Every Family has a story to tell……….Welcome to mine
Discover the Dark Tales of the Past in My Brand-New Series: “Stories From the Grave” Sometimes history grows in unexpected ways, like roots pushing through stone, or a story taking on a life far larger than the truth behind it. Few places in London better capture this gentle entanglement of fact and legend than the Hardy … Continue reading The Hardy Tree – A Tree That Remembered the Dead
Discover the dark tales of the past in my brand-new series: "Stories From The Grave." Tucked away in the peaceful churchyard of St John the Baptist Church in Pinner, Greater London, stands one of the most curious monuments you’re likely to encounter, a tomb with what appears to be a coffin floating above the ground. Its unusual design has … Continue reading The Truth Behind Pinner’s Floating Coffin
During a visit to the Western Front in the summer of 2025, I was told a story that has stayed with me ever since. It was not a story of sweeping offensives or celebrated generals, nor one that fits comfortably into the familiar narratives of the First World War. Instead, it was a small, human … Continue reading Beaumont-Hamel: A Fragment Returned
Discover the dark tales of the past in my brand-new series: "Stories From The Grave." In 1705, an Irish woman named Margorie McCall (sometimes recorded as McCat or McCool) was believed to have died suddenly from a fever and was hastily buried in Lurgan, County Armagh, a common practice at a time when contagious illness was feared, and medical … Continue reading Lived Once, Buried Twice
The land is silent now, peace prevails where once there was chaos. There was a time when the earth here was ripped apart by bombs and tanks, when men were torn apart by machine guns, shrapnel, bayonets and barbed wire. Today, crops and trees grow once more on soil that was once barren, a landscape … Continue reading Walking the Great War: My Journey to the Western Front
Private William Richards Crump was born in Birmingham in 1893, the youngest of two boys born to Minnie Crump. His baptism, alongside that of his older brother Francis, took place on 11 August 1894 at St James Church, Wandsworth. The brothers shared the unusual middle name Richards, which was almost certainly a quiet clue to the identity of their biological … Continue reading Before the Guns Fell Silent: The Final Days of Private Crump
The Oak Tree Remembers: A Chiddicks Family Story Through the Eyes of the Village Oak Tree I have been standing here longer. than you can remember. My roots run deeper than the graves in the churchyard, and my limbs have reached higher with every passing century. I am the old oak on the village green, … Continue reading The Tree On The Green
The people of London lay blissfully asleep in their beds, completely unaware of the chaos and devastation that was about to unfold in the early hours of the morning. On a cold and rainy January morning in 1928, disaster struck the city when the River Thames flooded with devastating effect, claiming the lives of fourteen … Continue reading The Great London Flood of 1928
History is All Around Us Everywhere we go we are surrounded by history, whether it's your family's history, the history of your house, or just local history, it's there all around us, often going unnoticed and untouched. But have you ever paused to think about the history woven into the buildings, roads, and landscapes that … Continue reading Touching The Past
Family history research is often a journey of twists, turns, and unexpected breakthroughs. But when you're dealing with a family member who was adopted and separated from the family at a young age, the search can feel even more daunting. In this post, I’ll share with you the unique circumstances that led my friend Rob, … Continue reading Separated by War – Orphaned Siblings Reunited After Decades Apart
The Chiddicks Family Tree 