The team
Ruth Harrison
Angela Hicken
Madelaine - the book thief
Penny- Rose Ratcliffe
Rachel the editor- Jane the Archivist
Cordelia Gray- Friday Next
- Jacky Percival
Other teams
Lilian Harry's Family Connections Find!
Lilian Harry is the pen name of romance writer Donna Baker - inspired by the first names of her grandparents. Under that name she has delighted readers of Portsmouth and further afield with her family sagas. Beginning in 1994 'Goodbye Sweetheart' told the tale of families torn apart by wartime, all centred around the fictional street of April Grove. Seven more titles went on to follow the families and their dramas. Working in a branch library in Portsmouth in the mid to late nineties I remember these books were heavily borrowed and always reserved, as local readers enjoyed the 'close to home' sagas.
Donna/Lilian was brought up in Portsmouth and now lives on the edge of Dartmoor, where the landscape, people and social history of Devon have lead to the series 'Burracombe Village'.
30 September 2009 from Angela Hicken
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Finds
- A Daughter of Winchester
- And here is one we missed
- And, finally, one for Hallowe'en
- How did we miss this one?
- John Wyndham's Hampshire connection
- Reading the countryside
- New Milton's new Milton
- Heywood Sumner in South Gorley
- PG Wodehouse in Emsworth
- Walking In My Sleep
- Nicola Slade's Victorian Mysteries
- England's Lost Eden
- June Tate
- Bullington
- Speed The Plough: A Country Song
- A Hampshire scarecrow: Worzel Gummidge
- Queens Arms
- Haslar Hospital Memories
- Magical writing for children
- Inspired by the Tichborne Claimant
- Gypsy Girl Trilogy
- Rev. Gilbert White (1720-1793) and The Natural History of Selborne
- Coffee with Date and Walnut Loaf
- The Play Room
- Kipling's dislikes
- Deadman's Plack
- Netley Abbey Ruins
- Portsea Sagas
- Lilian Harry's Family Connections
- Crossing the Bar
- John Betjeman and Bevis Hillier
- Growing up in Portsmouth
- More Edward Thomas
- Two blokes and a shed
- In the shadow of the Cathedral
- Hampshire Days
- Mr Hardy Writes a Poem
- "Steep" is apt
- Thackeray in Fareham
- Forgotten Favourite?
- Daniel Clay's 'Broken'
- Pell and Tess
- Edward Thomas and Froxfield
- Betjeman explores hidden corners of Hampshire
- Rebecca Smith
- Right of Access
- Hampshire songs, poems, and ditties
- In this house
- Words & Walks
- England, Their England
- An Ode to a Road
- The story of a house
- Crime Connections to the City
- John Keat's Ode to Autumn
- William Lisle Bowles, poet
- Future Princes of Winchester
- Spike Island by Philip Hoare
- The marriage of souls
- Rural Rides: William Cobbett
- Elinor Brent-Dyer remembered
- Dornford Yates' Hampshire connection
- The Marlows, their maker and stealing a corner of Dorset
- Saint Cross: England's Oldest Almshouse
- Winchester the whole day through
- HOW TO BE A BETTER PERSON
- Otterbourne's Enid Blyton? Charlotte M. Yonge (1823-1901)
- Odo's Hanging is missing
- The Warden
- Charles Kingsley's Letters
- Owslebury Bottom
- See it My Way
- Introduction to Melesina Trench
- Some Hampshire road signs read Jane Austen Country
- Flora Thompson: published poet
Recent posts
- Postscrpt to a previous find
- The uses of a detective
- Reading Detectives film
- Virginia Smith remembered
- Mary Sumner
- A272: An Ode to a Road (by Andy)
- The hunt continues
- Winchester MP Mark Oaten to publish book
- Chalet School
- Bags of Books and Enthusiasm
- Chalet School author
- Poetry in the pub
- Wealth of words in Winchester
- Hampshire Gets Going
Help the team
Have you got something to contribute? You can contact us to report your clues and you can comment on our blog posts. It doesn't matter where in the world you are!
Hello Lillian,
Born in Gosport in 1936, I thoroughly enjoyed your books, particularly those that depict wartime Britain.
I lived in a bungalow in Southcroft Road, where did you live during your period in Gosport?
Best wishes,
[Dr.] Richard Crook
Hello Richard, and sorry I have not replied sooner - only just discovered this site!
I'm glad you've enjoyed my books - thank you.
I actually grew up in Gosport, in the Leesland area and went to Leesland School and the County Grammar School. I'm not much younger than you so we might well have encountered each other or had mutual friends/acquaintances!
And I chose my pen-name from my parents' Christian names - not my grandparents'!
Hi Lillian
Im from Oldham in Lancashire but moved to Portsmouth in 1989. I have read most of your books they are very good I have even passed books onto a friend in the Wirral so Im spreading your books araound. A lady in our local charity shop has asked " where is April Grove " and if it is fictional what area is it based on - she thinks it is Copnor.
I will be coming along to your signing in Portsmouth on the 19th August.
Have a good day
Regards
Marilyn ♥