Hertford Memories - The Book

Share your memories and stories from the Hertford Christ's Hospital School, which closed in 1985, when the two schools integrated to the Horsham site....

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
Angela Woodford
Button Grecian
Posts: 2880
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:55 am
Real Name: Angela Marsh
Location: Exiled Londoner, now in Staffordshire.

Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by Angela Woodford »

Hmm...

I've had lots of suggestions and potentially inspiring ideas for putting together this book.

The last book of Hertford reminiscences by the distinguished Audrey Griggs covers the period from 1937 - 1944, and is very much a personal memoir, but thanks to the Forum we have loads of individual memories on which to draw.

I would propose going forward until the last days of the Head Mistress-ship of DR?

Opinions? Advice? Any Old Girls in publishing?

I feel excited....
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
MaryB
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 161
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 12:35 am
Real Name: Mary Bowden (Gaskell)

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by MaryB »

If we can't find a "real" publisher I think there is a way of doing it over the internet and only printing copies as they're ordered. There's a company called Lulu that does it. It might be just right for a project like this.
Mary Bowden (Gaskell)
5.10, 3.6: 64-71
Fjgrogan
Button Grecian
Posts: 1427
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:56 pm
Real Name: Frances Grogan (nee Haley)
Location: Surbiton, Surrey

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by Fjgrogan »

My cousin wrote a book about his adventures in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and had it published by Lulu. It appears that Lulu just do the printing without any sort of editing. Although the content of my cousin's book was interesting, it desperately needed someone to proofread it; it was riddled with mistakes in spelling and grammar, and contained a number of inconsistencies in, for example, the spelling of place names; I found that very off-putting when I was reading it. I think, as you say, the books are printed to order. If we were to use a company like Lulu to do the actual printing I think we would need to ensure first that the content had been thoroughly proofread and edited. Unfortunately I have no publishing experience - I decided a few years ago that it is what I would have liked to do, but it is a bit late to start a new career at 64.

What about Ian Allen for publishing?
Frances Grogan (Haley) 6's 1956 - 62

'A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.'
User avatar
Jo
Button Grecian
Posts: 2221
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:36 pm
Real Name: Jo Sidebottom
Location: Milton Keynes
Contact:

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by Jo »

Do you think any of it would be printable without libel cases all over the shop?? :shock: :shock:
Jo
5.7, 1967-75
MaryB
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 161
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 12:35 am
Real Name: Mary Bowden (Gaskell)

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by MaryB »

I've had better experiences of Lulu and I suspect we could do our own editing and proof reading (I've done some for gov't documents etc).

My (ex) husband couldn't find a publisher for his novel, The Blue Book, which is really pretty good though I say so myself, and self published it in the end ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Book-Chris ... 0955506700;
http://dulwichonview.org.uk/2008/05/27/ ... -blue-book). He's about to do another one but the marketing has been really hard work and the margin on sales is almost non existent, especially through Amazon.

It would be useful if Angela could say a bit more about what she has in mind.... I suspect that we're looking at a niche market here, making the print-on-order solution a good one. The libel issue is also something to consider!
Mary Bowden (Gaskell)
5.10, 3.6: 64-71
User avatar
englishangel
Forum Moderator
Posts: 6956
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:22 pm
Real Name: Mary Faulkner (Vincett)
Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by englishangel »

I have already proof-read "Half to Remember" and we could always change names.
"If a man speaks, and there isn't a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"
Katharine
Button Grecian
Posts: 3285
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:44 pm
Real Name: Katharine Dobson
Location: Gwynedd

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by Katharine »

englishangel wrote:I have already proof-read "Half to Remember" and we could always change names.
Are you thinking of the Founder's Day Addresses, I know several Forum members did those.
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
User avatar
englishangel
Forum Moderator
Posts: 6956
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:22 pm
Real Name: Mary Faulkner (Vincett)
Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by englishangel »

No, I mean "Half to Remember" it was really badly written. I read so much (an average of 2 books a week from the library) that my family always say I should write one, but I tend more to correcting them.
"If a man speaks, and there isn't a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"
Katharine
Button Grecian
Posts: 3285
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:44 pm
Real Name: Katharine Dobson
Location: Gwynedd

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by Katharine »

Ah you mean you corrected it as you read it, rather than reading before publishing.
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
User avatar
englishangel
Forum Moderator
Posts: 6956
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:22 pm
Real Name: Mary Faulkner (Vincett)
Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by englishangel »

Yes, exactly
"If a man speaks, and there isn't a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"
Euterpe13
Button Grecian
Posts: 1287
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:55 pm
Real Name: Barbara Borgars
Location: close de Saffend

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by Euterpe13 »

Just remember, Munch, that anything written on the Forum remains the intellectual property of the writer, and that you will therefore need the permission of each person whose memories are used in order to include them in any published material
Hertford - 5s/2s - 63-70
" I wish I were what I was when I wanted to be what I am now..."
lonelymom
Button Grecian
Posts: 1767
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:56 am
Location: Maidstone, Kent

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by lonelymom »

:shock:

(I didn't know that!)
lonelymom :rolleyes:
midget
Button Grecian
Posts: 3186
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:49 pm
Real Name: Margaret O`Riordan
Location: Barnstaple Devon

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by midget »

And you can not libel the dead.
Thou shalt not sit with statisticians nor commit a social science.
Fjgrogan
Button Grecian
Posts: 1427
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:56 pm
Real Name: Frances Grogan (nee Haley)
Location: Surbiton, Surrey

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by Fjgrogan »

I wonder if Miss Jenkins - aka the Hag - is still alive; surely not?!
Frances Grogan (Haley) 6's 1956 - 62

'A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.'
Katharine
Button Grecian
Posts: 3285
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:44 pm
Real Name: Katharine Dobson
Location: Gwynedd

Re: Hertford Memories - The Book

Post by Katharine »

How old do you think she was when we were there Frances? I, almost literally, bumped into her once in Oxford, a year or two after I left but I've never seen her since (never wanted to either!!)
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
Post Reply