Entries by Sarah Ewen

Luke Irwin and the Tale of The Deverill Villa

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Have you ever dreamed of finding buried treasure? For London-based rug designer, Luke Irwin, that dream became a reality when he discovered the remains of a Roman villa in the garden of his Wiltshire home – the most significant discovery of its kind in over a decade. In little over a year, Luke has learnt, […]

Deutsches Afrikakorps Knight’s Cross Winner

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This extraordinary clip is from the German newsreel ‘Die Deutsche Wochenschau’ produced by Josef Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry from 1940 until the end of the war.  This particular episode clip shows Günter Halm receiving his Knight’s Cross from Field Marshal Erwin Rommel for destroying nine British tanks at the First Battle of Alamein in 1942. Herr […]

Making the oldest cocktail in the world

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What is a cocktail? And is there really a cocktail recipe which is over 400 years old? Here is Ruth Ball, Founder of Alchemist Dreams with the oldest cocktail in the world.. Ruth Ball is related to Admiral Edward Vernon, the man who invented grog as a way to serve the rum ration to the […]

Join us for our Festival launch in London on 26th April!

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Join us for an exclusive preview to Chalke Valley History Festival 2016 on the evening of 26 April in London, with some of our speakers who will be discussing the important role history plays in modern Britain. Hosted by Geordie Greig, Editor of The Mail on Sunday, attendees will have the exciting chance to hear from […]

Our WW1 trench continues to take shape..

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The Trench will cover an area of some 70m2 and will include communication trenches, front-line trench, support trench, listening post, officers’ dug-out, other ranks’ dug-outs, fire-steps, shell-holes and wire entanglements forward of the front line. It will be supported by wooden struts and will include a combination of sandbags, wattle, planking and duck-boards. Here’s James […]

WWI Trench build – Part 2

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Want to learn how a First World War trench is constructed? We are doing just that, using authentic methods and materials, official period manuals, as well as drawing upon the testimonies of those who built and fought in them, this will be as close a representation of what a First World War trench was like […]

First World War Trench Build – Part 1

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At this year’s festival we are very excited to have created a scale section of a First World War trench.  Built by a team of experts and local volunteers, and using authentic methods and materials, official period manuals, as well as drawing upon the testimonies of those who built and fought in them, this will […]

CVHF presents The Bomber Crew

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We had the privilege of having a complete 7-man crew who made up the different roles on a Lancaster bomber during the Second World War at CVHF this year. George ‘Johnnie’ Johnson, Jo Lancaster, Frank Tilley, Hal Gardner, John de Hoop, Dave Fellowes, Steve Bethell were in discussion with Paul Beaver. It was the chance […]