Wendy Tibbitts, historian, writer, researcher.

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Wendy Tibbitts

Historian, Writer, Researcher

My name is Wendy Tibbitts. I have an MSc from Oxford University in English Local History. I research and write about local history subjects in diverse locations. I have ongoing separate research projects involving, Middlesex, Philadelphia and Western Australia. As well as my published research, I blog about interesting stories from the past.

Longford: A Village in Limbo

Only the pandemic of 2020 has prevented the rural village of Longford in West Middlesex from becoming a heap of rubble. Under the plans to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport the village and all its historic buildings were due to be demolished by 2023.

Now Longford’s future is uncertain, but it has a fascinating past, and this book contains stories of 300 years of village life with links to national and international events. This village was a haven for non-conformists and a refuge for highwaymen. There are stories of scandal, tragedy, and royal events, as well as enterprise and survival. The history of Longford will be forever remembered in these stories. History might be the study of the past, but events pervade the present and remain captured forever in the ambiance and fabric of a village.

The story of Longford safeguards the history of the community for future generations - whatever its ultimate destiny.