Times of My Life – Part Two

A sequel to Times of My Life: A Forest Gate Girl, this book carries the reader from a wedding in 1971, to the present day in Wiltshire, spanning 50 years of events that have punctuated the writer’s life up to now. It’s been a whole adventure and education for a girl from a fairly sheltered and strict family background, embarking on married life as a young wife which would soon take her away from the London she had known and loved to following her husband’s career all over the country.

She would eventually achieve all the things she had dreamed of as a child. She would travel the world, meet fascinating people in far-flung places and make lifelong friends. She would have a successful career of her own. She would teach. Her love of music, theatre and performance would lead to one of her most thrilling and satisfying endeavours, running her own musical theatre group with amazing young people and watching them grow in skills and confidence. This memoir revisits those hectic days which tend to get lost in the fullness of time. Treasured old photos bring it all back. 

Most of all, she would have a long and happy married life, and be blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren. There were many adventures and so many reasons to celebrate along the way. But there were also trials and challenges, tragedies and sadness, as there are and have been for everyone, particularly during the Covid years. The best of times always outweighed the bad, however, and the happiest memories will be cherished forever.

Times of My Life: A Forest Gate Girl

Times and lives can be ordinary yet still fascinating and touching to others.Times of My Life: A Forest Gate Girl is the story of an ordinary girl born into an ordinary family and how historic and global events affect the family and her life.

For this writer’s family, it’s a harsh contrast between the luxury of generations of colonial life in India to the privations of post-war London. For the writer however, it’s a fantastic ride from fairy tales, comics and Children’s Encyclopaedia to The Times newspaper; from skipping ropes, Saturday morning pictures and toy pianos to appearing on TV’s ground-breaking show Ready, Steady, Go!

The timeline for Part One covers 1950 to 1971, with references to the rich legacy of family history. It spans revolutions and innovations in science, technology and the arts. London in the sixties was an amazing and exciting place to be. Everything was changing so fast and for the first time, young people were successfully challenging the status quo. Fashion, art and music led the youth movement. For a convent schoolgirl from a relatively sheltered background, it was the centre of her world and the beginning of her adult life. The adventures continue, each moment to be relished and cherished, creating memories for a lifetime and future generations.

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.

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.

White Light

Meet Andy Kent.

Husband, dad, businessman and survivor of death.

This is the story of a person’s life – the story of a life fully lived, a life touched by many others and a life that has made a difference. It hasn’t been plain sailing, and many lessons have been hard-learned along the way. From a cerebral haemorrhage he should not have survived to an impossible fund-raising walk spanning the length of the country, discover the incredible true story of a man whose mission it is to help others, whatever the cost.

Love, loss, and life combine in this inspiring account of a man who has always refused to give up, and whose determination has helped so many people.

This is Andy Kent’s story so far…

An Inside Job

An Inside Job is a gripping story of life as a chaplain inside Lincoln prison, a local jail opened in 1872. Joy Osborne writes from the heart with sensitivity and passion. The reader is drawn into a world which is generally unknown to the public. Following theological training, Joy felt God calling her beyond the church building to work inside the prison walls with some of the country’s most prolific offenders. She shared in the lives of those shunned by society and saw beyond crimes committed to the person’s humanity. Inside the busy jail, it was often ministry on the ‘hoof’, responding to an immediate crisis. Being ready with a listening ear, advice, compassion, an offer of help and prayers when requested were just part of a busy day. The challenges of prison life are portrayed in this book and are felt by the reader as they journey with Joy on an amazing walk through the prison and beyond.

An IT Contractor Life

This book is an excursus of Max’s career in both data and analytics, in general I.T., and the heavy metal underground of Italy in the mid-80s. This dichotomy has characterised Max’s adult life, which is highlighted in the book and everything Max does with his spare time. Sometime filled with sad moments, some hilarious stories and some great advice for I.T. professionals and metal heads alike, it’s mainly the story of a man like you and me who cannot say no to anybody and has a focus and resilience that only a few possess.

