Frequently asked questions

What if there isn't much history for my house?: Every place has some recorded history. If your house is newer or little documented, the book widens out to the street and the village, and says clearly what is and isn't known about the house itself. If we find too little to make a worthwhile book, we'll tell you before we make it and refund you in full.
Is any of the content made up?: No. Every fact is checked against a cited source, and uncertain points are flagged. See the sample.
Will it mention the people who live there now?: No. We cover the past only and never research living private individuals. Census records are only open to 1921, so the people of a house are generally named from published records up to then.
Where does the weather chart come from?: From the Met Office's digitised Daily Weather Reports, published under the Open Government Licence. The first report is dated 3 September 1860 and the first chart 11 March 1872. The temperature comes from the Met Office's Central England Temperature series. For a few dates the chart may be missing or hard to read. If so, we tell you at proof stage and offer the nearest available day or a refund.
What is the earliest date I can order?: 11 March 1872 for The Day You Were Born, the date of the first Met Office daily weather chart. That week's number one is added for dates from 14 November 1952, when the first UK singles chart was published. For early dates the temperature panel may give the day's mean temperature only, because the daily maximum and minimum series start in 1878. Our Day and the Our Story Set start on 14 November 1952, because they always include that week's number one.
Do you use genealogy sites such as Findmypast or FreeBMD?: No. We work from sources we're allowed to use and can cite: published county histories, heritage records, historic maps and open archives.
Which areas do you cover?: Place History Books cover England for now, because our main sources (the Victoria County History, the National Heritage List and Ordnance Survey maps) are strongest there.
How long does it take?: Prints: a proof in 1 to 2 working days, then about a week to print and post. Place History Books: the PDF takes about 5 working days, and hardbacks are printed and posted 7 to 10 working days after that. See Christmas dates.
Can I change my order?: Yes, free of charge, until we start research. That's usually within one working day, and we email you first. Dedication typos can be fixed up to printing.
Can I cancel or get a refund?: Because each book is personalised and made to order, the usual 14-day "change of mind" right to cancel does not apply once we've started. You can cancel for a full refund before we start research. If something is wrong with your book (a printing fault, or a factual error we made), we'll correct it, reprint it or refund you. Your statutory rights are not affected.
Can I give it on the day if it hasn't arrived?: Yes. Add the free printable gift card when you order and you'll have something to give on the day. Books and prints are posted straight from our print partner, so we don't offer gift wrap.
How do I pay?: On Stripe's secure checkout, by debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. We never see your card details.
Do you deliver outside the UK?: Not yet. For now we sell only to UK customers and post only to UK addresses. If you live abroad, you can still send a gift to someone in the UK. We hope to offer more countries in future.
Do you charge VAT?: We are not VAT registered, so prices have no VAT added. They include UK delivery.