Swindon in the Past Lane

Was this a good idea, I asked myself as I left Swindon in a deluge to visit the Art in the Garden exhibition at Avebury Manor? In 2011 Avebury Manor was the subject of a unique BBC and National Trust experiment during which the empty manor house was decorated in a time travel kaleidoscope of historical periods.  Visitors are able to relax in Alexander Keiller's sitting room and climb into Queen Anne's magnificent four poster bed. You can open cupboard drawers and fiddle with the fixtures but woe betide if you touch the hand painted Chinese wallpaper in the Georgian dining room, which is strictly off limits. Now in its fourth year the Art in the Garden exhibition includes work by 24 artists inspired by nature, history and the human form. The exhibition runs for another two weeks until October 13 and is open 11-5 every day. Today sees the final day in the Swindon Open Studios event, so hurry along to that as well.  And yes, the clouds parted and the sun sho...

I was busy researching the life and times of Henrietta St John, a sad story of 18 th  century double standards set against a backdrop of letters and gardening. Henrietta’s so say ‘platonic’ relationship with poet John Dalton led to her banishment from her home and her separation from her two children, and then during my research and reading I came across the name Doctor John St John, albeit from a different century. I was loath to halt my work in progress but I couldn’t resist trying to find out who this man was. Although there are still large gaps in my knowledge, I have discovered that Dr John led a pretty interesting life. Dr John was in the thick of the action during the 17 th  century Civil War. As troops assembled for the second showdown in the Berkshire countryside, Essex wrote to the Derby-House Committee My Lords and Gentlemen, It is a comfort to mee in this sad tyme of mine affliction, in minde and body, to see that I am continued in your care, being at this...

This week is your last chance to see the fantastic Great Western Embroiderers's exhibition at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. Don't miss it. When my mother left school at the age of 14 her headmistress asked her what job she wanted to do and she said she didn't know but it wouldn't be anything to do with sewing. Within weeks of leaving school she began an upholstery apprenticeship and sewed for the rest of her life, retiring when she was 70 years old. She made everything from her clothes and mine to church vestments and the stage curtains at the London Palladium. She worked for Lord and Lady Suffolk at Charlton Park and for a few soulless years as a machinist for a crash helmet manufacturer.  I have not inherited her talent. She used to say watching me sew was painful and that I was like 'a cow with a rifle'. But I can appreciate the talent of others and I found much to enjoy and admire at the Great Western Embroiderers Infocus Stitching exhi...

As a child growing up in London I visited the Tower of London on numerous occasions. I have two crumpled photographs taken on a primary school visit when I was about nine years old. I can't remember anything about the visit and I'm amazed anyone had a camera back in the day! My Auntie Ruth, a force for cultural improvement in my youth, took me on a visit. Sadly all I remember about this one was queuing for what seemed like hours to see the Crown Jewels. I don't even remember the jewels, just the queue. More than thirty years later I made the same 'Auntie Ruth error' and took my own three children when they were probably too young to appreciate the history. They can remember little about the day, apart from a boat trip on the Thames and some costumed actors in the Medieval Palace (proving what an important role these re-enactors play in childrens' learning). Recently I visited the tower again on my own to see the areas I have never managed to on pre...

One of the first pieces of advice those new to family history research are given is to collect family stories from living relatives. I think the second should be, and then discard them (the stories – not the relatives). I had always understood that my great grandparents, George and Kate Revel, were Irish. They were married at the Roman Catholic chapel of St Canice in Kilkenny on February 4, 1895. Their first daughter, Hanoria Emily, was born on January 3, 1896 at Kate’s parents’ home in Rathkeale where George was described as a discharged soldier. By 1898 the family had moved to London where a second daughter, Catherine Christina was born on December 17 at 19 Townshend Road, Marylebone. George was at this time working as a railway servant. But then everything was to change with the outbreak of war in South Africa. George was recalled to service with the Royal Irish Fusiliers, leaving Kate pregnant and with two small daughters. A son also named George (my grandfather) was ...

Yet again Swindon in the Past Lane has been a little neglected in recent weeks as I begin work on my next book. The Ladies of Lydiard is due for publication by Hobnob Press in Spring 2020 and I am busy re-visiting and exploring anew the intriguing St John women who once called Lydiard House their home. For some it was base-camp, for others a holiday retreat and for several a place of sanctuary from a troubled marriage.  These are the stories of women of status and influence who protected their estates through the vicissitudes of Civil War until in the 20 th century when, with the family coffers empty, Lydiard House was reluctantly sold and (fortunately for us) came into public ownership. At the moment all my reading is Lydiard centric and even during family outings my research radar is fully up and operational. However, with sizzling temperatures and two under five-years-old grandchildren in tow, any attempts at serious (or even sensible) research at Kew Gardens ...