Waters of Love

This is the untold story of an unknown, illegitimate, poor, working class East London woman, happily married with children, and her friendship with a well-known, wealthy, South African Jew who became a celibate Anglican priest, also a doctor, pathologist, retreat conductor, spiritual director and confessor, author and deliverance minister, with her mystical visions supporting his ministry and his pastoral care.

Waiting to die... Based on a true story

Not many have lived a life like Rosina’s. Based on the known facts, this is her story:

When Hitler invades Poland in September 1939, sending shock-waves across Europe, thirteen-year-old Rosina Callens is in Oostende, Belgium, dreaming of becoming an Olympic gymnast.

When the Nazis invade Belgium, Rosina and her family must decide whether to flee to England, or to stay and endure enemy occupation, as they had previously in the Great War.

Most of the family head for England, but German Stukas ensure that not all will make it.

Rosina’s is a life of courage and endurance, as she witnesses and survives the terrible horrors of  war, before marrying one of her liberators: a Welsh soldier named John Jones.

She moves to Wales full of love and hope, but life will never be easy for those who have suffered so much. She soon realises she is not welcome in John's family; the mental scars of suffering and the anguish of memories plague her, even as she continues to face oppression and depression daily.

Somehow she survives, raising a family and leaving a legacy. This story is part of that legacy.

Waiting in the Wings

Completely without any professional qualifications, Brian Hutchinson had 31 different jobs during a long working life. From acrobat to special advisor to a cabinet minister; all completely unplanned through opportunity knocks! Brian (Hutch) Hutchinson: Acrobat, Musician (Sax/Clarinet), one of the youngest Justices of the Peace at Inner London Juvenile Courts, Civil Servant, Special Advisor to Cabinet Minister, Music Business Executive, Theatrical Agent, Recording Studio Partner, Record Factory MD, Director Brixton Business Centre, Board Member Brixton City Challenge, General Manager on secondment The Princess Diana Memorial Fund, Patron Macmillan Academy Teesside, Independent Assessor for Commissioner for (Ministerial) Public Appointments, Corporate Affairs Director Allied Zurich Plc, Chair UK Trustees International Fund for Animal Welfare, Former Trustee National Centre for Circus Arts. Taken out of school at 15 years old to join my Father’s troupe of acrobats on tour with Boswell’s Circus in Southern Africa; I was untrained as an acrobat and learned the basics on the two weeks’ boat journey from Southampton to Cape Town. I also played alto Sax and Clarinet in the circus band. I guess I’m an entrepreneur; it was easier in the 1950s–1970s to succeed without formal qualifications such as a university degree or even a couple of A Levels. I was also one of the youngest JPs in the Inner London Juvenile Courts thanks to advice from the Master of then Rolls and support from Lady (Elspeth) Howe.

Up There

Touching clouds is free, priceless and absolutely exhilarating. To do this, you have to be able to fly. This is the story of a middle-class Melbourne girl, uneducated, lonely in her own family and desperate to find something worthwhile, who eventually discovers flying.

Following a flying career spanning forty years from her first lesson at the tender age of thirty-five, fifteen countries, marriage, divorce, lovers, shootings, robberies and a crazy cast of characters, Up There is a story of how transcending difficulties can lead to amazing things.

Up Long Meadow

Brindley Hosken’s farm, Withan, is a difficult, hilly patch of ground situated on the Lizard peninsula in the south of Cornwall. His land runs down to Frenchman’s Creek. One of the most peaceful, beautiful, and restful spots you are ever likely to find today.

When Brindley was asked to write a farming column for the local magazine, The Meneage Messenger, in 2007, he could not have known where it would take him. Developing a love for writing, his second book, Up Long Meadow, chronicles the history of his farming life over sixty years. As farming has changed from primarily manual, physical work to more tractor-driven he explores how, as a farmer, he has adapted to the changes that have been deemed progress.

His love of Cornwall and especially his locality on the south side of the Helford River shine through in this book, and hopefully will give the reader an understanding of the myriad of different histories and life stories that each farm and farmer have.

