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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.
£35.99 -
Lost Souls
I grew up not knowing whether I was related to the ancestors my grandmother lived with or not. My mother repeatedly told me stories that her mother had handed down to her about an aristocratic lady who was related to us, and had eloped with a groomsman near where my mother bought a house. As I grew older the stories left me with no real sense of identity of who I was. I felt like a part of me was always missing and where did I belong? When my mother died the house was sold; a few years later my daughter moved to Galway for college, it felt right for me to move back to the area again. Ironically, I found a cottage to rent very quickly just a few fields away from where my mother’s house was. It felt like fate. I just knew that this was the right time to go on a self-discovery journey for me and my ancestors. Once the thought was in my head, it would not go away. A few days later transgenerational trauma popped into my head and disappeared again. My phone seemed to have a mind of its own and words cropped up; trapped in a timeline, karma not released, negativity building up, toxicity to the land, reason trapped there and ancestral healing. All I needed to do was to take that first step forward and then wait; the universe would let me know what to do next.
£6.99 -
Dangerous Ambitions
‘An exciting lifetime’ barely captures the extraordinary adventures of this boy-turned-86-year-old as he journeys from childhood to old age. His tales of diving throughout the wild, beautiful Pacific include terrifying encounters with large sharks, a feeding frenzy of orcas, and surviving a crush of whales. Touching stories humanize the fish and sea creatures he encountered while diving, building, and sailing his self-made ocean-going yachts along the Pacific Coast of NSW. The narrative vividly captures the region’s varied moods and beauty, from rough seas to dangerous rocks.
Sydney, with its stunning headlands, towering trees, unique wildflowers, and strings of white sand beaches, also plays a starring role. The extreme yachting opportunities of Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park and Sydney’s four natural harbours – Pittwater, Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay, and Port Hacking – are celebrated as some of the most beautiful, diverse, and unique places in the world. Growing up here during WWII, with the freedom to explore and choose his path, shaped an extraordinary life filled with unparalleled adventures.
£8.99 -
They Call Me Jake – 2
“We are all wanderers on this earth
Our hearts are full of wonder and
Our souls deep with dreams”
- Romany Gypsy saying
Jakob Smith was a sometimes wild and reckless youth whose passion in life was to travel to new countries. Wherever he went, he was interested in the local history, daily life and culture of the people. During the daylight hours, he enjoyed visiting museums, religious sites, zoos and national parks.
At night, contrary to his daytime wanderings, he would enjoy drinking beer and mixing with the local people in neighbourhood bars or restaurants. He would attempt to talk with anyone despite sometimes language difficulties. Frequently these conversations took place in places of ill repute where hookers and petty criminals made up the numbers. They conned him relentlessly but their stories, true or otherwise, were often amusing and worth the few drinks they cost.
Now somewhat more mature, he looks back on such times with fond memories. So many people met only once for just a few, sometimes drunken moments, but never forgotten. Despite the odd black eye and a couple of nights spent in lock-up, was it worth it? I must say yes, as if I had my youth over, I would probably go down the same path.
The few bad times fade into obscurity, and the many good times, prone to exaggeration, just seem to get better with age.
A travel story different from most,
Entertaining, informative at times,
Jakob quite simply loves travelling,
New places and new people are his life.
£9.99 -
Memory Stick
Crafty, cunning and certainly clever, Memory Stick is a firework display of different literary styles and genres. Crammed with detail and facts. Just like a memory stick.
Book club readers have described this first volume of Oliver Milner’s entertaining autobiography as “William Boyd and Bill Bryson meet James Herriot and Sue Townsend.”
Structurally Memory Stick is based around 134 footnotes, taken from opensource Wiki history references, between 1961 and 1987. The story starts in wet and windy North Yorkshire. Flies to Nigeria. Flies back again. Goes back to Nigeria. Flies back again. Neil Armstrong lands on the moon. Olly goes to Wales. Takes in Norwich, ends up in London. Tames a penguin, and then…?
Just download Memory Stick, it gets rather interesting.
£10.99 -
Painting the Mosque for Christmas?
This is the story of one person. An errand boy, junior artist, car washer, cub, scout, choirboy, glass runner, wine waiter, postman, tomato plant and faggot stripper, potato picker, life guard, scout leader, canoe instructor, teacher, cattle rancher, polo player, forest and sawmill manager, head of English, logger, general manager, managing director, importer, exporter, businessman, outdoor pursuits instructor, fund raiser, headmaster, principal, CEO, school founder, advisor and appraiser, mentor, model, poet, playwright, writer and actor in the UK and many countries of Central, Southern and Western Africa through good times and bad.
