Explore Chelmsford's secret history through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs

'Here is a vivacious account of how in the 1950s, under Eden and Lloyd at the Foreign Office, some 5,000 young men doing national service were quietly siphoned off from their units, secluded in Cornwall and Fifeshire, or, more boldly, next door to the Guards depot at Coulsdon in Surrey, and put through crash courses in Russian till they could speak it fluently ...' M. R. D. Foot, Spectator Lambasted by the Soviets as a 'spy school', the Joint Services School for Linguists (JSSL) was a major Cold War initiative, which pushed 5000 young National Servicemen through intensive training as Russian translators and interpreters, primarily to meet the needs of Britain's signals intelligence operations. Its pupils included a remarkable cross-section of talented young men who went on to a diversity of glittering careers: professors of Russian, Chinese, ancient philosophy, economics; the historian Sir Martin Gilbert; authors such as Alan Bennett, Dennis Potter and Michael Frayn; screenwriter Jack Rosenthal; stage director Sir Peter Hall; and churchmen ranging from a bishop to a displaced Carmelite friar. Geoffrey Elliot and Harold Shukman, both of whom emerged from JSSL as interpreters, have drawn on many personal recollections and interviews with fellow students, as well as once highly classified documents in the Public Record Office, in order to reveal this fascinating story for the first time. 'A highly entertaining read ... No one interested in late 20th century theatre or literature can afford to ignore this book.' Spectator 'Elliott and Shukman write with style and wit ... They record something more than a byway in the history of the cold war, a true contribution to British history.' Michael Bourdeaux, Times Higher Education Supplement 'An engaging, quirky account of this strange offshoot of the Cold War ... a kind of Virgin Soldiers for clever clogs.' Michael Leapman, Independent

As Sir Michael Audley celebrates his marriage to Lucy Graham, his nephew, the barrister Robert Audley, welcomes his old friend George Talboys back to England, after three years of gold prospecting in Australia. George finds out that his wife Helen has died and that his son is under the care of his father in law. After settling the matter of the boy's guardianship, the Robert and Geroge set off to visit Sir Michael. While at the country manor Audley Court, Lady Audley avoids meeting George, and when the two seek an audience with the new Lady Audley, she makes many excuses to avoid their visit. Shortly thereafter, George disappears during a visit to Audley Court, much to Robert's consternation. Unwilling to believe that George has simply left suddenly and without notice, Robert begins to look into the circumstances around George's strange disappearance. His notes indicate the involvement of Lady Audley, much to his chagrin, and he slowly begins to collect evidence against her.

Offers entertaining bite-sized pieces of historic and contemporary trivia about Essex. This title is suitable for visitors and locals.

There is a thrilling book by means of William Le Queux called "The Zeppelin Destroyer" that is about the dangers and mysteries of the first zeppelin flights in the course of World War I. In Europe, the tale takes vicinity in a dangerous and nerve-wracking time when airships add a new layer to warfare. The story is about a series of exciting events that passed off as human beings tried to forestall the dangerous hazard that German zeppelins made with the aid of bombing raids over England. Le Queux skillfully crafts a story of spying, dangerous missions, and the race to stop the ones air assaults. The most important characters, who are artistic humans and intelligence agents, work together to stop this airborne danger. Le Queux's talent as a storyteller is clear in the vivid descriptions of the fights inside the air and the anxious race towards time. The book keeps readers fascinated with its suspenseful plot and using modern methods to prevent the zeppelins from causing harm. "The Zeppelin Destroyer" suggests how well Le Queux understood the military age and the artwork of strategic struggle at some stage in that point. The book is an exciting inspect the hard conditions and bravery needed to combat the dangers posed by way of the ones large airships. It indicates the bravery and creativity that have been had to cope with the changing dynamics of fight inside the sky.

Spring of 1978: Young Rory MacHugh leaves his Blackfoot World for an Ancient World. There determination, versatility, and several unique friends enable him to survive many new lives - a British sailor, an Egyptian Mameluke, a convict, a Secret Agent, a French Grenadier, a Highland solider, and a forbidden lover in an Egyptian court. But the most devastating is his first encounter with the man destined to plunge the world into war and to become Rory’s own personal demon, the young General Napoleon Bonaparte. http://jlmcwilliams.com/

What did families hide in the past and why? By delving into the familial dynamics of shame and guilt, Family Secrets investigates the part that families, so often regarded as the agents of repression, have played in the transformation of social mores from the Victorian era to the present day.

As Sir Michael Audley celebrates his marriage to Lucy Graham, his nephew, the barrister Robert Audley, welcomes his old friend George Talboys back to England, after three years of gold prospecting in Australia. George finds out that his wife Helen has died and that his son is under the care of his father in law. After settling the matter of the boy's guardianship, the Robert and Geroge set off to visit Sir Michael. While at the country manor Audley Court, Lady Audley avoids meeting George, and when the two seek an audience with the new Lady Audley, she makes many excuses to avoid their visit. Shortly thereafter, George disappears during a visit to Audley Court, much to Robert's consternation. Unwilling to believe that George has simply left suddenly and without notice, Robert begins to look into the circumstances around George's strange disappearance. His notes indicate the involvement of Lady Audley, much to his chagrin, and he slowly begins to collect evidence against her.

England's landscape is as diverse as its culture. It is a country with magnificent landscapes. This guide looks at the more established places of interest throughout the country, but it also focuses on the more secluded and little known visitor attractions and places to stay, eat and drink.

In his translator's preface to the revised edition of Gandhiji's autobiography, Mahadev Desai stated:It has now undergone careful revision, and from the point of view of language, it has had the benefit of careful revision by a revered friend, who, among many other things, has the reputation of being an eminent English scholar. The identity of the 'revered friend' was not disclosed, nor were the extent and nature of changes recorded. This concordance table reconstructs the entire process of revision and provides a detailed analysis of the changes made by Sir V S Srinvasas Sastri.