I have lived in Clayton le Woods for 44 years and have an ancestral connection going as far back as the 1700s on my maternal side.

I attended Manor Road Primary School until the fire happened and then ended up at Westwood Primary School.

Then went to Parklands High School

I have always had a keen interest in genealogy, and local, WW1 and WW2 history.

Most of my spare time I spend researching war history which started originally whilst researching the war history of family members.

As an amateur genealogist, I have spent the past 20 years or so mostly on my family tree.

However, as I became more experienced I began transcribing official documents for Ancestry.co.uk and recently helping other such enthusiasts with research via websites such as The Great War Forum.

In 2014, when I discovered TOM PEEL, a relative, on the war memorial at Whittle le Woods, it inspired and motivated me to research all the men on the memorial, something only the local Parish Councils have done.

I have since discovered I am related to plenty more of the men and their families

My traditional and modern approach to research, Google searches, piles of paperwork, emails, books, and personal visits continue to help my ongoing progress

If I am not spending time on the "Clayton and Whittle at War" website development I am usually 

'Gone Fishing' or preparing for a trip to the battlefields of France and Belgium.

John Melling, 2024