Secrets and Lies – Tales of an Employment Lawyer

If you want to know how real-life lawyers behave, using deceit, lies, and other dastardly methods to try to beat the individual litigant then read on…

Gillian lays bare some of the tricks that she has discovered that some solicitors and employers have used, details how she found them out, and how she won.

Stepping Out Of The Ordinary

Something gnawing away inside his body was suggesting it should be taken out of its comfort zone. At 30 years old, Mike discovered rock and winter climbing perhaps a little later in life, it just meant he had to train harder and catch up on the others rather quickly, pretty soon progression into the world of mountaineering, alpinism and interesting adventures were to follow. In writing from his personal accounts from Alaska to the southern tip of Patagonia or from Baffin Island to Norway’s Lofoten Isles, he endeavours to transport the reader to those remarkable worlds to become intimate with them and their extremes of remoteness, wanting to share the rawness and intimacy of nature which is truly inspirational. Conventional family holidays were a thing of the past as Lynne, his wife, joined in on some of the adventures. All of these were achieved while both held down full-time employment, Mike as a production manager and Lynne as a dental receptionist. Their offspring, Gary and Nicky, were not short of a few adventures of their own too. Unfortunately, in the places visited, the evidence became abundantly clear of our rapidly changing world and of the tragic impact the human race is having upon it.      

The Boy Who Refused to Die

On 17 December 2007, 13-year-old Alby Dobinson left his home to make his daily journey to school. Later that day, during his return journey, something happened that would change his life forever.

This story charts the remarkable journey undertaken by Alby and those closest to him. Life is always a mixture of good times and bad, laughter and sadness, and Alby’s story reflects this rainbow of human emotion, from suffering to euphoria.

As a biography, written in the style of a novel, this book details years of rehabilitation as family members recount their own experiences with humour, regret and acceptance, plumbing the depths of despair and soaring to the heights of joy.

The Daily Mail headline “The boy who wouldn’t die” was detested by Alby’s family. However, a small change to it illustrated Alby’s determination. He did not travel his road alone but was accompanied by his mother and stepfather, Lisa and Mark; his younger brother, Jimmy; and his grandparents. What happened to Alby had a profound effect on them all and each has their own special story, including the amusing tale of how Lisa and Mark met and the response to Mark’s declaration that he would run the London Marathon: “You’ve never done more than run for a bus!”

This is a story that will amaze and inspire. It is tinged with sadness but the overwhelming message is one of courage and the triumph of one very determined young man and his family.

The Fascinating History of My Direct Royal Ancestors and Their Descendants

The author traces his direct ancestors for 40 generations, commencing with Egbert Saxon, king of Wessex in generation 1. King Edward III is described in generation 18. He was the last monarch in the author’s Direct family tree. He and his wife, Philippa of Hanault, are the author’s 21 times great grandparents. The author narrates the history of his direct ancestors up to his grandparents in generation 39, from English royalty to Scottish nobility, ending with the Krio elite in the former British colony of Sierra Leone. This was as a result of the acting governor of Sierra Leone, the Scottish Kenneth Macaulay, the author’s 4 times great-grandfather, having a relationship with a liberated African, which led to the birth of the author’s 3 times great-grandmother Charlotte Macaulay, who was of mixed race. The book is an entertaining, fascinating and accessible piece of family history with a wide-ranging scope and engaging manner of dialogue, which will be of interest, not only to historians and genealogists, but also to non-fiction readers in general.

The Great Survivor

The First World War offers many tales of survival against the odds, but few can have been so meticulously documented as this. Wounded at Passchendaele in October 1917, then sent to a supposedly quiet area near the Aisne just before the Germans’ ‘Spring Offensive’ intensified, Private William Roberts was both desperately unlucky and extremely fortunate. His wartime diary provides not only a compelling insight into the carnage and mud-filled misery at the front, but also glimpses of rare lighter moments – a quiet drink in a local French bar or the surreal experience of attending a concert while battle raged only miles away.

The diary brilliantly captures his training in Doncaster, with the excitement and foreboding of what was to come, and the blend of doughty camaraderie and daily tedium that was life in a POW camp.

Locked away in a chest for nearly a century, this is perhaps the most remarkable diary by a private soldier of the Great War.

The Law and I

Delve into the riveting memoir of an attorney who navigated the transformative world of litigation law in private practice. Journey back to an era when senior partners donned wing collars and were addressed as clerks by their surnames, and when solicitors weren’t confined to specialisations.

