A retired farmer has compiled a book covering over 2,000 years of British history.

Tom Bliss, former chairman of the Wisbech-based Strawberry Growers Association, hopes to provide readers with a “useful and informative portrayal” of the country.

He worked on the book – Annals Britannica - over two years during lockdowns.

Subjects include slavery, Brexit and how Britain has developed to become the centre of an international empire.

Mr Bliss said: “The intention is to provide readers and listeners with a useful, informative and relatively objective portrayal of Britain.

“This is as well as its people and their struggles, achievements and failures, without steering them towards any particular political or moral viewpoint.”

His book also aims to provide a “detailed timeline of events” covering the political, social and cultural lifestyles of people during each period.

Mr Bliss views his book as an easily accessible online historical resource.

“It is a concise account of British history, assisted by an audio link for the visually impaired,” he said.

The site has been designed and published by Jack McLean of Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire and his company Drive by Websites.

Annals Britannica covers every period up to the outbreak of Covid-19 and consists of a general survey of the political, social and cultural life of each.

Mr Bliss lives in retirement in Lincolnshire, having spent his working life farming and growing soft fruit and flower bulbs.

He has always had a keen interest in history and for many years has been concerned that most people’s information about our past is usually somewhat sporadic.

And limited “to a few episodes such as the Viking raids, Henry VIII and his matrimonial problems or whether or not Richard III had a hump and murdered the princes in the Tower”.

Mr Bliss used to farm at Clenchwarton and “I was chairman of the Strawberry Growers Association based at Wisbech until Polish imports destroyed the industry in the 1970s”.

He added: “I was chairman of the A17 (West Lynn to Walpole Cross Keys) bypass campaign.

“That was just about the first decision after Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister in 1979 and allowed the bypass to proceed.”

To read and listen to ‘Annals Britannica’, go to: https://blissworks.uk/.