Salisbury in the Great War

[Moonraker]

This is the latest book in Pen & Sword's "Town and Cities in the Great War" series.

 

I had seen an early working draft, which has benefited from a lot of revision. I suggested a few alterations to military content and provided some of the photographs, and the author refers to one of my book's discussion of wartime "shenanigans" and "carnal dissipation" in the locality. (My involvement and knowledge of the subject made me hesitate about being able to review the book objectively, and I hope others will comment on it.)

 

Although very familiar with Wiltshire, Neil came new to events in Salisbury a century ago and has spent a lot of time (and expense) in researching them. He has a "comfortable" writing style that makes for very pleasant reading, and he skilfully puts local events into national and international contexts. Drawing on the Salisbury Journal, he describes the goods available in local stores – and their rising prices, food shortages (not least of sugar), conscription tribunals and entertainment offered by the city's theatres and cinemas. One local entrepreneur was H E Albany Ward, who became involved in "moving pictures" as early as 1897 and went on to open a chain of cinemas and theatres in towns, cities and wartime camps.

 

There is good material on the Godolphin School of Girls and the contribution its pupils made to the war effort, including milking cows, maintaining allotments, making items for hospitals and sewing products for the troops. The military achievements of local residents such as Tom Adlam VC are covered as are the contributions, both martial and civil, of those at the top of the locality's social hierarchy, in particular the Radnor family of Longford Castle, two miles south of the city.

 

The illustrations that I provided related mainly to the vicinity of Salisbury, and I knew of not too many featuring the city itself, during the war. Neil has done well to source others.

 

[Moonraker]

I was with author Neil Hall in Salisbury yesterday and was just a tiny bit envious of his selling skills - but then his eclectic career, including a stint in financial consultancy and importing Afghan coats into Britain, had required a great deal of chutzpah. He was staying overnight in the city and negotiated a special deal in the car park that he had used frequently when researching his book and also obtained a discount at the b & b.

 

We lunched at the Haunch of Venison pub (where I'd offered to pay for his meal, he being impoverished after a very recent move of home), now run by a Russian couple.When he showed the wife references to the pub in his book, she promptly bought a copy. Meanwhile I was desperately leafing through my Canadian Army book for references to Russian migrants who'd served with the First Canadian Contingent on Salisbury Plain. The best I could do was spotting some Russian-sounding names.

 

He's also persuaded the shop at Shrewton Garage(14 miles north of Salisbury) to stock his book and has sold a couple of dozen copies there. This has prompted me to belatedly approach the garage to point out that my Canadian book has rather more about the village - including some good photographs - than his book, so just possibly might they like to consider stocking mine, please.

 

Neil's spending this morning touring outlets in Salisbury to mention a play about the Great War being performed locally next month at Salisbury Playhouse (see here) and suggesting they have good stocks of his book to meet any interested generated, as well as dropping off leaflets in selected hotels.

 

All in contrast to my own diffidence, though I have suggested to Salisbury Playhouse that they might like to offer for sale copies of our books during the period the play is on.

 

Moonraker

[Moonraker]

Further chutzpah: Neil happened to be in Salisbury the other day and ventured close to the Zizzi  restaurant where  Sergei Skripal may have been poisoned. The portico that features on the cover of his book was the entrance to the recruiting office in 1914.  It is now the entrance to Zizzi....   Neil managed to chat up a journalist who then interviewed him for BBC Points West holding his book in front of the restaurant.

 

 

(Given the latest advice, I wonder if Neil has spent today washing his clothes ...)

 

Moonraker

Edited 11 March , 2018 by Moonraker

[Kath]

WOW!

Kath.

[ss002d6252]

2 hours ago, Moonraker said:

Further chutzpah: Neil happened to be in Salisbury the other day and ventured close to the Zizzi  restaurant where  Sergei Skripal may have been poisoned. The portico that features on the cover of his book was the entrance to the recruiting office in 1914.  It is now the entrance to Zizzi....   Neil managed to chat up a journalist who then interviewed him for BBC Points West holding his book in front of the restaurant.

 

 

(Given the latest advice, I wonder if Neil has spent today washing his clothes ...)

 

Moonraker

Carpe Diem

 

Craig

[RobynM]

Chutzpah. Love it