Danny Boy (43 page)

But there were others, like the young girl at the National Library of Ireland who found, photocopied and sent me old maps of Dublin and especial thanks must go to Molly Staunton, who lives in Tallaght and who carried out research about the Blessington to Dublin steam tram for me in her own time and out of the goodness of her heart. Then there was the girl in the Terenure Library. Terenure had been the old terminus of the steam tram, and a librarian there spent her lunch hour finding out the routes of the two electric trams that had gone into Dublin from there, which I had been unable to find anywhere else.

The people at the harbourmaster’s offices in Dun Laoghire astounded me (pre-1918 this town was called Kingstown). When they heard I was unable to get hold of a book detailing the history of the port by a man called John de Courcy, they not only photocopied the book, but also bound it beautifully before sending it to me.

Sincere gratitude must also go to Sister Barbara Jefferies. Sister Jefferies is the archivist at St Mary’s Convent in Handsworth, (Sisters of Mercy) who supplied me with literature and the history of the order. In the same way, the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham helped find out about the Catholic churches and schools in the area at that time.

Handsworth Historical Society was able to supply me with facts about local history and old maps as did the compilers
of
Astonbrook – The History of Aston
, which has had support and input from Carl Chinn. He has given me, and continues to give me, immeasurable help in anything to do with old Birmingham.

The website, ‘The Home Front. Britain During The First World War’, was informative as to the woman’s role in that Great War, but for many particular things I had to contact individuals – thank God for e-mail!

Thanks, therefore, go to Chris Baker and Andrew Jackson. Andrew has compiled a moving and emotive site about Accrington Pals and it is well worth a visit. It reduced me to tears. In search of this important information, I also contacted the War Research Society and was put in touch with Nick Frear ([email protected]) who gave me help, answered questions and supplied me with other material and facts that could form the basis of another book or two. Thanks Nick.

Then there was Paula Biddlestone, the lady in Birmingham Social Science Library, I told you this list went on and on. This terrific lady searched through the archives and unearthed pages and pages of papers relating to National Insurance records for the relevant periods and marked the photocopied pages to make life easier for me before sending them on.

While I was searching for information about life on the canals at that time, I came upon a site called, ‘Up the Cut’ about the boats on the Birmingham canals which again helped tremendously.

There was one book, too, which gave me valuable material and that was a book called
Up the Terrace – Down Aston and Lozells.
It was written by a man called Donald K Moore and he’d recounted the reminiscences of his grandfather, who had been a child at the time of the First World War. I have tried to contact Mr Moore personally, for the book was a pleasure to read and very helpful, but have been unable to find him, so here I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks.

I have great respect for the thousands of people who spend hours compiling and adding to various sites on the internet to help keep history alive and pass on their knowledge and that of others. I’d like to feel I do my bit and try to give accurate information in the novels I write, but my work would be harder without the internet and also without the people who have helped me and if I have forgotten anyone, I am very sorry.

My family’s unfailing support is also a great encouragement to me, from my four children, Nikki, Simon, Beth and Tamsin, my son-in-law Steve, my daughter-in-law Carol and mother-in-law Nancy Bennett, to my lovely husband Denis, who I would be lost without.

Thanks also to my dear friends, Ruth Adshead, Judith Kendall and Judy Westwood, who in various ways helped to make this book a reality.

But especial and immense gratitude must go to the most marvellous team at HarperCollins who work with me: my editorial director, Susan Opie, and equally my editor, Maxine Hitchcock, my valiant agent, Judith Murdoch, Ingrid Gegner, my publicist and last, but by no means least, Peter Hawtin, the Midlands’ sales director. I owe them all so much.

Thanks a million times to each and every one of you.

A Little Learning

Love Me Tender

A Strong Hand to Hold

Pack Up Your Troubles

Walking Back to Happiness

Till the Sun Shines Through