Spittoons in Arcadia
Having spent many hours in pubs over the decades I have long been fascinated by their history and the people who used them. I wrote this for the Twentieth Century Society newsletter about fifteen years ago.
Leaps buildings with a single bound...
Well I can’t do that, but there are other services I can offer:
I am an experienced teacher and lecturer with a qualification in teaching adults. I regularly take workshops at the Society of Genealogists, have spoken at several Rootstech conferences, and given talks to family and local history society groups. Among the topics I can talk about are:
I also teach online courses with Pharos Tutors on researching military ancestors, the poor law and advanced research techniques. Find out more at www.pharostutors.com It has been an interesting experience interacting with students who could be many thousands of miles away rather than in a classroom. Why not sign up for a course.
I’ve written lots of books over the years. Most have been for Pen & Sword, for whom I have had a mutually productive relationship since 2008, both advising them on family history titles and writing a number of books. You find out more at www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/search/products/Simon+Fowler
I’m greatly looking forward to seeing the publication of The Missing of the Great War by Amberley Publishing in the Spring 2022. There are several other books on the subject, but this takes a radically different approach with a lot of newly discovered material.
And there are the articles for a range of magazines over the past twenty years or so. A few are showcased here. During and after Covid I wrote a weekly local history column for an online newspaper the Twickenham and Richmond Tribune, that covered a wide range of topics from allotments to what might be described as the Case of the Missing Cod’s Heads. Find out more at https://twickenhamtribune.com
All of my books are precious to me. But some mean more than others. Top of the pile is Tracing Your First World Ancestors, not just because it is most comprehensive guide that is available, but more importantly, through the records, it tells the story of a few of the men and women who served during the Great War.
A new edition, which contains many more sources most of which are online, was published in April 2021.
Having spent many hours in pubs over the decades I have long been fascinated by their history and the people who used them. I wrote this for the Twentieth Century Society newsletter about fifteen years ago.
Occasionally one comes across records which can astound. One example is the messages dropped by both German and British pilots over enemy lines during the First World War seeking information about missing airmen.