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Funny where life takes you…

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Author: Natalie Mayhew

Originally a London girl, now living in Rochester, Kent. Fascinated by social history and passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion

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

Natalie Mayhew Edwin George Albert 'Ted' Mayhew (1919-1982) March 22, 2024January 18, 2026 11 Minutes

A woman before her time

Studio portrait of Meta Brevoort

Meta Brevoort (1825-1876) an intrepid Victorian mountaineer and the first female climber to wear trousers

Natalie Mayhew Brevoort, Marguerite Claudia 'Meta' Brevoort (1825-1876) March 22, 2024July 30, 2024 13 Minutes

Smokes, skies, and simple pleasures

Black and white photo of an elderly bricklayer at work

Charlie Mayhew (1902-1969) one man's quest to escape the mundane confines of a working-class life

Natalie Mayhew Mayhew, Richard Charles 'Charlie' Mayhew (1902-1969) February 29, 2024October 15, 2024 14 Minutes

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

Natalie Mayhew Edwin George Albert 'Ted' Mayhew (1919-1982) February 22, 2024January 30, 2026 8 Minutes

A ‘blue on blue’ disaster

Black and white photo of Winston Churchill and other military personel

A tragic wartime incident during a military demonstration when a pilot mistakenly fired on spectators, causing the deaths of dozens of Army and Home Guard officers and men

Natalie Mayhew Harry Cuthbert Collingwood (1879-1953) February 14, 2024July 3, 2025 8 Minutes

Echoes of Christmas

Live candles, each with a flame, clipped to a Christmas tree decorated with baubles and dried fruits.

During the 1960s, spending Christmas at our family home in Fulham was rare as my mother’s mental illness usually manifested itself in autumn and culminated in her being admitted to hospital around December, so my brother Nick and I were often sent down to stay in our grandmother’s house on the Dorset coast near Portland. … Continue reading Echoes of Christmas →

Natalie Mayhew Recollections January 3, 2024December 25, 2024 8 Minutes

Music and records

This story is not about a human ancestor, but about something else very close to my heart: popular music. Nowadays, anyone with access to the internet can listen to their choice of music instantly via a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music, or via YouTube. Long gone are the days when the only way … Continue reading Music and records →

Natalie Mayhew Recollections December 12, 2023December 12, 2023 9 Minutes

Off and on the beaten path

The turquoise waters of Lake Louise with mountains in the background

Reflections on the relative wilderness and popular destinations in and around the Banff National Park, Canada

Natalie Mayhew Recollections November 26, 2023December 4, 2023 12 Minutes

Alberta’s playground

Gravel road and landscape in the Spray Valley Provincial Park with forest on each side of the road and mountains in the distance

Following the path less travelled through Kananaskis Country, with a hike to Karst Spring a scenic drive through the mountains

Natalie Mayhew Recollections October 30, 2023May 6, 2025 6 Minutes

A snakes and ladders life

William Mayhew (1882-1918): Against the odds, a disadvantaged Englishman embarks on a journey to secure a better future for his family in the US

Natalie Mayhew William Mayhew (1882-1918) October 25, 2023February 29, 2024 13 Minutes

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Bailey Baker Banfield Banfield aka Wackrill Barrett Booth Bovill Bowes-Lyon Brevoort Bristow Brock Chaldecott Collingwood Conway-Gordon Coolidge Cooper Cotton Courtauld Daley Dibben Dowman Down Earle Finch Fitzgerald Gibbs Gordon Hall Harvey Hill Irving Kirby Krug Lane? Levens Mayhew Mayo Napier Obee Payne Poulton Rose Saumarez Sheldrake Todd Twohey Wackrill West Whetten

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