bearing the name, the first of which being how the street got its name. However, laying behind this common, innocuous phrase is a complex and confusing history, with several unsolved … Continue reading A King and His Many Heads
The Three Wives of John Bagshaw
Several years ago, I wrote a piece for the blog detailing the three wives of Sir Anthony Deane. On a personal level this was groundbreaking as to this day I have not seen another source mention Deane's first wife; I was not necessarily the first person to make the discovery, but I was perhaps the … Continue reading The Three Wives of John Bagshaw
Harwich & North Essex: General Election Preview 1
With the next General Election looming on the horizon, and most of the major parties having confirmed their candidates for the constituency of Harwich & North Essex, now seems as good a time as any to put together my first full preview of the election. I will then do a second and final full preview … Continue reading Harwich & North Essex: General Election Preview 1
On This Day: April 1
It's a little risky writing a post on today of all days, especially about today, but nevertheless here we go... 1609 (OS): The Harwich St Nicholas burial register records the burial of Edward Trayforte, mariner of Shadwell (juxta Ratcliffe). Worth mentioning as it may be the final piece of the puzzle of some canny Googler's … Continue reading On This Day: April 1
The Role of Lived History in Old History
Often times I find that if I hear a semi-obscure song from the 1970s or 80s, I'll know what it's called but not who it's by; if I ask someone a little older than me, they'll be able to tell me instantly, and probably accompany it with a little piece of trivia. Similarly, I know … Continue reading The Role of Lived History in Old History
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