Experience the spectrum of clients he represented, from navigating harrowing cases at police stations – covering everything from murders to activists challenging government departments – all the way to the House of Lords, now known as the Supreme Court.

Beyond the courtroom, he shares insights into his dealings with prisoners, including those under maximum security, managing matters from adjudications to parole requests. Simultaneously, he paints a picture of his life outside the law, tending to an 18-acre smallholding.

As he reflects on his career, the author offers a poignant commentary on the evolving landscape of legal practice, weighing in on the advancements and setbacks since his retirement. This is not just a tale of law but of resilience, adaptability, and profound change.

The Padre was a Hooker

The commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” would seem to make it unlikely that a committed Christian would ever choose to pursue a career in the armed forces, where killing the enemy is, at the very least, a real possibility.

Becoming an army chaplain might well be seen as an even more astonishing choice for someone seeking to serve God.

And yet, the British armed forces have had chaplains since the beginning of warfare itself. Men and women from the traditional established churches who accompany the troops into the very face of the foe, seeking to care for the spiritual and moral welfare of the troops.

Despite all the changes in the society and warfare, the decrease in church attendance and the weakening of the spiritual profile of our nation, military leaders still want a padre to accompany them into action.

For 40 years, Stephen Blakey was one of these padres. With humour and insight, he shares the joys and the struggles of being the ‘man of God’ amongst what is sometime a pretty ungodly community.

The Road to Westminster

Nothing in life is impossible provided you never lose sight of your goal and are willing to be flexible at all times and totally dedicated to achieving your aims. Setbacks crop up at the most inconvenient times, but they give you the opportunity to make changes, accept new challenges and achieve your targets in ways you could never have thought possible.
Never give up, never lose sight of your objectives. Be ruthless when assessing your progress. Take chances when you need to. Everyone needs to speculate to accumulate. Go for it at all times.

The Voice, the Face

This is a quite extraordinary story. Martin Muncaster describes his life experiences in a way which has surprises in every chapter. He writes in detail, often with very personal and emotional descriptions, about many aspects of his family. The book starts with a life-threatening road accident followed by even more challenging incidents. He goes on to describe how, as a young man from a somewhat aristocratic family background, he had to adjust himself to life on the ‘lower deck’ for part of his National Service in the Royal Navy, but eventually, after much hard work and perseverance, acquired the coveted commission (and cap badge!). And it was this same determination and personal strength which carried him through the ups and downs of his life and his career in broadcasting.

Along the way, there are many lighter anecdotes, starting from his early days at stage school, then working as an actor in Canada before returning to pursue his career in television and radio. As a well-known presenter, he had an insight into the world of both commercial television and the BBC, and he describes his encounters with many well-known people including Sir Laurence Olivier and Richard Dimbleby. In the background throughout the book is the inspiration provided by his father, the renowned marine and landscape artist, Claude Muncaster.

There are also vivid descriptions of travel experiences in South Africa, Canada and Scotland, but it is all interspersed with family and personal tragedies which remind the reader that even familiar faces and voices have another private life we don’t know of.

There was Once a Street in Bethnal Green

Derek Houghton was born and bred in London’s East End, Bethnal Green, when horses and carts were just as predominant on its streets as motorised vehicles. It was at a time when National Health was not even a dream, or any kind of benefit existed, the only benefit available was by taking the “Means Test” (Dole Money) that most East Enders were too proud to take. Poverty was never any stranger to their doors, unemployment was rife, and the pawnshops did a roaring trade. People then could walk the streets in safety, the streets were the children’s playgrounds, where they played unhindered. As hard as times were, neighbours showed great compassion in helping each other. Each street was like a village, where everybody knew everyone else. World War II was to bring about an even stronger bond with each other. Above all, it was the love of a street – “Our Street.”

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.

Weed Out the Scumbags: The Art of Finding Your Soulmate

This book is a testament to the knowing that soulmates do usually find each other, in one way or another, as the universe deems. The author’s story is meant to enlighten and give credence to those who are desperate to encounter their one and only soulmate. Your soulmate is very likely to appear, but the catch is to sometimes make it happen on your own—as this author has done. Had she not ‘bit the bullet’ by taking certain actions to bring her soulmate to her—unbeknownst to him—this book might not have been written. Her tactics were clear and steadfast, and her story is evidence to her truth that almost anyone can find their soulmate, anywhere in the world. She did. Why not you?