Nostalgia: general Books

Book SynopsisGreat Western Railway Stars, Castles and Kings examines the history and workings of these legendary classes of passenger steam locomotives, the first of which, the North Star, was built in 1906. Richly illustrated with over 200 photographs, the book includes illustrated explanations of how Great Western Railway steam engines work; details of the engines' work on named expresses and in ordinary service; overview of the survivors, heritage organizations and their futures; technical specifications and timelines of each class and finally, GWR and British Rail Motive Power Depot codes and train head codes.

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Book SynopsisThey think it’s all over…it is now, with this comprehensive guide to football shirts through the years. From the obscure to the ubiquitous, The Football Shirts Book is packed with over 150 original and super rare shirts from the greatest game on earth. Covering everything from the iconic to the unusual, even the most hard-core fans will find out something new about the kit of their favourite team.Including full-colour photography, as well as interviews with football shirt design teams, musicians, and fashion designers, this guide offers a full exploration of the brands, design, and sponsorship history behind the world’s best-loved football shirts. It is a must-have for those crazy about football shirts, as well as those whose interest is piqued by history, design, and pop-culture.

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Book SynopsisStanding in Line is a humorous memoir, based on a variety of experiences in The Queue, one of sport's most fascinating traditions. Told through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy becoming a 39-year-old man, it is a love letter both to Wimbledon and to the wonder of British summertime. Watching the Championships is a national pastime, and this book is full of the ups and downs out on court, as well as the memorable pop-cultural moments off it. It is set against the desperate wait for a British Gentlemen's champion, viewed against the global reality show Wimbledon has become - transcending sport and class, yet still embracing tradition. Illustrated with drawings from renowned artist and author Zebedee Helm, the book observes both the changing world around us and the behaviour of the half-million fans who cram themselves into this leafy corner of London for two weeks every year. Standing in Line is a joyful, gently nostalgic read for anyone who has found themselves gazing for hours on end at coverage of Wimbledon.

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Book SynopsisIn this revealing memoir of childhood, the author shows not only what affected his family, but also reveals a large slice of social history concerning the lives of all ordinary working-class people struggling to live in the slums of the East End of London in those pre-Welfare State days. He writes with sympathy, and sometimes anger, of the overcrowded houses with families of anything up to eight children, as his own had, living in just two or three rooms with outside W.C. and water tap; of the reliance on charity and the soup kitchen for food; of trying to eke out what little income they had by buying stale bread and cracked eggs or other cheap food from the many itinerant street sellers.Yet this is also a chronicle of what was a turbulent time in British history, and especially in the East End, with its then still large Jewish and Irish populations. So here too is an eyewitness account of the Depression, and of the provocative marches by Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists through the area, culminating in the Battle of Cable Street that saw the marchers turned back by the efforts of Jewish, Irish, communist and socialist protestors. Above all, however, Norman Jacobs writes with affection of the area and its extraordinary mix of peoples, as well as the now-vanished aspects of everyday life, such as the music hall, the two-valve radio, and the first Cup Final to be played at Wembley.

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Book SynopsisThe memoir of a trainee nurse at one of the world's most famous children's hospitals.

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Book SynopsisPacked full of the age-old wisdom and expertise of generations of gardeners, who used their down-to-earth and practical experience to create beautiful, productive and useful gardens without spending a fortune.Behind every beautiful garden is the skill and experience of the gardener who tends it. How do you know which plants will thrive in your patch, given the bewildering array on offer? How do you know what soil and location they will like? And what do you do about all those pests just waiting to tuck in, not to mention the fungal diseases that suddenly turn your rose leaves from glossy green to blotchy yellow and coat other leaves with a powdery white dust? Just how do you tackle these gardening challenges, while being eco friendly at the same time? This is where Old Wives’ Lore for Gardeners comes in. Packed within its pages is all the age-old wisdom of generations of gardeners, people who knew a thing or two about plants. They lived before the days of chemical pesticides and concocted kitchen-cupboard remedies to treat pests and diseases. They gardened organically – although they wouldn’t have called it that – because there was no other choice on offer. With a wealth of savvy and cost-effective tips and advice, intriguing facts, snippets of history and quotes, Old Wives’ Lore for Gardeners is not only a fascinating read but also an invaluable guide to the gardening practices of old, which are as relevant today as they have ever been.

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Book SynopsisBy the time he was six years old, Stephen Matthews had been bombarded by the Luftwaffe and deported from occupied Guernsey, along with his family, to a prison camp in the heart of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. He had seen men die in front of him and walked with Jews straight off the cattle-trucks from Bergen-Belsen. He had nearly drowned, menaced by Alsatian guard dogs, been beaten by a member of the SS, stranded in a minefield and had his hand broken by a German guard for attempting to feed Russian prisoners.The family kept going through over three of imprisonment, held together by their will to survival and their love for each other. But the island home they eventually returned to had been scarred and stricken by Nazi occupation.The Day the Nazis Came Here is an utterly unique memoir, depicting the world of Nazi prison camps through the eyes of a child - a world in which the real dangers often seemed trivial and every day was a new adventure. Above all, it pays tribute to the preciousness of hope, and shows that human kindness may flower in the unlikeliest of places.