Memories of the Way We Were

I stood in front of the headstone which read ‘Rita Rocca Nee Tomlin (15/6/1942 - 21/10/2020)’ and thought, ‘Is this all there is? Her name on a headstone with mine to follow.’I remembered a warm May Day in 1948, when we both kneeled at the same altar waiting for a priest to give us our first taste of Jesus.She, in her white dress, was wondering if the day would yield enough for a new doll and pram, while I wondered if mine would yield enough for roller skates and maybe a new football.I recalled the honeymoon in Jersey in 1963, Miss World at the Royal Albert Hall in 1980, and the ball that followed at the Savoy Hotel.I said, “Sorry girl, I can’t give you a Taj Mahal, but I will write a book, which will hopefully make us more than just names on a tombstone.”

Please, Let Me Sleep

Please, Let Me Sleep is a relatable and humorous take on a topic that will surely resonate with readers. As the author candidly shares her experiences, readers will find themselves nodding in agreement and chuckling at the absurdity of it all. In a world where stress seems to be the norm, from mortgages to job insecurity to global conflicts, this book offers a welcome escape from the chaos.Amidst the challenging times we face today, including the COVID pandemic and the rising concerns about school bullying and drug use, parenting can feel like an overwhelming and joyless task. This book offers a lighthearted look at the ups and downs of parenthood, reminding readers that it’s okay to laugh at the challenges we face.The author’s sense of humour and upbeat attitude are evident throughout the book, making it a perfect antidote to the stresses of daily life. Whether you’re looking for a quick laugh or a way to unwind at the end of a long day, Please, Let Me Sleep is sure to leave you feeling relaxed, refreshed, and ready for a peaceful night’s sleep.

Sharpening the Weapons of Peace

Colonel Wilkinson spent 31 years in the British Army with the Royal Artillery, commando and parachute brigades and special forces. In his last job in the army, he was the principal author of the first British Joint Warfare Publication (JWP 3-50 Peace Support Operations). During his military service he gradually came to the understanding that the achievement of peace required a comprehensive approach that addressed the causes and consequences of conflict and not just the symptoms. These thoughts were crystallised during his four years as a senior research fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College, London. After King’s College, he was deployed as the international advisor to President Kagame in Rwanda for one year and President Karzai in Afghanistan for two years before supporting the National Security Advisor in Baghdad for three years. More recently, he spent fifteen months in the occupied Palestinian territories before deploying to Somalia for three years to support the President and Minister of Internal Security. These positions have given Colonel Wilkinson a unique perspective of international intervention operations. Many others have written of their observations from the outside looking in, Colonel Wilkinson has had the privilege of being part of the host government looking out. Many may find his observations unsettling!

The Odd-Job Man

In 1989, deep in the South American jungles of Suriname, a former commando and Falklands War veteran discharged from the SAS found himself with a group of contract soldiers training a rebel army against a violent dictator regime.Things were not so clear cut in this war-torn country and as cracks began to appear in finding out who had the moral high ground, cracks also began to appear in the team itself.It seemed the leader of the group had other agendas which he was keeping from the mixed bag of former British commandos and French Foreign Légion soldiers.Now, as all-out war has got ever closer, this becomes increasingly difficult for the author, as he too, has not been totally truthful with the others.

A Bipolar Life Well-Lived

It never dawned on me that I was getting ill, but what was happening to me was very real. Living in a world of make-believe, I was convinced my imaginary visions were genuine. I had delusions of grandeur, thinking I was all-powerful and the centre of everything. But I was not a monster; I was a lost soul. My story involves a struggle with mania and depression in the context of my life in England and France. How, despite my handicap, I held down a job abroad for 8 years and how, after 8 years of marriage to a Frenchman, I supported my daughter as a single parent. My memoir gives insight into living with mental illness. It is an autobiography concerned with memories of childhood, adolescence and adulthood.