It’s been a busy few weeks on the history front. Last week, I signed a book deal along with my co-author, Professor Adam Fairclough, to publish the story of Virginia Vernon’s war. In my post last August I wrote that her biography was begging to be written and here we are 100k words later. All going well, it will be available in all good bookstores next August (marking the 80th anniversary of the end of ENSA). Her story covers the entire Second World War, from the B.E.F. in Arras in 1939 to General Slim’s Fourteenth Army in Burma in ‘45.
If you want to find out more about our central protagonist, here’s a taster:
And earlier this week, I was privileged to appear on an episode of Woody’s WW2TV channel. If you missed it, you can see a recording here:
I was blown away by the audience's positive comments and responses. As mentioned at the end of my talk, I would genuinely be interested in hearing stories, letters, or diary entries from servicemen and women experiencing entertainment during the war (no matter how awful). Message me on this Substack to get in touch.
During my presentation, I mentioned a forgotten comedy classic, The Desert Mice (1959). If you want to read why it’s of historical interest, you can read my post here and follow the link to watch the film.
In between the festive parties and a visit to HMS Belfast for the London IC dinner, I’ll be working on my next blog post in time for Christmas; pantomimes put on by servicemen and women. Thanks for reading!