Ruth D'Alessandro

ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction - The Crime Writers’ Association

So Calling Sergeant Crockford didn’t make the long list for the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction 2025, but I was up against the likes of John Grisham and Lynda La Plante!
Good luck to all the long listers though! thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-c...

Amazing afternoon at the Forthwrite panel. Loved being on the panel discussing resilience and perseverance with Dorothy Koomson Uni Sinha and Debi Alper

Also got to meet my writing hero Kit De Waal - whose keynote speech made me cry a bit

Lovely to meet you, Eve! What an inspiring, empowering afternoon, and yep Kit made me a bit emotional too.

I love a spooky story, and local author G R Pidgeon is talking about his ghost story at Oxted Library on Thursday.
Who’s coming with me to support this local library/author event?
www.facebook.com/share/15ABKn...

Yep

This is a really useful book for us crime writers!

I hand-fed my friendly robin, let the chickens out in the sunshine, walked my ancient dog and ate leftovers. Bliss.

Statue of Liberty in despair

I miss the old days when the word Musk meant a smelly Asiatic deer, not Elon

#britishmuseum #silkroads #muskdeer

Desert Island Discs - Nemone Lethbridge, lawyer and writer - BBC Sounds Nemone Lethbridge, barrister, shares the soundtrack of her life with Lauren Laverne.

Today’s #desertislanddiscs with the extraordinary Nemone Lethbridge was utterly riveting - what a life, what a career beginning when women barristers were frowned upon, and wonderful music choices. I couldn’t speak for several minutes afterwards. And Lauren Laverne - a masterclass in empathy.

I talk to birds. And sometimes they talk back to me.

Watched ‘The Holdovers’ after a long sociable day in London. I may have dozed off in the first half hour, but by the end was a blubbering wreck of emotion. A wonderful, slow burn, thought provoking film.

I have a brown suitcase from the 1950s for carefully packed baubles (significant family treasures, ie tinfoil ‘bells’ made on fingers at nursery), a green plastic storage box for everything else and 2 retired GPO parcel bags for the Xmas tree (rescued from neighbour/landfill

a man with a crown on his head is talking to another man ALT: a man with a crown on his head is talking to another man

I really loved Nosferatu, a pitch perfect Gothic horror. Difficult though not to think of Baron Afanas from What We Do In The Shadows, and Igor from Young Frankenstein - I’ve probably seen more spoofs than original films.

A Maran hen called Shangela

Meh. It sucks when a hen dies. RIP Shangela, our Cuckoo Maran - matriarch, dinosaur and absolute unit. 😢

Two silver spoons sit on a museum shelf, the one behind out of focus. The one in the foreground has a large, slightly pointed bowl but instead of a straight handle, has an S-shaped handle like the neck of a bird, ending in a decorative head resembling a swan or a duck, complete with texture reminiscent of feathers, a glaring eye, and a flat round bill.

Visit little museums. They are full of unanticipated delights, like silver spoons with handles that look like a swan’s head and neck. This was buried during the mid to late fifth century in a hoard by the gate of Durovernum Cantiacorum, or Canterbury. My 📷, Canterbury #Roman Museum. #MuseumMonday

My daughter’s first ever attempt at Yorkshire puddings. I’d say she smashed it!

Christmas tree’s up! Every single one of these decorations has a special meaning. Decorating the tree is an hour of precious memories of people, places and things.

Day 13 of Detective Crockford’s advent calendar: the Old Maidenhead police station. Another lovely old red brick Arts & Crafts building from 1903. Unfortunately demolished in the 80s to build a car park, and that’s now about to be demolished. Tempus fugit.

Daddy, what did you do in the Culture War?

A 1950s traffic police officer standing by a high speed Austin pursuit car

What's behind Day 12 of Sergeant Crockford's advent calendar? 1950s getaway drivers didn't stand a chance if this Berkshire Constabulary high-speed Austin pursuit car gave chase. The traffic officer's my dad; they would stand even less chance.
#copsandrobbers #crime #truecrime #vintagecars #Austin

More like guinea rats

Day 11 of Sergeant Crockford's advent calendar. I might not exist without Frankie Howerd: my mum met him while investigating a wages theft at Bray Studios in the mid 50s, and my dad went to school with his brother in Eltham - giving them something to talk about. Thanks Frankie!

Goodboi, but bad burglars.

He of the Pan Book of Horror Stories?

Barbara Denis de Vitre, the UK’s first woman Assistant Inspector of Constabulary

Who’s behind Door 10 of WPC Crockford’s advent calendar? It’s the marvellous Barbara Denis de Vitre, the UK’s first woman Assistant Inspector of Constabulary (1948). There’s a chapter devoted to her in Calling Sergeant Crockford - Mum went to her memorial service in 1960.

Red Shuck the Demonish Dog

Hello James! I’m a true crime writer from Surrey, venturing into fiction. I love 1950s social and political history, forensic science, animals and nature, and film music. I used to want a Tesla but I don’t any more.

WPC Gwen Crockford in full uniform at Mill Meece police training school in 1951

Who’s behind Door 9 of WPC Crockford’s advent calendar? 21-year-old WPC Gwen Crockford herself! Taken at Mill Meece police training school in December 1951. #booksky #womenpolice #womenwriters #truecrime #nonfiction #1950s

A zebra in a sunny field

Why is there a zebra behind Door 8 of WPC Crockford’s advent calendar? In 1953, she received a report of a ‘strange horse’ in a Cranbourne lady’s garden. She ended up having to chase a zebra that had escaped from Billy Smart’s circus. #booksky #truecrime #1950s