Unbreakable

Eighteen years ago, I stood in the passage of my home staring down the barrel of a gun while my children lay asleep meters away. One loud bang and the bullet slammed into my chest, paralyzing me instantly. My whole life as I knew it was changed forever. As if that wasn’t enough, I survived breast cancer and a deadly tumour when the doctors said my chances were slim.I am the preacher’s daughter that was thrown out of home at the tender age of 17 years old living on my own in a downtown Hillbrow, I did what needed to be done to pay the bills and this is where I found myself working in gentleman’s clubs as a dancer and working as a dominatrix on the side. These early challenges prepared me for the road ahead shot, and paralyzed, two rounds of cancer, two divorces from abusive men, and other life-threatening events. Only while reading my story will you fully understand that thus far it is a miracle for this autobiography to been penned.Now, the unexpected: a chance to walk again…

Two Worlds Collide

The story is told through the words of the author’s dad, John Shirley, a Sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy on board the Alnwick Castle; and Herbert Lochner, a mechanical engineer on the submarine U425.

They fought separate wars, but were brought together in one dramatic and tragic incident that changed their lives forever.

Find yourself immersed in life aboard a Royal Navy minesweeper on the River Thames and an Arctic convoy Royal Navy corvette. Experience life as a German submariner, below the waves in a U-boat. Immerse yourself in the emotions of both combatants, their humour and their appreciation of the beauty of the Arctic Ocean.

This account is richly illustrated by John Shirley, with original water colours, painted from memory and based on sketches made at the time.

Two Women

This is the story of the lives of two women. They suffered loss, prejudice and adversity.  Determination and humour got them through. They were born worlds apart. One in Barbados and one in England. They met and formed a friendship that was both special and unusual at that time. The story is told over 38 years, capturing world events along the way. Although there are sad times, this is a heartwarming and inspiring story. These two amazing women are my mums.

Two Old Ladies and a Hedge

This small book tells the story of a big adventure. Two old ladies seeking a challenge in life as it shortens, set out to walk the South West Coast Path from start to finish. Against convention, they planned to sleep out under the stars for the most part of the journey instead of the usual tent or bed and breakfast accommodation.They used bivvy bags, umbrellas and a tarpaulin for shelter from the elements. Stumbling along, carrying huge rucksacks, they had many experiences including sleeping with slugs, enduring gales and downpours, seeing shooting stars and meeting tramps, hippies and celebrities.Join them on their journey and see what can be achieved as you approach your dotage!

Two Marriages: From Paradise into Hell and Back Again

In Two Marriages: From Paradise to Hell and Back Again, Jette tells the story of her journey through love and heartbreak. The first third of the book is written from the perspective of a narrator and details Jette’s career, social life, and the betrayal by her first husband. The last two thirds, written by Jette in the first person, is a tribute to her second husband, Ernest Edward John Paradine, a former Major of the British Royal Artillery, who was honored by the Queen in 1981 with an MBE. Jette recounts the couple’s move to England and her experiences travelling with Ernest to India, Pakistan, Brunei, Singapore, and Jordan. Along the way, the reader learns of Ernest’s family secrets and Jette’s love for England and classical music. The book is a true love story and a glimpse into life in ‘third world countries’ from 1988 to 2000, with unbelievable coincidences playing a role in both Jette and Ernest’s lives.

Twinship and Consciousness

Do you think you are born a one-off, a unique individual entirely different from all others? Do you feel apart from others, or part of them, that you belong to yourself – responsible for yourself alone, or that you belong with and for others?

For the author, who, as an identical twin, was factually one and the same as her twin before the egg split, these questions as to what constitutes the self and how it emerges from the cosmos have been particularly pressing. In separate cots, they cried every night for three years till put into the same bed. It was like a marriage from birth. In this one life on Earth, should these twins ever have been parted? Does science offer any clues as to what underlies the superficial appearance of separate consciousness, of separate people?

This book is both a description of the transformative experience the author went through and a serious quest for understanding, enquiring into psychotherapy, philosophy and quantum physics. As this dilemma of separateness and relatedness is the human predicament intensified in twins, this story is about all of us.

Truth & Li(e)bor

Truth & Li(e)bor is the story of the author’s personal journey and legal battles which consumed over six years of his life.

As the story unfolded, the author slowly began to understand that even though he was charged with “conspiracy to defraud”, the real conspiracy might have been elsewhere. Was he one of the conveniently selected scapegoats thrown under the bus, allowing others to escape untouched? Had it been a well-executed plan involving individuals from all over the globe and in many different roles? Was it a coincidence that the LIBOR “scandal” emerged shortly after the Great Financial Crisis of 2008? Why has the practice of “lowballing” been seemingly buried within the media?

One of the author’s main tasks is to put readers in his shoes and make them ask themselves a few simple questions: “How would I react to the events that are unfolding? Would I have carried out my professional duties like he did? Would I have done something different if I was in his shoes? How would I have coped with the adversity?”