Day sixteen of the ‘advent calendar’ focusing on some of the historical/genealogical sources that I used in the writing of Barefoot on the Cobbles.

When a novel is firmly set in a recognisable geographical location, it is important to exploit the resources of the experts. By using Clovelly as the backdrop for much of the book, I was placing my characters in an iconic village that, is well-known far beyond the immediate area. I was fortunate to be able to have access to the expertise and archive material of Clovelly Archive and History Group. Their Facebook group answered an eclectic range of queries from me. It was a real benefit to be able to ask such things as ‘Who was in charge of the post office?’ and get an almost instant response. I was able to see one of the paper discs, with its political slogan, that had been left on the lawns of Clovelly Court by the militant suffragettes. I was granted permission to use one of the archive’s evocative photographs of Daisy, barefoot on the cobbles, on my cover.

I would encourage all those who are trying to recreate a real place in a past era to approach local history groups and archives. They will be your harshest critics if you get it wrong but will be generous with their time and knowledge in order to help you to get it right.

More information about Barefoot on the Cobbles can be found here. Copies are available at various events and at all my presentations. You can order from Blue Poppy Publishing or directly from me. Kindle editions are available for those in the UK, USA, Australasia and Canada.