History and me, Part II

by Carola Dunn


Continued from http://murderousmusings.blogspot.com/2013/05/history-and-me.html

...The world was changing...

Dick Turpin was a highwayman of credit and renown

... Again around 1800, roads were improving, highwaymen and footpads were much reduced in numbers, and someone invented springs for carriages (Before that, the body was hung on leather straps). Travel was so much easier that gentlemen going up to London for Parliament and the court took their wives and daughters along, and the London Season was born.

 Later came the railways, but still a respectable young lady would not travel without a male or older female relative for chaperon. World War I and the automobile age put an end to that. By the 1920s, a young woman who had driven generals about during the war--or even an ambulance at the front--was not about to be satisfied with sitting meekly behind the chauffeur. They owned and drove their own motor cars, or at least had a bicycle.

Daisy's Gwynne Eight

 By 1919, women over 30 could even vote in national elections and graduate from Oxford University (though not from Cambridge for another 30+ years!).

The shadows of the First World War still hung heavily over Britain. About a million young men went to their deaths on the battlefields or later from wounds and the effects of poison gas. Many of those who returned alive suffered from shell-shock, the equivalent of what we call PTSD. A large number of young women lost their husbands while others would never have an opportunity to marry. 

UK edition

On the other hand, many young women, having experienced the comparative freedom and good wages of factory work, were unwilling to return to domestic service. And a lack of men to take up the professions gradually allowed increasing numbers of women to become lawyers, accountants, doctors, and engineers.

For Daisy Dalrymple, the protagonist of my 1920s series, finding her way in a swiftly changing world is as much of a challenge as solving any of the crimes she just happens to stumble upon.

From failing history, I have come to the point of being obsessive about historical detail. I spend hours looking up words and phrases to make sure they're appropriate for the period about which I'm writing. I revel in old newspapers, as much or more for the advertisements as for the news. I note the names of police officers in Berwick upon Tweed in 1923--and use them (Murder on the Flying Scotsman), and email dental museums to enquire how nitrous oxide was administered by dentists in 1924 (Die Laughing). I pore over the Day Book of the Governor of the Tower of London for April 1925, when Daisy falls over the body of a Beefeater/Yeoman of the Guard (The Bloody Tower). I know more about the rumrunners of the Prohibition than most Americans. And then there's the treatments--water and electric--available at a Derbyshire hydro/spa in 1926 (Gone West).

Now I'm also writing a series (the Cornish Mysteries) set around 1970. Yes, I lived through the '60s and '70s. It's hard to grasp that they're now history. As I say in an author's note at the beginning of the three books, I haven't tied myself down to a specific year in the series, as I did for years in the Regencies and Daisy's adventures.  But I'm still doing obsessive research on subjects such as the equipment of ambulances and lifeboats at the time and the position of women in the police force...

And I really enjoy it!

History and me

by Carola Dunn

Excavating my desk has turned out to be an interesting endeavour. I've found stuff going back to 2004. Somehow I've never managed to clear up all the notes etc. from one book before the notes etc. for the next started to pile up.

One thing I found was a handwritten essay on my rocky relationship with History. I have no idea whom it was written for--certainly not for myself. But I thought others might find it interesting, so here it is.

First, a confession: I failed History at school. We started with Caesar's invasion of Britain in 43 BC (or was it 55 BC?). I then went down with flu, the pandemic of 1957, followed by 3 weeks in isolation with mumps. The result is that I still don't know the purpose and function of Hadrian's Wall. Back in class, we proceeded from date to date, from monarch to monarch, battle to battle, until Waterloo, 1815, when I dropped History.

I dropped it with a thump, having written an exam paper in the style of 1066 And All That.








Why, then, choose to write historical novels? I grew up in England, but left at 22 (to go around the world). So, in spite of frequent visits, I'm out of touch with present-day life in Britain. Yet even after bringing up a son in the US, I don't have a visceral grasp of growing up in America. Any of my friends would agree that I'm still English in many ways, including sounding to Americans as if I stepped off the boat yesterday. And in England people say I sound American.

So if I wrote contemporary fiction, set in either Britain or America, it would be as an outsider. When I write about history, my readers are as much outsiders as I am.

I started out writing Regencies . I always loved Jane Austen, whose books were published during the Regency (1811-1820) and I'd been rereading Georgette Heyer's Regencies for years--to the point where I knew what was coming on the next page. I decided if I wanted any more, I'd have to write my own. I was already familiar with the period, so the necessary research didn't seem too daunting.

I was lucky enough to sell my first book, Toblethorpe Manor,

and went on to write 32 Regency novels (also a dozen or so novellas). I might still be writing them but that both the publishers I was writing for decided, within 6 months of each other, to stop publishing Regencies.

Time to move on.



I'd read hundreds--if not thousands--of mysteries, with a preference for cosies, though I didn't then know the term. I fancied a change of period. Daisy Dalrymple was born.

Why the 1920s? I'd been writing books set in the Regency (early 1800s) for 15 years before I started writing mysteries. I wanted a change of period and I saw certain parallels between the Regency and the 1920s that intrigued me. Both were periods of great changes, especially for women.

