Penny Legg – författare

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.

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.

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.

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.

Escaping the Blitz is the story of the biggest social upheaval in British history. Portrayed by the government as a positive by-product of the Second World War, civilian evacuation represented the cornerstone of Britain's civil defence strategy. In a single stroke, children were uprooted from their close-knit families and replanted in unfamiliar and sometimes hostile surroundings. Over the course of three days beginning on 31st August 1939, three and a half million vulnerable adults and children were evacuated from cities to rural areas. This totally haphazard mingling of social classes had profound and long-lasting effects on British society. From a government standpoint evacuation was an exercise in military logistics, but for those who took part it was a life changing experience. Furthermore, there was no typical evacuee experience, only a shared sense of alienation in the face of extreme adversity. The general trend for domestic evacuation was for central government to offload responsibility for evacuees onto rural local authorities. When it became clear that the latter had neither the basic resources nor administrative machinery to cope with large influxes of evacuees, central government was forced back into the policy driving seat. Yet a completely different approach was adopted towards overseas evacuation. Known as Sea-Vacs, children sent abroad were expected to act as ambassadors for Britain, tug at the heart strings of host nations, and elicit international financial support for the war effort. Aside from this role Sea-Vacs were essential for the survival of the British race, and government ministers fully expected them to eventually fight from the colonies in the event of a German invasion of Britain. Public perceptions of children however, shifted throughout the war. In 1939 children were either viewed as innocents in need of protection, or as useless mouths who were draining the nation of vital food supplies. Yet by 1941 they had become active participants in the war effort, and children as young as five could be found working on the land. By 1943 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries considered children to be a vital component in Britain's food production industry. They remained so long after the war had ended. Moreover, although some evacuees were lucky enough to have positive and uplifting encounters with their host families, others less fortunate suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse. This book reveals the myths and mayhem which accompanied the three waves of wartime evacuation and document the experiences of evacuees in their own words.  Throughout the book QR codes link readers (using a suitable phone or tablet) to unique video content of evacuees telling their story in their own words.

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.