Peter Poulton (1925-2004) was on active service in the Far East as the West celebrated VE Day 1945. Family letters reflect joy, longing, and ongoing war concerns
Still thinking of you: letters after VE Day
Author: Natalie Mayhew
Originally a London girl, now living in Rochester, Kent. Fascinated by social history and passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion
What’s in a name
Julia Lane? (c.1840–1925): Illiterate but resilient, she rose from famine-era Ireland to hardship in London, through her inner strength and determination
The Law According to Mary Elizabeth Blundell
Mary Elizabeth Blundell (née Johnson) (1822-1880): A life of struggle and defiance in Victorian society underscores her resilience and resourcefulness
Lost and Found
Reflecting on family history, and how connections to ancestors and personal discoveries can reveal the impact of the past on our identity and understanding of life
A soldier’s return – the long road back
Ted Mayhew (1919-1982): His post-war struggles reveal the challenges faced by returning POWs, seeking reintegration while coping with trauma and change
Religious persecution in Suffolk: The 1810 Wickham Market riots
Wickham Market, a historic Suffolk village, faced intense religious conflict in 1810, leading to riots and eventual legal reforms protecting religious freedoms
Two Million Steps: Surviving the Long March of 1945
Ted Mayhew (1919-1982): In January 1945, Ted Mayhew and fellow POWs embarked on a gruelling evacuation march westward amid Europe's harsh winter conditions
Poverty, Place, and Childhood on Hayling Island
Catherine Dibben (1850–1934) early family life in a hardworking yet impoverished rural community, where illness and loss were ever present
Marriage, Mobility, and Motherhood
Catherine Dibben (1850–1934) navigating army life, delayed motherhood, and domestic service, she developed skills, patience, and resilience that would later shape her career
Raising Children in a Changing World
Catherine Dibben (1850–1934) gacing displacement and relentless domestic work, she relied on ingenuity, thrift, and endurance to keep her household afloat
