Author Talks, Book Launches and Events

Author Talks

Meet Author Penny Legg on 11 February 20212

Escaping the Blitz – Penny Legg

Escaping the Blitz - Talk by Penny Legg on 11 February 2022 — Escaping the Blitz – Talk by Penny Legg on 11 February 2022

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.

As co-author with Dr Penny Starns of ‘Escaping the Blitz’ published in 2021 by Sabrestorm Publishing, Penny Legg will be revealing some of the surprising facts of this life changing experience. For those that took part there was no typical evacuee experience, only a shared sense of alienation in the face of extreme adversity. 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 talk will look at those that were evacuated abroad as well as those evacuated within Britain and will include interviews with evacuees and first hand accounts.

Penny Legg is the author of thirteen non-fiction history books. She is a university lecturer in creative writing, journalism and business writing, and is an author coach. Penny also wrote ‘Crime in the Second World War: Spivs, Scoundrels, Rogues and Worse’ for Sabrestorm.

Our presentations are friendly and there will be an opportunity to ask questions and chat with Penny after the presentation. We will also be offering an exclusive opportunity to buy the book at a special discounted rate.

Tickets for this event are £3

Ticket details and further information HERE

Escaping the Blitz - Book Cover — Escaping the Blitz – Book Cover

Meet Author Neil Barber on 16 July 2021

**Online talk – 16 July 2021 at 7pm by author Neil Barber**
Click HERE for details and to order your ticket

Neil Barber, explains what happened in those first few vital hours of
D-Day and why Pegasus Bridge is a legendary part of the D-Day story.

Pegasus Bridge is a legendary part of the D-Day story but myths and misunderstandings abound.

The 6th Airborne Division was to begin landing in this area during the early hours of D-Day with a mission to protect the eastern flank of the seaborne landings, commencing a few hours later. For the British and Canadians, this was just beyond Ouistreham, on the beaches codenamed SWORD, JUNO and GOLD.

The very first operation of D-Day was to be the capture of the Caen Canal Bridge (Pegasus Bridge) and the River Orne Bridge (Horsa Bridge) a little further up the road. These were the only two bridges between the sea and Caen and so were vital for the linking of the seaborne and airborne forces and also the resupply of the Airborne Division and evacuation of its wounded.

For the Germans, possession of the bridges was equally vital, as it would provide them with the opportunity to attack the seaborne forces in their most vulnerable area; the flank

Neil Barber has written a number of comprehensive guides to the Normandy Campaign including an in-depth look at Pegasus Bridge. Here he uses photographs, first-hand accounts and his in-depth knowledge to simply explain what happened in those first few vital hours of D-Day.

Tickets for this event are £3

Ticket details and further information HERE

Meet Author Caroline Wigley on 7 May 2021

Online talk – 7 May 2021 at 7pm by author Caroline Wigley
Click HERE for details and to order your ticket

July 1940 saw 3,500 British women and children evacuated from the colony of Hong Kong, following threats of invasion from Japan. Few believed the evacuation to be necessary but the evacuees, initially billeted in Manila, soon found themselves boarding ships once again, this time bound for Australia.

This talk coincides with the publication in April 2021 of “A Weekend to Pack” by Caroline Wigley. An uplifting, funny at times, series of letters that are also deeply personal and intimate in places, bringing home the true pain of separation and loss in wartime, and told through a love story in its purest sense.

Entry to this event is £3 and includes a voucher for a discounted copy of the book which will be available for all those attending this Zoom presentation.

Ticket details and further information HERE

Meet Author Penny Legg on 9 April 2021

Online talk – 9 April 2021 at 7pm by author Penny Legg
Click HERE for details and to order your ticket

Entry to this event is £3 and includes a voucher for a discounted copy of the book which will be available for all those attending this Zoom presentation.

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.

Join author and journalist Penny Legg as she looks into the seedy world of Spivs, Scoundrels, Rogues and Worse.

Entry to this event is £3 and includes a voucher for a discounted copy of the book which will be available for all those attending this Zoom presentation.

Ticket details and further information HERE