This book traces the history of Colchester Royal Grammar School from the first mention of a town school (the probable lineal antecedent of CRGS) in 1128 right up to the present day. This is the first comprehensive history of the school ever published and charts the fascinating story of the evolution of the school from its humble beginnings to the centre of academic excellence that it has become.

Many schools may have done as well but none have done better ~ Percy Shaw Jeffrey Echoing the words of Percy Shaw Jeffrey, the headmaster of Colchester Royal Grammar School at the start of the First World War, this book tells the story of the global conflict through the lives of the former pupils and teachers who are commemorated on the school's war memorial. It retraces their early days in the classroom and on the playing field and their actions during some of the major events and battles of the First World War, from Ypres and the Somme to Palestine and Egypt, as well as at sea and in the air. Published to coincide with the centenary of the armistice, this collection of biographies provides a fascinating and timely account of the experiences of a generation of Old Colcestrians whose legacy of service and courage is unmatched. Additional essays examine the historical context and other remembrance events by the school community, including visits to the graves and memorials of the fallen. This record of their lives ensures that their ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten.

The Colcestrian in the years of the Great War, reproduced here in this book, both revealed the challenges which faced the school of the time and captured the very special quality that still characterises CRGS today. The bouleversement caused by war created an extraordinary backdrop to school life, and the insights given into the preoccupations of the time are truly fascinating.

This book follows the journey of the development of the gardens at Colchester Royal Grammar School from 1853 when the school moved to its present site in Lexden Road to the beautiful landscaped grounds of today. It explores the transformations that have taken place and describes some of the evocative plants to be found within the gardens.

In My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is, the extraordinary follow-up to his prize-winning novel Forbidden Line, Paul Stanbridge tells us about remarkable things. He tells us about the plains of Doggerland, lost under the North Sea. He tells us about ancient horses, carved into chalk hillsides. He tells us about the mysteries of trees. My Mind to Me A Kingdom Is is a book bursting with the joy of discovery, the beauty of the world, and the rich, warm pulse of life. It is also a book about death. In 2015, Paul's brother took his own life, leaving behind pitifully few possessions and an irreducible complex of questions. In his search for answers, Paul discovers that facts can be the opposite of truth, and that to see something fully, we must sometimes look away. Blending fiction and memoir, knowing and unknowing, love and loss, My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is is a heartbreaking and generous exploration of grief. A beautiful and painful tribute to Paul's brother, it stands alone.