‘Beef Cubes and Burdock’ earned John Phillpott a mention in The Journalist (magazine of the national union of journalists). They have briefly mentioned the crux of his book and have tailed it with the mention of the author’s personal sentiments in its regards.

The ‘Beef Cubes and Burdock’ by John Phillpott is a reflection of the author's long-lost island of childhood. It's coloured by genial fondness that one looks at towards the childhood memories. During the 1950s the village looked different in terms of its inhabitants and the landscape. Children roam around the fields freely, their parents not worried about their safety. Birds sang, cattle mowed, the grounds and tractors rumbled in the usual way. Although much has changed, still he can catch a glimpse of his beautiful boyhood days. There is the river that still flows the same and church though fading still stands. Hills, the valley, and its wind all still so welcoming. Though one may look at the past era as a foreign country. 

John spent his childhood in a small village in Churchover, in north Warwickshire. Even as a young boy he knew he wanted to be a journalist. So 16 years old John joined the Rugby Advertiser as a trainee reporter in 1965. From there on he perused the career giving his best. Now he lives with his wife, Cheryl, getting frequent visits by his two daughters and grandchildren.