Tag Archives: Diana Jackson

October 6, 2015 · 7:45 am

The Novel Approach to Research ~ Do you know what car this is?

What inspires you to write a novel?

All it took for me was an email and a photo and I was hooked.

Haynes Park Army Camp 1915

Haynes Park Army Camp 1915

Here’s the photo:

And here’s the gist of the email:

‘Did you know that a young Jersey girl was murdered at Haynes Park, near to where you live, back in 1919? The murder was never solved.’

The inspiration to write my first murder mystery ‘Murder, Now and Then’ was born!

Inspired to delve deeper I discovered this photo at the Bedford archives. The young ladies quickly became my characters, as did the owner and driver of the car – but what was the car?

I needed a car which looked like the above and was manufactured before World War One. Searching on the internet and asking several people for their opinion we decided to call it an ‘Austin 7hp.’ 

Imagine my surprise and delight to receive a comment on Facebook yesterday morning from a friend @PaulFellows who informed me that the car was really a Morris Oxford or Morris Cowley.

Many apologies for car lovers for this error in my novel. Not that you would know of course since there are no pictures in ‘Murder, Now and Then’ Morris;-)

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January 6, 2015 · 1:01 pm

Clophill History Discovery Walks by Colin Watt

A friend emailed over the holidays sending me a link to a walk around Clophill he’d enjoyed. Led by my curiosity for everything ‘history’ and ‘countryside’ related I was excited to read one of Colin Watt’s Discovery Walks –  e-leaflets – and I thought it perfect to share this with you, alongside my virtual tour of Bedfordshire.

I knew Colin Watt through a local magazine called Spotlight where he shares interesting snippets he’s gleaned about his local history research. I can recommend these leaflets because they provide up to date information about available pathways in the area and what to look out for en-route from a historical perspective.

You can find the leaflets on this link:

Clophill History – Discovery Walks

It is Walk no 4, Clophill to Haynes, which will take you past many places pertinent to my novel ‘Murder Now and Then’ from the Village Green at Clophill by the Flying Horse and The Green Man, through to The Stone Jug, up the Slade, over the fields to Haynes Church End and passing Haynes Park. From there you take a path to the village of Haynes and passing The Greyhound, or pausing a wee while for lunch, then you find a path across to Appley Corner and Chicksands Wood. This leads back towards the Old Church at Clophill and you are nearly where you began your walk.

I learnt information previous unknown to me, for example about the obelisk, of which I was aware. It was in memory of “George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax,(1716-1771) who was a British statesman of the Georgian era. He helped to found Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia.”

(My great great grandfather was a sea captain who was lost at sea travelling to Nova Scotia back in the middle of the nineteenth century. It is a place I would love to visit, inspired by my father who has been carrying out extensive research about this gentleman, who left my great grandmother an orphan on the island of Alderney. His wife was travelling with him at the time and also perished.)

Returning to Walk 4, if you have read ‘Murder, Now and Then’ you will be walking in footsteps close to many of my characters. If you haven’t yet read it then, if you do the walk you might be inspired to do so. It is a murder mystery with a sense of family and local history.

Here’s a link to  its latest five star review. *****

Available on Kindle and in paperback

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December 10, 2014 · 1:40 pm

Murder Mystery Virtual Tour of Bedfordshire no 5 Shortstown and Bedford

tour5ShortstownBedfordWe will begin this tour at the Chicksands Bike-Park opposite Rowney Woods near Haynes and you could be driving or for the fitter ones among us you could be riding a bicycle (although we will be going into the town of Bedford and roads will be very busy, so I would not recommend it)

Shortstown Hangers

Shortstown Hangers

Go straight on at the cross roads over the A600 and in a mile or so turn left. This will wind its way, passing the local Warden Abbey Vineyard on you right, now run as a cooperative and worth a visit if it is open. (Warden Abbey sparkling is featured in ‘Murder, Now and Then’ but not used for murder – I can assure you! It is very good) Turning left on to Southill Road, a lane really, you will drive past probably the best views of the back of the Shortstown Hangers, icons of Bedford Vale seen for miles, and a reminder of the airships at the turn of the twentieth century. The old redbrick buildings of the village of Shortstown were purpose built for the community of workers at that time, and the company showed a social responsibility for the health and well-being of their lives. (much like Cadbury’s)

This lane will go through Cardington and if you turn left at The King’s Arms it will go to the roundabout which takes you under the A421 bypass an on to the A603 towards Bedford. Glance to your left at this roundabout and you will see the memorial to the R101 disaster and it is worth pausing to reflect (although not so easy to stop!)

The A603 will pass the Barns Hotel which stands on the River Ouse and Priory Lake, a lovely place to take a stroll. You are now driving into the town of Bedford and will pass Tesco and the leisure centre before reaching a roundabout. Turn right here and as you cross the river beside the boating lake take a left turn along the Embankment, a delightful area of Bedford. It is possible to park by the side of the road here for up to two hours (check the notices first! I cannot be held liable for parking tickets.) and you can walk along to The Swan Hotel (featured in ‘Murder, Now and Then) The Swan Hotel Bedfordon the main bridge, then wander through the market by St Pauls’s Church  (if it is market day) and into the town – or just amble beside the river, crossing one of its bridges to return. This time of year I’m told that the Embankment Hotel does a creche service for husbands while their wives go Christmas shopping!  The Bunyan Meeting House and Museum and Cecil Higgins Museum and Art Galleries are well worth a visit too, and all close by to the river. (as are many restaurants and cafes)

Back at the car, if you drive along the Embankment and turn left on to the main bridge it will take you to a busy roundabout. Go straight on to the A600. **This will take you through to Shortstown and on back up the A600, passing a turning to Haynes on your right and back to the crossroads at the start of this tour.

(**You could have taken a small detour through Elstow and the home of John Bunyan 1628 – 1688, famous in these parts, and visit Elstow Abbey)

Diana Jackson is an author with an interest in history. Many of the places mentioned above feature in her recent novel ‘Murder, Now and Then’ a murder mystery set in the heart of Bedfordshire and based on an unsolved murder in 1919 at Haynes Army Camp. It is set in 2019 with flashback to 1919.

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