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From the Romans to the Space Shuttle and Nuclear power. The remarkable history of Essex, in verse, in prose and illustration. Interesting facts given and unusual events explained. Find out why Essex has played such a pivotal role in the development of British History.

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The 'Histories' follows on from the Essex Hundred and has been inspired by the ancient land system of hundreds. It delves into one hundred events or personalities from 2,000 years of the county's history. This second edition which has been reprinted 11 times with updates explores the possibility that Shakespeare may actually have been an Essex boy and examines myths about dragon slaying in the north of Essex. Beginning with the sacking of Roman Colchester by Boadicea and travelling through time to Ford of Dagenham's modern day windmills, the diversity of Essex as well as its pivotal role in the nation's development are brought to life and presented in an informative and entertaining manner. Essex is truly a county of contrasts. www.essex100.com

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Milton, Chalkwell and the Crowstone is a reprint of a book by Marion Pearce. Originally published over 20 years ago, by the same author, this new edition has been completely revised with new chapters, additional text and a range of brand-new illustrations. Over the years, the hamlet of Milton (or Middletun) has been lost in the mists of time. Yet traces of the ‘middle town’ can still be found between Leigh-on-Sea and Southchurch. The name Milton still survives in road names in Southend and the electoral ward of the same name. Chalkwell centres around Chalkwell Hall and its park. The present Chalkwell Hall, is the third house on the site. Until the coming of the railways nearly all of Chalkwell was farmland. When the railways were built in the 1850s an empowering act required two level crossings to be built along with a special siding to accommodate the farming community. Perhaps even stranger is the name Chalkwell, as there is no chalk in the soil. It is suggested that there may have been a well on the site, now long gone, that was lined with chalk. The Crowstone has always sparked much interest. The stone that stands at the bottom of Chalkwell Avenue was sited there in 1838. It stood together with another shorter stone erected in 1755. This shorter stone in turn replaced a series of markers that denoted the eastern boundary of the City of London’s jurisdiction on the Essex side of the River Thames. For over 100 years the two stones stood side by side until in 1950 the shorter stone was moved and it now stands in Priory Park opposite the museum. A great little book packed with a wealth of fascinating information.

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Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries the highlight of the social calendar in many Essex towns and villages was the local horse race meeting. Of these Chelmsford Races, held on Galleywood Common, were by far the most successful. They were so popular that in 1770s the local gentry raised money for a permanent grandstand on the common where they could watch safely isolated from the lower classes. As well as the races the wealthy also enjoyed balls, dinners and concerts organised in the town to coincide with them. The races had something for everyone. Those too poor to attend the glittering social occasions could enjoy a wonderful day out on the common with the racecourse crammed with fairground attractions as well as many beer tents. The nature of racing changed towards the end of the eighteenth century as it became more professional and better organized. Despite this, Chelmsford's popularity waned and around 1880 the course was converted to steeplechasing. There was a brief resurgence after the First World War but it didn't last and racing at Galleywood ended in 1935. But that wasn't then end of the story and today the cheers of punters still ring out across the Essex countryside - this time at the new Chelmsford City Racecourse at Great Leighs.

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Battlefield Essex is the eighth book on the county we have produced in the Essex Hundred series and we are pleased to say most are still in print and available from book shops or cyber retailers. Although part of the title is called Battlefield, it is not a military reference book. In the last 2,000 years there have been a number of bloody battles on Essex soil, but there too have been several conflicts that although sometimes violent didn't involve the loss of life. In many cases these conflicts have been hyped in contemporary media as a 'battles' and the term has stuck. The prime example of this was the long running dispute in the 1920s in Thaxted in what was known the 'Battle of the Flags'. To our knowledge although there was damage to property, no one was killed or even seriously injured during this battle. Apart from the battles, Essex has been a front line county in England since the time of the Saxons and the Viking raiders 1,500 years ago, so accordingly it is proper to examine the various defences put in place to thwart potential invaders and to look at whether these forts and other defensive measures set up were much of a deterrent.Fortunately in recent times what might be called 'foreign' invaders have never set foot in Essex Nevertheless the county, with its munitions factories, arms development and weapons testing facilities, has played a major part in defence of the realm during the course of both World Wars, as well as suffering from the effects of enemy bombings. As the tide of the World War II swung in favour of the allies, Essex became a launching pad to strike the enemy. The US Air Force arrived in strength and stately homes were requisitioned by the military to train clandestine forces for missions in occupied Europe. Following the end of World War II, (a hot war), a cold war commenced almost immediately and a site near Ongar became a key installation for planning the aftermath of a nuclear strike. In writing this book it was never our intention to create an academic reference work. In Battlefield Essex as in our other Essex Hundred titles, we have done our best to record some of the memorable events, people and places that have played a role in the development of the county of Essex.

