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Nicholas du Hamel – wolkamer
by Christine Swan I have decided to journey back about four hundred years in this week’s post. After an exciting few days in Leiden, Netherlands, I wanted to share with you my amazing journey…
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Lockdown butterflies
By Christine Swan I know that for many, the Covid lockdowns were a horrendous and very worrying time. This post in no way attempts to undermine this fact. On a grey day in London,…
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Time travelling
by Christine Swan I believe that everyone who begins investigating their family tree always hopes to discover something amazing – riches beyond their wildest dreams, links to royalty, heroic deeds or global fame. The…
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Return of the book worms
by Christine Swan I have commuted for a number of years and during these, USB charging points have become commonplace on the trains on my route. Some commuters travel glued to their phones and…
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William Aylott – lawyer
by Christine Swan My great, great grandfather William Aylott, was born in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire in 1825, the son of a lawyer, Thomas. In about 1830, the family moved to Stratford in East London where…
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Open House Festival 2024 – part 2
By Christine Swan Smithfield and Farringdon are two historic regions of the City and I chose to stay here last weekend as a base for my visits to Open House properties. Refreshed after a…
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Open House Festival 2024 – my glorious weekend in London part 1
by Christine Swan Just in case you were unaware, last weekend, this week and coming weekend, are a celebration of the built environment in London, organised by Open City. All relevant links are below…
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Riding the Severn Valley Railway
by Christine Swan I have often documented how much I enjoy rail travel. Fortunately, I live fairly close to two heritage railways but this week, I shall focus on the wonderful Severn Valley Railway.…
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Mary Flood – hatter’s daughter
by Christine Swan Mary Flood was born in Borough, Southwark in 1806 and baptised at St George the Martyr church in 1808. The family lived in Queen Street which was located within an area…
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Decapsulate your wardrobe
by Christine Swan I will that I love buying clothes so it was with a degree of scepticism that I read a newspaper article recently about yet another perfect capsule wardrobe consisting of twenty…
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William Henry Apthorp – Coach smith and wheelwright
By Christine Swan William Henry Apthorp was born in 1803 in Bloomsbury, London and was my great, great grandfather. His father, Henry Welch Apthorpe had made the move from St Ives, Cambridgeshire, to London…
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Notes from a solo traveller
By Christine Swan I started writing this post on my way home from my annual jaunt to the South of France. An incident happened that reminded me of other, similar ones, that led to…
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Awful Rigours and Wretched Pay 