News

Our family suffered many casualties of various wars, but on this special day I would like to honour 2 sets of brothers. Click on their names to see their stories:

My mother’s 2 brothers, Raymond  Stevens & Edwin Stevens:.  There is a video memorial  HERE:

My father’s 2 cousins, twin brothers Gavin & John Simonds: Just before he died, John wrote an extraordinary letter to his stepson HERE: later published by his wife Barbara.

The brewery magazine for staff & customers provides a unique source of over 10,000 pages of social history & images from the period. Now online and fully searchable too!   CLICK HERE 

This beautiful manuscript ‘Family Tree’ was produced in 1926 by the Royal College of Heralds! HERE: 

Chris Gould sent me this lovely image!  Can anybody out there hazard a guess as to its date – or place?   He has used a microscope to decipher the words ‘Southern Railway’ on the sign – does that help?  Maybe this is a delivery for buffet cars?

I was interviewed on Brewery History this morning by Kirsten Walker just after the 10.00 am news. To listen, click HERE and go to 07.30 for the 1st session.

I have just received this lovely post card, printed in Dover. Can anybody please date it or identify any images?

In 1929 Lewis Farrugia & Eric Simonds established Simonds Farsons Ltd to brew & distribute beer in Malta. Click below for the story:

I was honoured to be invited to speak about ‘The Simonds Family of Reading’ and their connections to Basingstoke.  The presentation is below.read more…

My lovely niece has contracted the little known and even less understood Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. If you would like to know more of her or of this cancer, or even to contribute to its cure, please click HERE: 

There were about 65 new pub images loaded in the spring with another 25 in October! Nearly all kindly contributed by John Berry. Some have not been identified – so please do have a look and see if you can help with this?