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The Roman occupation of Britain lasted over 350 years. Seventeen years after the Romans arrived in force in AD43, Queen Boudica led an uprising which resulted in the destruction of Colchester, London and St Albans. The rebellion was short lived and resulted in a harsh crackdown. Yet, in later years Roman rule was interrupted by several uprisings and incursions by the ‘natives’. Two hundred years after Boudica’s death part of the occupying Roman Army mutinied. One hundred years later the Roman Commander, Marcus Aurelius Carausius, proclaimed himself Emperor of an independent Britain. However, the insurrections were supressed, the mutiny put down, the usurper overthrown and Roman rule returned to more or less normal. Despite all the upheavals in the British Isles during Rome’s long tenure, we find it is only Boudica who is especially remembered. The Riddle of Boudica explores the ‘facts’ of the rebellion as known and examines the resultant heritage, legacy and mythology grown up around it and poses an intriguing What if? question.

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Famous Essex Authors, that you have never heard, that will in fact heard of. There are literally dozens of names that have been, sadly, forgotten over time. You may recognise some book titles, however (The French Lieutenant's Woman? One Hundred and One Dalmatians?). Some of the romance writers featured may not have famous names or even famous "titles" but they were so prolific and popular that they deserve to be foregrounded for their contribution to the world of books.Who knew, for instance, that a working class girl from Dagenham (Sheila Holland) would become so successful as a romantic novelist under her various pseudonyms that she went into tax exile on a mansion on the Isle of Man, or that a quiet introvert from Leigh-on-Sea was capable of writing raunchy novels about Arab sheikhs although she had never travelled beyond England (Violet Winspear). Then there is the impressive R.D.Wingfield, whose books about Detective Frost were a huge favourite of the author, revealed as being from Basildon, not far from her own home in Southend. Finding out why these people started writing, what motivated them, how they enjoyed success by using their lively imaginations, and how they sometimes struggled, has revealed a fascinating insight into the people of Essex. Even the 17th century aristocracy produced its memorable scribes with a Duchess from Colchester flaunting her exoticism and style with both the written and spoken word (Margaret Cavendish). Peppered throughout these pages are boxes featuring additional relevant trivia which should hopefully extend readers' knowledge of Essex authors and their works.Title includes a fold out map.

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This is a book with a difference. It is dedicated to the creativity of two cartoonists, Fred Naughten and Stan Harvey who worked for the Standard Newspaper Group in the 1930s. Cartoons are one of the most popular staples of the printed newspaper. The cartoonists genius lies not just with their drawing skills but also in their ability to bring together both contemporary and historical events in a single image. Such cartoons make us smile, sometimes laugh out loud or just reflect, no matter how grim the news of the days is. The cartoon images in the book were created in the 1930s. Despite high unemployment and war clouds hovering over Europe and the far East, the 1930s were nevertheless a of optimism. The motor car was becoming ever more popular as were all types of consumer goods such as the 'must have' wireless in the home. Before television it was the golden age of cinema, and for good or bad, there was no internet, e-mail or social media. ONCE UPON A TIME IN SOUTHEND (and district) shows a selection of cartoons beginning in January 1936 and spanning four years until December 1939. The foresight of the cartoonists is truly amazing as although the cartoons were created some 90 years ago many would not be out of place today all be it with minor refinements. In the book for each image the original caption is shown but with added extra notes to enhance any historical aspect of the drawing.

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Buffalo Bill was one of the most famous men in the world. For nearly twenty years he toured America, Britain and Europe with his own Wild West show. This was no circus - the cowboys were real cowboys, the Indians real Indians and the soldiers real soldiers. It was the world's first reality show, fulfilling Buffalo Bill's dream of bringing the excitement of the American frontier to mass audiences. It was a huge undertaking - three special trains were needed to transport it and the portable arena could seat more than 12,000 people. This book tells the extraordinary story of Buffalo Bill, his Wild West show and what happened when theyvisited several Essex towns in the early 1900s.

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