Bridges over the River Wey in Surrey

Bridges over the River Wey in Surrey

Old Wey Bridge
New Wey Bridge
Weybridge Railway Bridge
Addlestone Railway Bridges (2)
Brooklands Bridge
Byfleet Bridge
Byfleet Mill Footbridge
M25 Bridge
Wisley Bridge
Walsham Lock Footbridge
Newark New Bridge
Prews Farm Footbridge
Cart Bridge
Broad Oak Bridge
Clay Lane Bridge
Wolking Road Bridge
A3 Bridge
A25 Bridge
Guildford Railway Bridge
Guildford Bridges (2)
Shalford Railway Bridge
Broadford Bridge
Tilthams Road Bridge
Cateshall Bridge
New Godalming Bridge
Old Godalming Bridge
Godalming Railway Bridge
Eashing Bridges (14th century)
Eashing New Bridge
Somerset Bridge (14th century)
Elstead Bridge (13th century)
Elstead New Bridge
Tilford Bridges (2) (both 14th century)

From "The Little Book of Surrey" by Rupert Matthews

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Book-Surrey-Rupert-Matthews/dp/0752456334/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403860631&sr=1-2&keywords=rupert+matthews+surrey

Stilton Meatballs - yummy

Stilton Meatballs

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Meatballs are a wonderfully versatile dish. They go beautifully with noodles, as here, or with pasta, mashed potatoes or rice. Leftovers can be taken on picnics or used in a packed lunch the next day. The addition of the Stilton gives an innovative twist to this dish. This recipe is for lamb mince, but beef mince can be used if preferred.

1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
5oz white breadcrumbs
1 lb lamb mince
4 oz extra mature blue Stilton cheese crumbled
1 egg
1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion sliced
6 oz mushrooms sliced
14 oz can of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
150 ml/5 fluid ounces lamb stock (for a vegetarian alternative replace with vegetable stock)
salt and pepper
10oz noodles


Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C Gas mark 6.
Place the chopped onion, garlic and breadcrumbs in a bowl and mix in the mince and extra mature Stilton.
Stir in the egg, parsley and seasonings.
Shape the mixture into small walnut sized balls, with damp hands, and arrange in a roasting tin.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned.
Lift out of the pan with a slotted spoon discarding any fat.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the sliced onion until starting to brown.
Add the mushrooms and continue to fry for 2 minutes before adding the tomatoes, tomato puree and lamb stock.
Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook gently for 4 minutes, until hot.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles as per the packet instructions.
Pour the meatball mixture over the noodles and serve.




from "Food and Drink in Leicestershire" by Rupert Matthews.
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NEW EBOOK - The Jacobite Wars - Battle of Prestonpans 1745 [Kindle Edition]

NEW EBOOK - The Jacobite Wars - Battle of Prestonpans 1745 [Kindle Edition]

This book looks at the first large battle of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, and Bonnie Prince Charlie's first victory - The Battle of Prestonpans.

The battlefield lies just outside Edinburgh and is rewarding to visit. This book not only describes the course of the action, the reasons why the battle was fought and the weapons and tactics used - it also serves as a guide to the battlefield itself. The text is written in an open and lively style which explains clearly what was going on and why. The book is illustrated with a map of the battle, portraits of the people involved and illustrations of troops and weapons used. There is also a map to illustrate clearly what happened where.


About the Author
Rupert Matthews is a professional historian with more than 100 published books under his belt. He has made a study of military history, particularly the weapons and tactics of this period. He has walked across the battlefield of Prestonpans to gain a unique insight into what the commanders could see from their positions, what the men could see and how lines of sight affected the decisions made on the day. The result is a highly readable account of the Battle of Prestonpans.

