Letters to the Editor, Spring 2009
Dear Editor
I have been asked to write a series of books drawing on contemporary accounts by an established publisher of history titles. The books will feature diaries, letters and other contemporary material. I am contacting family history and local history societies in the hope that members of such groups will be able to assist me in my research.
The first title to be published will focus on air raids and ARP. Other subject areas are Dunkirk, military nursing, VE Day and Women’s Land Army.
I would be grateful if anyone in your society who has any relevant material or memories would contact me. My email is harbro@btinternet.com and my address is 15 Brockley Grove, London SE4. Any material submitted will be considered for publication in the book although obviously I cannot say what will and will not be included at this stage. I will, however, send updates on the project to those submitting material and interested societies, so you will know how it is progressing and when the first book (and other titles) are published. I shall of course credit my sources in the books.
Any original material will be copied and returned quickly.
Thanking you for your help.
Carol Harris
Dear Editor
Rather than digging, I am at present mining the archive. By chance I came across the description of a ‘mithraeum’ at Burham, overlooking the Medway river. The VCH description and the original 1890’s discovery notes published by the Antiquaries leave much to be desired, but I have slowly created an accurate record of this structure now destroyed, by using a combination of records.
The many finds were dispersed when the quarry company moved, and enquiries to Rochester Museum service have proved fruitless; our member R F Jessup did have access to mortar samples in 1956. I would be very grateful, if any readers know of the whereabouts of any finds or other material, that they contact me.
First thoughts are that this is not a mithraeum, but formed the basis of a classical structure such as a temple. It was very close to one of the supposed sites of the ‘Medway Battle’ and therefore deserves more attention, given that it seems to represent a type of structure architecturally and perhaps ritually unique in Britain. No trace of it now survives.
Mark Samuel
Editor's note – asking around, this structure appears to be one of Kent's contentious sites, certainly known about and perhaps investigated by various people in different ways in the past. Can any KAS members shed further light on records or research?