FraserWords

“Good words are worth much, and cost little” – George Herbert, 1593-1633

I’m a journalist and writer specialising in history in Devon and Cornwall.

Under development as fast as my little fingers can fly is a major update to this website, left unattended for years while I’ve been editing newspapers. Now I’m freed from the shackles of the weekly schedule, here’s where you’ll be able to find all sorts of help, from tackling those brick walls holding you back in your research to commissioning a full, illustrated family and property history that tells, as much as possible, the stories of the people involved. Also on the way here is a second-hand bookshop specialising in history publications across the two counties, aimed at family and property history researchers who want to shed more light on the backgrounds of their family and home stories.

And I aim to bring you regular news updates on history and heritage topics across the south west of England.

The Lynher Press is my publishing imprint; we have several projects back under way and can advise anybody who wants to publish one of those old-fashioned book things.

From my desk by the window of my home in Cornwall, UK, my journalism has been broadcast and printed all the way from The Cornishman in Penzance to the Press and Journal in Aberdeen, from ITV to Radio 4, from the UK to New Zealand, from The Times to the local parish magazine. When I was a motoring journalist, I came second to Jeremy Clarkson in a hill climb. Margaret Thatcher ordered me to give up smoking.

It was me who carried out the first research into the history of the pre First World War gardeners at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, collaborating with Eden Project founder Sir Tim Smit on his book on the subject (‘Secrets Locked in Silence’; Channel 4 Books / Macmillan, 1999). I edited ‘Our Century’, a book on Cornwall in the 20th century, for Devon and Cornwall Newspapers (1999). I researched and wrote a guide book for The Garden House in Devon, named by The Independent as one of the 50 finest gardens in Europe. (I also scripted a film for them). I contributed chapters to ‘Linkinhorne: The Story of a Cornish Parish’ (ed. Simon Parker, Scryfa, 2017). My book ‘The Promised Land’ was shortlisted for the Holyer an Gof prize 2014.

For many years my weekly topical comment column ‘Frankly Fraser’ appeared in a wide variety of newspapers, ending with a run in the Cornish Guardian (1999-2011) – until it became a victim of austerity Britain. It then continued as a blog on this site for another few years, and when I’ve got the time I’ll return to it. If you venture into the archive on this page, please be advised there is occasionally (OK; often) bad language: steer clear if you are easily offended by curses, imprecations or left-wing views…

For the next few weeks some of the outdated content will remain here while I work away… but do keep checking in and one fine day you’ll find a world of possibilities.