Penny Legg

This book reveals the myths and mayhem which accompanied the three waves of wartime evacuation and documents the experiences of evacuees in their own words.

Was There Crime in the Second World War? At a time of national emergency, the average person could be forgiven for thinking that crime rates would go down as everyone tried to help the war effort. However, the reality was that criminals saw the war as an opportunity to exploit the emergency conditions and those with a previously unblemished reputation found themselves tempted off the straight and narrow. Criminal activity wasn’t just a civilian occupation. The military services had its share of crime and the influx of foreign troops added to the problem. American and Canadian troops found themselves transported to Britain in preparation for D-Day. Lonely and far from home, some rioted and many looked for other distractions with desertion being a significant problem and one which was often funded by crime. Heavily illustrated with both contemporary and modern photographs Penny takes you back to some of the most infamous wartime crimes such as the blackout ripper, the bath chair murderer and the last person to be prosecuted in Britain for witchcraft. She also delves into the murky world of Spivs, Gangs, prostitutes and Robbers. At a time when rationing, shortages and the blitz meant feeding the family became ever more difficult it was all too easy for the increasingly blurred line of criminality to be crossed. Penny Legg shows how and why crime was committed during the Second World War and what became of those Spivs, Scoundrels, Rogues and Worse who strayed into the underworld.

For as long as there have been armed forces there have been camp followers – the families who move with the military to stay with their men. This book looks at the experiences of just a few of these families, through the eyes of the military wives and their relatives. From the First World War, when many women were fiancées but never wives, through the Second World War and postwar Britain to the present day and twenty-first-century service life, military wives talk about their experiences as never before. What is it really like to be married to a member of Britain’s Armed Forces? Can you ever be prepared for the reality that awaits you when you say ‘I do’ and walk down the aisle? From Big Bertha’s booms, rationing and bomb shelters, to military wives choirs, Afghanistan and marathons, this book celebrates that great British heroine, the military wife.

The people of Southampton have had a lot to put up with over the centuries. If the Danes of French weren't attacking it, pirates from further along were. Treasonous plots were hatched behind its ancient walls and mutiny hit its shipping. This book looks at such bloody events as the Black Death in the city, what happens when you cross a king, the ill-fated Titanic and the Blitz. Yes, the best bits of Southampton's history are surely the bloodiest!

The 1950s was a time of regeneration and change for Southampton. For children growing up during this decade, life was changing fast. They still made their own toys and earned their own pocket money, but, on new television sets, Andy Pandy (1950) and Bill and Ben (1952) delighted them. With rationing discontinued, confectionary was on the menu again and, for children, Southampton life in the 1950s was sweet. If you saw a Laurel and Hardy performance at The Gaumont Theatre, or made dens out of bombed-out buildings, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this charming and nostalgic account of the era.

In 1952, Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne and became the Sovereign Head of the Armed Forces. In the sixty years of her reign so far, there have been thousands of conscripts and regular service personnel who have served under her Colours all over the globe. This book is not just about war, but the everyday lives of those who serve on land, sea and in the air. Service men and women recall their experiences from the years after the Second World War to the Falklands War in 1982, through to modern military service at the end of a millennium and into the first years of the twenty-first century. From life in barracks at home and overseas, in a variety of hot and not-so-hot spots, to being on the frontline in major conflicts worldwide, from Kenya to Afghanistan. Male and female service personnel talk candidly about their experiences, offering a unique glimpse into a world in which they often risk their lives at a moment’s notice. Their stories are often laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes deeply moving and always inspiring. Under the Queen’s Colours is both a celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and a salute to the men and women who have served and continue to serve her.

This collection of personal memories, from the people who have lived and worked in Southampton over the past seventy years, offers a fascinating insight into experiences shared by so many across the country. Penny Legg has interviewed a wide spectrum of local people to record their recollections of local schools, shops, friends and neighbours, jobs, transport, sport and entertainment, and living through war. The memories and background history highlight a time of immense change in working and social life. In particular, the spirit of Southampton’s residents comes through in these anecdotes, which have often been recounted, but never before recorded. Complemented by over 70 photographs from private collections, these reminiscences provide an entertaining read for all who know the city.

Winchester offers a veritable feast of history, much of it unrecognised by twenty-first century visitors. This history of the Saxon capital of Wessex is told through evocative photographs of its buildings and intricate nooks and crannies. Brought to life with intriguing accounts are: St Catherine’s Hill, the site of a hill fort in 150 BC; the Peninsula Barracks, once a military establishment and now home to a range of museums; Winchester College, built in 1352, and its fourteenth-century gothic chapel; Winchester Cathedral, parts of which date from 1079; the resting place of novelist Jane Austen; the working water mill, still on its original medieval site; and King Arthur’s Round Table. Featuring a map showing points of interest, this is a must-read for locals and visitors alike.

Explore the darkest secrets of Southampton’s past with this collection of stories telling of the inexplicable occurrences and ghostly apparitions that have haunted residents of the city for centuries. From the Roman soldiers who pervade Bitterne Manor to the Grey Lady at the Royal Victoria Country Park, the site of a former military hospital, the city is host to spirits not yet departed who send a shiver down the spines of the living. No matter where you are in the city, incidents of unexplained phenomena have taken place nearby. The Tudor House Museum is frequently visited by poltergeists, while numerous mysterious figures have spooked the staff at the City College. Southampton is ‘alive’ with ghosts and, for those who dare, their stories can be discovered in this chilling book.

From Abbotts Ann and the Maiden’s Garlands to the Tichborne Dole and St Swithun’s forty days of rain, Folklore of Hampshire looks at the county as never before. Hampshire is proud host to traditions, customs and legends that may seem strange to the people of the twenty-first century but were very real to the Hampshire folk of yesteryear. While some of these customs have died out others are still with us, continuing a rich heritage. This book reveals some of the county’s saints, witches, superstitions, music, ghosts and legends, and talks to the ‘Hampshire Hogs’ who ensure that folklore from the past retains a place in modern society.