By way of introduction, here are ten things you didn’t know about Laurie Manton. It may be hard to think of anything interesting, but here goes! 1. I was born in Benghazi. It was then the British Military Administration — Cyrenaica. 2. I was educated at Broadmoor. For those who…

Television Was My Constant Companion Not entirely happy — Author in a cardboard box in Benghazi, Cyrenaica 1950. Looking back, my home life as a child was rather unusual. I had few toys, if at all, and no books. Prior to going to Primary School in 1955 aged five, life involved watching a lot of…

A handful of images I shot before and during the War From 1988–1998, I was employed as an Assistant Editor at Soldier — The British Army Magazine. My role was to produce news stories and feature articles about the British Army. These included profiles of Regiments and the experiences of…

Let me introduce my less well-known interest. My alter-egos are ‘The Graveyard Detective’ and ‘Grave Photographer’. I have been interested in Graveyards and Cemeteries for fifty years and, over that time, I have accumulated a considerable archive of related ephemera, vintage images and much, much more. When I retired in…

Two Lifeboats were lost. 27 Crewmen Died On December 9, 1886, the Hamburg-registered barque, Mexico, went aground near Southport, Lancashire. The local lifeboat, Eliza Fearnley was launched but when it arrived, the lifeboat was struck by heavy seas and capsized. Two hours later, it was found three miles along the…

When he rose at early morning Full of health all blythe and gay’

Father and two sons [19 & 16] killed in Abram Colliery exposion 1881. More than 40 were killed. Hindley Cemetery.

Samuel Wolstenholme and his son William were killed in the Kearsley Colliery explosion March 12, 1878. They are buried together at St…

Turning off the anti-magnetic system attracted mine — Walter Bentley Sharples, 5th Engineer Officer, Merchant Navy is named on the family memorial in Haslingden Cemetery, Lancashire. His name is listed on the Tower Hill Memorial. The names of the mostly Chinese crew are recorded on the Hong Kong Memorial. MV Arinia was a British Motor Tanker of 8,024…