For a start consider clothes.

from Mrs Hurst Dancing

Around 1800, the enormous hoops and tight lacing of the 18th century gave way to the Empire gown. The clothes allowed women to move more freely--There's a charming painting from the Regency   of a lady and her maid catching flies...

Of course, Victorian fashion regressed to crinolines and bustles and tight lacing. Worse followed, the Edwardian "Grecian Bend," corsetted to make the bosom stick out in one direction and the bottom in the other. Then came World War I, truly a liberating event for women however catastrophic otherwise. Because of the shortage of men during and after the war (about 1 million British soldiers killed), women were able and needed to work at jobs they'd never aspired to before. Land Girls even wore trousers!

Another revolution was in transportation....

To be continued May 15

Free short stories

by Carola Dunn

My deadline is rushing ever closer, so I'm just going to post links to three free mystery short stories. I wrote these for anthologies, two of which were published and the third never came to fruition. They're available for download in a variety of formats.

The published ones are both Daisy Dalrymple mysteries, set in London in the 1920s, featuring the main character of my 20-book series (it's the deadline of #21 that is almost upon me).

STORM IN A TEA SHOPPE: Daisy and her friend Lucy go out to lunch and find themselves in the soup...

http://www.belgravehouse.com/online/freestorm-in-a-tea-shoppe-p-465.html

UNHAPPY MEDIUM: A seance takes a deadly turn:

http://www.belgravehouse.com/online/free-unhappy-medium-p-466.html

 The third story is set in 1830, at the opening of the first public passenger railway in the world, from Liverpool to Manchester. It's closely based on the real event, but my elderly sleuth, Miss Primrose, discovers that the accidental death of the local Member of Parliament was no accident:

MISS PRIMROSE AND THE MARCH OF PROGRESS

http://www.belgravehouse.com/online/free-miss-primrose-and-the-march-of-progress-p-480.html

Enjoy!

You can find a list of all my mysteries in the correct order at:
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Carola-Dunn.html

The joys of research

by Carola Dunn

Sometimes it's a real struggle to find information you desperately need for your story. Sometimes information you didn't even know you wanted just falls into your lap--more information, in fact, than you can possibly use.

My next book, GONE WEST, comes out this month, January 17th to be precise, in hardcover and for Kindle and Nook. It's the 20th in my Daisy Dalrymple series, set in England in 1926.

The story takes place in the Matlock district of Derbyshire. When I started to research the area, I came across mention of a huge health spa, Smedley's Hydro.

The building dominates the small town, so Daisy couldn't avoid noticing it. And lo and behold, there on the web was Smedley's visitors' handbook for the mid 1920s. I couldn't resist using some of the wonderful information, and the hydro ended up playing an important part in the story, though I hadn't ever heard of it when I began planning the book.

Here is an excerpt to whet your appetite:

...........................................................................

Bath Arrangements - continued

ELECTRIC TREATMENT.
    Galvanic or Faradaic          per application 1/6
    Both Galvanic and Faradaic                    2/-
    High Frequency                                2/6
    Diathermy                                     5/-
    Ultra Violet Rays                             5/-
    Electric Ionization                           5/-
    Bath                                          2/-

THE HOT-AIR OR RADIANT-HEAT BATH (DOWSING'S PATENT).
An installation of these baths has been in constant use for some years, and the results obtained have been very satisfactory. Recently the full bath of the latest pattern has been added. The heat is produced by Electricity, and there is consequently no vitiation of the atmosphere by products of combustion. These baths are especially useful in cases where the patient is enfeebled or crippled, or from any cause unfit for the ordinary Turkish or other form of hot-air bath.

    For a Single Bath           7/6
    Course of Three Baths     £1/1/-
    Course of Six Baths       £1/10/-
(If booked at one time and taken within one month.) £ s. d.
NAUHEIM TREATMENT, 
     Bath only                                      0 4 6
     Bath and Schott Exercises                      0 5 6
PLOMBIERES TREATMENT, per application               0 2 6
PINE BATH                                           0 3 6
AIX DOUCHE                                          0 3 0
VICHY DOUCHE                                        0 3 0

Night Attendance for Invalids.-The night watchmen are qualified to give simple treatment in case of need. If required, they will summon medical assistance. BATHS TO VISITORS.
Ladies and Gentlemen desirous of taking baths on their own account, and without consultation, are requested to apply to Head Bath Attendants. Time and place will be arranged so as to avoid interference with Patients going by prescription. Baths in the bedroom, and private baths, are subject to a small special charge in the case of visitors.
For Massage and such other of the foregoing treatments as may be taken by non-patients, the charges are 50 % higher.

Baths to persons not staying in the Establishment., £ s. d.
Turkish or Russian Bath per single bath             0 3 6
                        per series of six           0 18 0

---

Page 26

The Baths, &c

N0 description can do justice to Smedley's unrivalled suite of baths, renowned all over the world for completeness of equipment and efficiency. Nothing but a tour of inspection, or, better still, actual experience of the incomparable treatment, can convey any adequate conception of the astonishing scope of the health-restoration and health-maintenance facilities, aggregated during many years, and vigilantly modernised to the moment. . . . THE BATHS ARE UNDER THE SAME ROOF AS THE ESTABLISHMENT, THUS DISPOSING OF ANY NECESSITY TO GO OUT OF DOORS, WITH CONSEQUENT RISK OF CHILLS.