Get your copy HERE

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jacobite-Wars-Battle-Prestonpans-1745-ebook/dp/B007JU4UEG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1403253348&sr=1-1&keywords=rupert+matthews+prestonpans

Epsom Downs Railway Station is built in Surrey

Epsom Downs Railway Station is built in Surrey

These race day specials to Epsom town station were not enough to cope with demand, however, and in 1861 the LB&SCR decided to build a special line for the racecourse. The 4 mile dual line left the mainline at Sutton, heading south on a steep gradient to negotiate a succession of cuttings, embankments and towering bridges to clamber up on to the summit of the Downs and end just 200 yards from the racecourse.

Predictably business was slack on most days of the year, with only 30 passengers buying tickets for the average day. On race days, however, things were very different. For the race meeting of May 1865 which lasted just 6 days no less than 70,000 people passed through Epsom Downs station. On top of that there were hundreds of horses and truckloads of tackle, fodder and other necessary gear. To cope with all this movement, the station had nine platforms, five sidings, a coal stage, a tank house and a turntable. There were also three signal boxes, manned only on race days, to handle the huge number of trains and the movements that they involved.

What did not exist was a proper station building as the rail company had not thought it cost-effective to build one for the few days it would be used. Instead there was a small building where tickets could be purchased and some awning that was put up on race days. Temporary marquees were put up on the Downs adjacent to the station where travellers could buy food and drink. Thousands of pints of beer were sold and vast quantities of sandwiches and other snacks served to the race goers as they passed through.

In 1890 the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, began using Epsom Downs Station arriving on the Royal Train. That encouraged the LB&SCR to start laying on First Class only race day specials composed exclusively of Pullman coaches. Less exalted passengers arrived in more modest carriages.

from "How the Steam Railways came to Surrey [Kindle Edition]" by Rupert Matthews.

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Steam-Railways-came-Surrey-ebook/dp/B0051HFYOO/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403081020&sr=1-5&keywords=rupert+matthews+surrey

Hitler Delays the Invasion of France, 1939

Hitler Delays the Invasion of France, 1939



By 5 November 1939 Walther von Brauchitsch, Commander in Chief of the German army at OKH, was convinced the army could not possibly be ready for a major offensive in time to meet Hitler’s wishes for an immediate invasion of France. At that afternoon’s regular meeting with the Führer, Brauchitsch outlined the army’s concerns. The autumn rains in Flanders would bog down the tanks, he said, the mechanical problems with the Mark IV Panzer which had caused difficulty in Poland had not yet been solved, there was not enough ammunition stockpiled to take on France, some of the newly raised units had not fought as well as expected. All this meant, he told Hitler, that more time was needed to prepare for the attack.

Hitler was furious and let rip one of his terrible outbursts of temper. He accused the army in general and Brauchitsch in particular of cowardice, incompetence and much more. It was an early example of the way Hitler was increasingly to treat opposition to his plans from the military professionals. In Hitler’s eyes the generals were there to ensure the army was ready to carry out his plans and ideas. If they failed they were subjected to storms of rage and fury to cow them into submission. As yet, Hitler was not totally inflexible, but this interview was a disturbing sign of what was to come. When Brauchitsch returned to his offices he was grey-faced and his hands trembled.

Two days later heavy rains broke over the Western Front. Göring reported the Luftwaffe could not fly, robbing the panzers of close bomber support. Hitler postponed the attack on France. The bad flying weather had settled in, however, and the attack was repeatedly postponed until mid-December when Hitler granted the armed forces extensive Christmas leave and set a new date for his offensive: 17 January 1940.

from "Hitler, Military Commander" by Rupert Matthews

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hitler-Military-Commander-Rupert-Matthews/dp/178120537X/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402391911&sr=1-1&keywords=rupert+matthews+hitler

The Pirate Articles

The Pirate Articles

Before setting out on a voyage, a pirate crew would sign Articles. These were a set of rules drawn up by the captain and crew. They specified how the ship would be run, how treasure would be divided and what punishments would be imposed on pirates who broke the rules. Some Articles were long lists of rules, others contained just a few points. Pirates had to sign the Articles before a voyage. Most pirates were able to read and sign their name, but some simply made a mark instead.