by Janet Seaward | Dec 23, 2014 | ancestors, ancestry, christmas, ducks, frozen, hammersmith, hammersmith bridge, holly, light, mistletoe, river Thames, romantic novels, sun, sunrise
An extract taken from “For Every Lie” by J E Seaward At eight o’clock on Christmas morning, a clean skinned, rosy cheeked, shiny haired Mary, recklessly ignoring a fresh covering of ice, ran up the steps from the kitchen door wearing her best dress covered with a...
by Janet Seaward | Dec 5, 2014 | ancestors, ancestry, beautiful boxes, books, cakes, chestnuts, christmas, Christmas shopping, Christmas tree, England, hammersmith, historical novels, King Street, laughter, lifestyle, London, potatoes, poverty, romantic novels, victorian, Victorian London, Victorian style, victorian values
An extract taken from “For Every Lie” by J E Seaward ‘Violet, I have to do some Christmas shopping, why don’t you come? The shop windows are bursting with beautiful things, sparkling silver and china…’ ‘What would I want with all that stuff?’ Violet raised her...
by Janet Seaward | Nov 14, 2014 | ancestry, book clubs, book research, Children in need, death, destitution, dwelling, hammersmith, historical, historical novels, history, hunger, King Street, leaking roof, London, pea souper, people, poverty, romantic novels, slums, victorian, Victorian London, Victorian style, victorian values, workhouse
Extract taken from “For Every Lie” by J E Seaward The horrors of a cold Victorian winter did not immediately touch the Atkinsons and the better-off classes in Hammersmith, nor even Mary herself. She had the protection of a warm kitchen, food in her stomach...
by Janet Seaward | Oct 30, 2014 | ancestors, ancestry, England, Funeral, Georgian, graves, gravestone, graveyard, halloween, haunting, historical, history, London, memory, Uncategorized, victorian, Victorian style, victorian values
Unlike the Victorians, when it came to holding a funeral, our earlier ancestors thought less about the pleasantries than getting their deceased relatives sent off quickly, cheaply and efficiently. Britain had been besmirched with war, plague, cholera and, in general,...
by Janet Seaward | Sep 15, 2014 | ancestors, ancestry, book research, cars, England, flyover, hammersmith, historical, historical novels, history, invention, lifestyle, London, St Paul's Church, victorian
West London has always had a special meaning for me – mainly due to the Randell family, my ancestors, having been traceable residents in Hammersmith for almost 200 years. They lived in the diocese of St Paul’s Church, which administered to and registered many of...
by Janet Seaward | Sep 8, 2014 | book research, historical, history, London, trains
When the railway began to forge its way across the length and width of England, during the early parts of the 19th century, it was received with every emotion and expletive. But there was no way to stop it; in the name of progress the railway cut its way from...
by Janet Seaward | Aug 7, 2014 | historical, historical novels, London, Uncategorized
Hammersmith was first known as Hamersmyth, perhaps due to the words ‘ham’ meaning village and ‘hythe’ meaning by the harbour; but it could have been more literally derived from hammer and smithy, relating to a place where metal work was done....
by Janet Seaward | Aug 6, 2014 | historical, historical novels, London, Uncategorized
I sometimes sit outside the Blue Anchor pub, convivially situated by the River Thames, on the Lower Mall, in Hammersmith. Pint in hand, I watch the Thames ebb gently under Hammersmith Bridge on its...
by Janet Seaward | Aug 3, 2014 | historical, historical novels, London, Uncategorized
Although I’d spent the early part of my life living in South East London, I had been very familiar with Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush due to our monthly visits to my Grandma in Westville Road. I enjoyed visiting her – she was different – there was a...