...............................................................................

Take a look at the rest--it's fascinating!

Unfortunately I was too far along in the plotting to use the Galvanic or Faradaic bath to bump someone off. Another time...

A History of Cruising

By Jean Henry Mead

Cruising has become a $27 billion industry, with more than 18 million passengers embarking worldwide annually. At least nine new ships have been built since 2001, which cater to the North American trade.

The first primitive oceanic passenger service was offered by the Black Ball Line in 1818. Although a few ships with steam engines were in operation during the early 1800s, they were considered inefficient and sailing ships were favored. It wasn’t until 1837 that British railway engineer Isambard Brunel designed a steam engine that could reduce trans-Atlantic travel from two months to 15 days. However, early steamships had auxiliary sails so that they could take advantage of favorable weather conditions as well as conserve on fuel.

In 1840, travelers booked passage on mail ships. The Cunard line was under contract to deliver mail across the Atlantic on four paddle steamers for its Liverpool-Halifax-Boston route, and for the next thirty years held the record for the fastest Atlantic voyages. When passengers demanded better accommodations, Cunard upgraded its cabins and installed a cow on board to provide fresh milk.

In 1847, the Great Britain, the first iron-hulled, screw-driven ship to cross the Atlantic had more efficient propellers which replaced the paddle wheels. And in 1870, White Star’s ship Oceanic set the standard for first-class travel with large portholes, electricity and running water. The size of ocean liners increased in size to handle the multitude of immigrants to the U.S., Canada and Australia. And immigration was the reason for the period known as the golden age of ocean liners, between the end of the 19th century and World War II.

It wasn’t until 1900 that the first dedicated passenger cruise ship was placed in service. The Prinzessin Victoria Luise, named for Kaiser Wilhelm II’s daughter, set sail from Germany for the Mediterranean and West Indies. The 407 foot ship ran aground six years later, ending its service.

The largest and most lavish ships were the Oceanic and its sister ship, the Titanic, which sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912, killing 1,500 passengers. Also in 1912, the first luxury ocean liner set sail on its maiden voyage with its own onboard swimming pool, Turkish bath and Parisian café. By then, fierce competition existed, and the fastest ships of record were the Mauritania and the Lusitania. The latter was torpedoed by the Germans in 1915 as it approached Britain because it was loaded with munitions as well as passengers. The Lusitania's demise helped to catapult the United States into World War I.

The First and Second World Wars seriously damaged the industry, but in 1958, Caribbean cruises gave ocean travel new life. By then passenger jets from London to New York had caused a sharp decline in trans-Atlantic ship travel. But by the 1960s, more affordable trips were made available through renewed competition between the various cruise lines. The Princess Line, for example, was founded in 1965, and offered short, affordable trips from southern California along the Mexican coast.

The Norwegian Cruise Line was established in 1966 and offered reasonably priced cruises, which included airfare to the ports. Ships were again getting larger. In 1970 The Royal Caribbean Line launched the Song of Norway with a 724 passenger capacity. Two years later, the Carnival line was started and soon absorbed nearly a dozen other cruise lines, including Holland America, Cunard and Seabourn.

Cruising became more popular in 1977 after the hit TV show, “The Love Boat” appeared on the small screen. Ocean travel, previously thought to be a pastime of the rich, was shown to be available to nearly everyone. Shipboard vacations became even more popular when Carnaval’s ads featured singer Kathy Lee Gifford having fun aboard one of its cruise ships.

The first super ship was launched by Norwegian Cruise Lines in 1980 and NCL bought and refurbished the former S.S. France. The $80 million renovation dramatically increased the ship’s size. Capable of carrying 2,181 passengers, it’s entertainment was comparable to that of Las Vegas. By 1988 Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas set a new record with 2,350 passengers and a multi-storied atrium with glass elevators. Since that time, competition has produced even larger ships with more luxurious amenities.

The Disney Cruise Line bought a small island in the Bahamian Gorda Cay, where the company continues to update its land resort. The ship from “Pirates of the Caribbean” is moored nearby. Royal Caribbean also owns a resort island off the coast of Hispaniola.

The amenities war has continued since 1999 when Royal Caribbean installed its first onboard ice skating rink on the Voyage of the Seas. Bowling alleys, water slides, surf stimulators and rock climbing walls were eventually overshadowed by last year’s launch of the largest ship ever built with a 5,400 passenger capacity. Royal Caribbean’s The Oasis of the Seas offers a zip line, park with outdoor cafes, Coney Island style carousel and productions of the Broadway show, “Hair Spray.”

As if the amenities war hasn’t gone far enough, plans for the future include more new cruise ships with singles-matchmaking accommodations, a bar made of ice, four-hour bon voyage parties before the ship leaves the dock, and Cunard’s plans to bring back art deco décor from the luxury ships of the past, among others.

What should be on the amenities horizon? A health food store on every ship to combat onboard epidemics.