The author deals sympathetically with the nostalgia of a post-war childhood in Bristol, detailing with many of the joys and problems of childhood before leaping into adulthood with entertaining narrative and dialogue.
Africa takes hold with many incidents and observations backed by humour and acute observations of post-colonial developments. Life was never dull and he has sat on crocodiles and slept with lions as well as experiencing coups and unrest where some humour can still be found. He has met royalty and personalities from a wide mixture of society and has also been a friend of presidents and heads of state – herein lies a tantalising mix of European and African life in a kaleidoscopic presentation of humour, pathos, seriousness and shrewd observation.
£32.99 -
Pony Tales and Other Irish Stories
Read tales of an Irish rural childhood, travelling the world with horses and policing London on horseback.
Born into a loving family on an Irish farm. Started to ride aged six, got bucked off too often, gave up! Started again on a different pony; got the hang of it, leading to a lifetime love for and career with horses. Represented Ireland at Pony Club and intervarsity levels. Travelled as groom with an Irish international three-day-eventer. Rode racehorses in Chantilly and Brisbane. Stock ponies and barrel racers in the Outback. Police horses in London. And there’s still so much ahead.
Fortunate. That’s what I feel…
£9.99 -
Ripping the Veil
Anglers are not always perceived to be the most rational of people. For those who get involved in rod fishing, what might start as a curiosity, gradually becomes a passion that often develops into a full-blown, all-consuming addiction. Apparently, there is no cure. Repeated scenarios of utter failure, near-drowning, broken relationships and disarming exhaustion only whet the appetite for renewed effort. No wonder the non-angling majority considers the whole venture as incomprehensible and one of insanity.
However, the angling body is no small minority. It will happily embrace the label of ‘insane’ if that is what it takes to sustain what, for those who are smitten, is no less than a lifestyle. These are the people who are driven to explore what lies beneath the water’s surface. They thrive on the thrill of revealing the secrets of a hidden world. For them, ripping the veil between air and water is not a casual option but a glorious and compulsive expression of evolutionary history – a relic strategy of survival. At least, this is their excuse.
£8.99 -
Second-Best Luck
Fancy retirement right across the globe? Learning to speak a foreign language (Australian)? Too easy; don’t be a wuss, mite! Herein, you will find travel, exploration, how not to buy a house, how to build a harpsichord; how to cope with a second hysterectomy, coronary bypass, two different and simultaneous serious cancers. No worries; she’ll be right, mite! Consider Orshtraya on differing scales; the conurbation that is Canberra; the 90-mile straight which is just a blip in the landscape driving across the Great Australian Bite, Mite; the deeply soothing silence of the outback.
Seriously, sport: this sometimes humorous volume is travelogue, retirement manual, and medical aid, all in one. It has a sporting chance of really helping anyone terrified with recent news of cancer or other really serious illness. We all need help.
£8.99 -
Secret Son of a Legend
I have only known since 2012, but I am the illegitimate child of Bobby Moore, the captain of the 1966 World Cup winning football team. I went from living an exceptionally happy and privileged childhood to one of detachment, hurt, and misery. My world was completely turned upside down and I deeply missed my former life and my family. I made the most of my life by focusing energy and attention on my education and the sports in which I participated, which helped me relieve the tension. I enjoyed my freedoms as I grew older and made a life for myself. I have never really wanted anything, but I now feel, after six decades, the need for recognition, acknowledgement, and closure in my life.
£9.99 -
Speaking Volumes
How did a fishmonger’s son from Tyneside, growing up in the 1950s with a Geordie accent, become the person who recorded over 900 audiobooks and received an MBE from the Queen in the Birthday Honours of 2017?
This ‘charming’, ‘entertaining’ and ‘heart-warming’ memoir answers that question.
Reviews:
AudioFile magazine
“…not simply a reader but an artist of the spoken word…”
“…Gordon Griffin, an entire acting company in one person…”
“Witty and moving memoir of how a working-class boy becomes THE voice of the spoken word.
Honest and vivid account plus excellent advice for those of us who work with words.” Miriam Margolyes£9.99 -
Tangled Thoughts of Reason
Aged 21, Owen has lost all his self-worth and self-control. Addicted to crack and trying to get clean, he falls back into the same cycle again and again. Losing his mind and falling deeper into depression, he needs to make a change before he loses himself completely.
£8.99