Cryers Hill (34 page)

I would like to thank the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum for allowing access to the papers of L/Bdr J.R. Brown, Royal Regiment of Artillery (R.A.) and also Sgt. E.W. Cope, 2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade, Royal Sussex Regiment.

For information, research materials, documents, archives, photographs, childcare, memories and notes, I would like to thank Alison Gieler, Jeff Goodchild, Trevor Dean – for both his recollections and his account:
Widmer End: a village story
(Widmer End Residents Association) – Denise Knowles from the Bucks Family History Society, Stephanie Clarke (Dept of Documents, Imperial War Museum), Lizzie Richmond (Initial Teaching Alphabet archives, University of Bath), Jessica Bruce-Lockhart, Mrs Gillian Burn, Janice Bellamy, Rachel Johnson, Marylou Soto, Lorraine Hart, Robyn Becker, Mary Aldridge, Peter Aldridge, Jamie Lee, Dr Ruth Kennedy and Susan Campbell. My love and thanks to Mark, for his faith and encouragement. My thanks also to Clare Alexander and Dan Franklin.

Cryers Hill
contains extracts from letters written by L/Bdr J.R. Brown during his military service with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Central Mediterranean Forces between 1942 and 1944 and I would like gratefully to acknowledge this. An extract from a letter written by Sgt. E.W. Cope while serving with the Royal Sussex Regiment in central Italy also appears on page 318. The original letters are housed at the Department of Documents, Imperial War Museum, London SE1. In one such letter to his wife, L/Bdr J.R. Brown revealed both a desire to write of his experiences and also curiousity about who, if anyone, might one day read his words.

In acknowledgement, the following books proved helpful for reference:

The Way of a Countryman
by Ian Niall (White Lion),
The Poacher's Handbook
by Ian Niall (White Lion),
Hallowed Acres
by Michael F. Twist (Farming Press),
The Countryside Remembered
by Sadie Ward (Select Editions),
Hughenden Valley
by John Veysey (Hughenden Valley Village Hall & Residents Committee),
Sacred Songs & Solos Compiled by Ira D. Sankey
(Morgan & Scott Ltd).

The author is grateful for permission to reprint lines from the following: Three Wheels on My Wagon': Words by Bob Hillard and Music by Burt Bacharach © Copyright 1961 by Better Half Music Co. and P&P Songs Ltd., New Hidden Valley Music Co. Copyright renewed. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head': Words by Hal David and Music by Burt Bacharach © Copyright 1969 P&P Songs Ltd., New Hidden Valley Music Co./Casa David/WB Music Corporation, USA. Universal/MCA Music Limited (37.5%). Used by permission of Music Sales Limited. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. 'The 59th Bridge Street Song (Feelin' Groovy)': Words and Music by Paul Simon © Copyright 1966 Paul Simon. Used by permission of Music Sales Limited. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Extracts from
three funny littl wunz
by Charlotte Hough reproduced with permission of Curtis Brown Group Ltd, London, on behalf of Charlotte Hough. Copyright © Charlotte Hough 1962.

While every effort has been made to obtain permission from owners of copyright material reproduced herein, the publishers would like to apologise for any omissions and will be pleased to incorporate missing acknowledgements in any further editions.