A Writer's Resources

When I got approached in November 2013 about writing the book I was prompted to get in touch with the Basildon Heritage Group (that is the name they are usually referred to) for most of the old photographs.  The group were very obliging and since my book has been published I have endeavoured to help them in return, I pop in now and again and have helped build up their Facebook audience and also given them my ceramic poppy from the Tower of London.  They had borrowed it for a WW1 exhibition and I was happy to give them it as they would have more use for it than me, they could possibly frame it with a photograph of the group voluntarily planting the poppies.  I wanted to contribute to the charity but I'm not really keen on ornaments I just see  them as dust collectors.

I referred back to my uni days and the research I had done for various projects and the dissertation, this was a starting point.  I borrowed as many books as possible from the library and over time got a list of contacts who have helped me greatly with information and photographs, these people are listed at the back of my book.  However the style of Amberley Publishing's 'Through Time' series is such that they don't include a bibliography.  I can say that I have looked at all possible related websites and books and double checked information as much as possible.

Recommended Basildon History Sites:-
http://www.laindonhistory.org.uk/
http://www.basildon.com/history/home.html

Local to Basildon History Sites:-
http://www.wickfordhistory.org.uk/
http://www.billericayhistory.org.uk/

Apart from the above Basildon history sites I scanned websites that held information about the history of the country generally, some would come up with little gems about the area.  I also looked through Echo newspaper's archives and went into libraries and asked if they kept papers of local history, which quite a few do.  There is also the other great resource - http://www.essex.gov.uk/Libraries-Archives/Record-Office/Pages/Record-Office.aspx

So lots of information there for aspiring local history writers.

For more information about writing listen to this interview on Hospital Radio for Basildon, I enjoyed it:-

 

Author Elizabeth Lord interviewed by Frank Toohey by Bhr1287 on Mixcloud