Just before meeting up with my long-lost cousin in Colchester, I called in at the library. I asked about trade directories of the town and was shown a glass-fronted cabinet of Benham's Almanack of Colchester going back to 1875 or so. The most recent volumes were from the 1960s and there were also a few copies of the Cullingford's directory. Reading the Benham's guide revealed a vast wealth of information that I had no chance of assimilating in the half hour available. But what I did find was a complete... read more
