The setting for this story is inspired by the beautiful National Trust property, Gunby Hall and Gardens, near Skegness in Lincolnshire, which appears on the cover. My sincere thanks to Astrid Gatenby and all her team of helpers for all the help and encouragement I received on my visits there. Also thank you to four of the volunteer room guides who took the time to meet me and chat about the history of the house: Jane Hughes, Judy Morgan-Anstee, Veronica Stonehouse and Rose Williams.
I am very grateful to Gordon Smith of Grimsby for his kindness in allowing me to visit his home to see a film about the Grimsby Chums. Gordon and the late John Robinson came up with the idea for the film, which was made by Terry Marker, with the help of the Grimsby Branch of the Royal Lincolnshire and Royal Anglian Regimental Association. The Grimsby Chums was the 10th (Service) Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment, a ‘Pals Battalion’ formed at the outset of the Great War from volunteers from Grimsby and the surrounding district. The film is a moving tribute to those men.
A great many sources have been used for research, but I must give particular acknowledgement to Peter Chapman’s superb book Grimsby’s Own: The Story of The Chums, published by the Grimsby Evening Telegraph and the Hutton Press (1991). Much of the material from his book also helped in the production of the film, as did information from the Imperial War Museum.
My love and thanks as always to my family and friends who are my constant source of encouragement and support as are my agent, Darley Anderson, and his staff, my editor, Trisha Jackson, Natasha Harding, Fergus Edmondson and all the team at Pan Macmillan.
First published 2014 by Pan Books
This electronic edition published 2014 by Pan Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-4472-3726-6
Copyright © Margaret Dickinson 2014
The right of Margaret Dickinson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Visit www.panmacmillan.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that you’re always first to hear about our new releases.
Fairfield Hall Page 41