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American Coastguards, UNST & The B.P. Oily Blacks (1978)
A few stories encountered mainly in the 21st century as a result of working on construction sites. Humour, still having to deal with the good, the bad, and the nasty! 2018 saw the demise of one of the biggest players: Carillion. How many companies went into receivership like my old company? How many others in the 21st century? Was the philosophy Carillion followed replicated by the Post Office?
In 2023, in his autumn statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt highlighted receiving payment times by the big companies. I can remember those immortal words: ‘spell redundant’, ‘P45, boss’. The American eagles were just laid off! Subcontractors are worth more dead than alive.
£10.99 -
Goodbye Mr Krupps
A vivid and entertaining account of one man’s extraordinary life, guided by a love of steam trains and an unerring vision to be an engine driver in the days when steam ruled the rails. See through the eyes of a small boy the first stirrings of this enduring passion as, in rapt fascination, he watches trains on the Hull & Barnsley main line in the 1940s, and witness the bucolic beauty of rural life, allied with the poverty and shear hard graft of farm work during the war years, when it seems his dream will be crushed by the daily grind and drudgery.
Share the author’s exuberance as, having hazarded all, he succeeds in joining the London & North Eastern Railway as a lad porter, before being introduced to the hallowed world of the Locomotive Department, progressing through the ranks to finally fulfil his dream. On this journey share his exhilaration as he thunders down the main line on a locomotive pushed to its limits, spewing fire and brimstone; and witness a host of steam train escapades, adventures, and mishaps, from the farcical to tragic.
Finally, travel with him to exotic Tanganyika/Tanzania in the 1960s where, during 12 years with East African Railways, he experiences the challenges of epic journeys through the heart of the sun-baked bush, breakdowns, derailments, flooded tracks, and violent mutiny, as well as the joy of driving the mighty and exemplary 30 Class, ending with the pinnacle of his career: that of becoming Locomotive Inspector.
£41.99 -
The Tramcar will Return
Electric tramways formed the backbone of most towns and cities in the first half of the twentieth century. But when they got in the way of cars, they had to go. People loved their trams, they took them to school, to work, to go shopping, to the cinema and to football matches. When the last Glasgow tram ran in 1962, a quarter of a million Glaswegians braved the pouring rain to say goodbye.
Thirty years later, trams were re-invented to help combat congestion and environmental impacts of the car. Both eras are covered in this book by an engineer who witnessed the demise of the tram and its revival, playing a major role in getting trams onto the streets of Manchester in 1992. Now trams are running again in London, Edinburgh and cities in between.
This is a personal story about the last tramways in Britain and the new generation of light rail systems, a term invented to avoid any confusion with old double deckers clanking down the middle of the road. It is interlaced with stories of tramways in the UK, Europe and beyond, gained when working as an international light rail consultant.
£21.99 -
American Stories
Embark on a captivating journey through the eyes of a foreign student as he navigates the rapidly evolving cultural landscape of the United States in the 1960s. These deeply personal memoirs offer a unique perspective on a nation in the midst of a profound transformation, as experienced by someone who finds himself immersed in a world vastly different from his own.
From the bustling streets of Long Island, New York, to the hallowed halls of Princeton, the free-spirited atmosphere of Berkeley, the expansive plains of Texas, and the rugged beauty of New Mexico, the author’s academic pursuits take him on a cross-country adventure. As he diligently studies and works, he finds himself swept up in the powerful currents of the anti-war movement, the rise of black power, and the exhilarating spirit of Woodstock.
Far from being a mere observer, the author is an active participant in the unfolding cultural revolution, sharing his own hopes, joys, despairs, and moments of alienation. Through his interactions with the people he encounters, even in the face of adversity, he discovers uplifting experiences that shape his personal growth and understanding of the world around him.
£15.99 -
Mum’s Secret Diaries
A strong and moving memoir which offers a captivating and extremely rare insight into the life of an ordinary girl growing up in a British working class family in the 1950s.
Mary’s secret diaries discovered by her children, chronicle her early personal life experiences, successes, challenges and hardships in an amusing and delightfully innocent way. Mary’s first diary begins in 1952 when she is an impressionable fourteen-year-old, living in Berkshire, England and continues to 1956 when she turns eighteen. Through her eyes and subsequent diary entries, she recounts the fascinating dramas of a lively, sensitive young woman navigating her way through family life, finishing grammar school, entering the workplace at fifteen, all intertwined with juggling romantic interests and aspirational dreams.
Witness her day-to-day trials, happiness, and emotional struggles in a world of boys and married men, as she juggles a string of admirers, her sister’s favouritism and independence leading to a shock elopement, being forbidden to sing with a band, taking her first holiday abroad with friends where she reveals all the details of what went on, along with many other of life’s firsts.
Will she ever find ‘The One,’ or manage to resist buying those beautiful high heels?
The charm and honesty in which Mary regales her private life and the pickles she gets herself into, is so engaging and powerful that you can’t help but be drawn into her remarkable and totally relatable world, which additionally enlightens the reader of a bygone era of innocence, simplicity, and glamour.
£31.99 -
No I'm Not A Pilot
The Royal Air Force is one of the most technologically advanced armed forces in the world, with a reputation for fighting well above its size and weight. To most people the first thought they have about the RAF is about pilots and aircrew – quite right too. But for every one of the pilots to take off and deliver a mission successfully there will be a team on the ground making that happen, actually around twenty people for each pilot (which makes the aircrew a vital, but relatively small percentage of the entire force). The daring exploits of our aviators are deservedly well documented, but what about the hundreds of people on the ground that never fly in combat missions and yet enable every single mission to actually happen?
This book is a very personal and sometimes emotional journey giving an insight into life in the RAF from the late 1970s to the end of the century, for just one of the support trades – Trade Group No 1: the aircraft armourer. After all, as the founder of the RAF – Lord Trenchard is reputed to have said “without armament, there is no Air Force”. What the armourers say (tongue firmly in cheek) is that without armament, the RAF would be a glorified flying club!
£25.99 -
Surviving the Asylum
In this raw and poignant memoir, Michael recounts his harrowing journey through the psychiatric system and his struggle to find purpose after losing custody of his beloved autistic grandson.
After a suicide attempt lands him in a geriatric psychiatric ward for the third time in recent years, Michael finds himself cut off from the outside world and the grandson he raised for three decades. Facing abuse and isolation, he contemplates ending it all.
But a lifeline appears in the form of his vocal coach and support worker, who encourage him to channel his pain into art. As Michael discovers new passions in singing, painting, and poetry, he forges an unexpected friendship with a fellow patient that reignites his will to live.
This powerful story of resilience and reinvention shows how creativity and human connection can offer hope even in the darkest of times. Michael’s journey reminds us that it’s never too late to find a new voice and a reason to keep singing.
£28.99