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Book Synopsis'The pride in who we are is not part of our past, it defines our present and our future' - The QueenFrom Big Ben to James Bond, from the Battle of Hastings to the Beatles, from William Shakespeare to the Royal Family, our tiny island nation has a famed and varied history. But we are special as a country not just because of those who have gone down in history, but for those who haven't.In Great British Spirit, we celebrate the incredible British national character, our sense of community and the superhuman efforts of ordinary people across the United Kingdom, providing the perfect antidote to the turbulent times we live in. This book will champion our nation and its incredible people, while remembering other incredible struggles we have overcome as a nation in the last century.Great British Spirit will remind us all why being British is something not just to be proud of, but to celebrate.

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Book SynopsisThe saga of how the north of Scotland secured its own commercial radio station at this time in history is unique. Radio station licences were strictly controlled by the Home Office and the standards for output were set deliberately high. Here we have a group of community activists who didn’t have experience or a penny to their name. They raised funds for photocopying their application by holding plant sales and in the process scared off the more serious local investors who didn’t think they’d pull it off. But they did. The rest of the book looks at what they did with it, the story told largely in anecdotes from those who were there. With a bunch of largely untested on-air talent, and relying on a great deal of volunteer labour, they ended up with some of the best listening figures in the country. It’s a remarkable tale backed up by dozens of photographs that will evoke the 80s and 90s. The book explains why truly local radio was so important to the communities of the north of Scotland at that time when the economy was fragile and unemployment savagely high in some places. Presenters share what it was like to become a household name and reminisce about the music and the lighter side of radio life and how it change the lives of so many. If you love radio this book is for you.

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Book SynopsisAt the peak of Britain''s first generation tramways, it was possible to travel by tram all the way from Pier Head at Liverpool to the Pennines in Rochdale. Amongst the chain of tramways that formed these links were the services that operated in Bolton, St Helens, Wigan and the company lines controlled by South Lancashire Tramways.

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Book SynopsisIn the second volume in the Lost Tramways series to feature Ireland, the history of the trams that served Dublin and its environs are recalled.

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Book SynopsisThe lines, circles, ticks, hooks, dots and dashes of Pitman shorthand used by some postcard writers during the early twentieth century are obscure to most people. Could the mysterious messages contain scandalous gossip, tales of adventure or declarations of undying love?Fifty Mysterious Postcards presents fascinating examples from the ‘Golden Age’ of the postcard, each with a message written in the dying art of Pitman shorthand. The rules of Pitman have changed since the postcards were written and posted over 100 years ago, but careful transcription has unlocked their meaning to bring stories of penfriends, sweethearts, holidays and the First World War to life once more.Trade Review“The format mostly features spreads with the postcards – beauty scenes, landmarks, cute animals – with the original name and address written longhand and the message in shorthand.” * Best of British magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe 1950s saw a major shift in the lifestyles of many in Britain. Employment levels rose to new heights, white consumer goods appeared in shop windows for the first time, television replaced the radio in many homes, rock ‘n’ roll was born, the National Health Service provided free healthcare to the nation, families went on holiday, and the new Queen was crowned — bringing in a glorious new Elizabethan age.Including interviews with former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock and footballers Bobby Charlton, Wilf McGuinness and Terry Venables, Recollections of the 1950s will appeal to all who grew up in this post-war decade. With chapters on schooldays, television and radio, trips to the seaside, music and fashion, these wonderful stories are sure to jog the memories of all who remember this exciting era.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first British study of its kind which focuses on toys made for girls including the spin-off accessories. Susan Brewer explores the world of girls' toys, dividing the book into sections to encompass many kinds; dolls, houses, prams, cuddly toys, outdoor toys, traditional playthings and character toys such as Sylvanian Families, Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, Flower Fairies. She includes brief biographies of some of the best known firms, amongst them Chad Valley, Hornby, Britain's, Pedigree and Fisher Price but the main focus is on the toys themselves, many of which readers will remember from their own childhood.

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Book SynopsisA collection of hundreds of previouslyunseen photos of classic Scotlandinternational football games that havelain in newspaper and magazine archives for50, 60 or 70 years.Aimed at the sports nostalgia and giftmarket, the Black & White Era seriesguarantees high-quality production valuesand never-before seen vintage photos, alongwith well researched anecdotalaccompanying text of the eventsfrom original sources.With a foreword by Denis Law (Scotland'sall-time joint-top goal scorer).

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Book SynopsisOriginally written in 1936 by two young Cambridge Fellows, A Guide to the Classics is a light-hearted manual on how to pick the Derby winner. However, as the tongue-in-cheek title suggested, there is more to the book than meets the eye, especially as one of the young dons went on to become, according to his 1990 Telegraph obituary, ''the greatest political philosopher in the Anglo-Saxon tradition since Mill or even Burke''.The book takes the abstraction out of the Derby by attacking the systems which had been developed by generations of ''form'' experts. It exposes theoretical solutions as fraudulent instead it applies hard-headed empirical and historical analysis. Oakeshott went on to apply this methodology to his famous critique of ''rationalism'' in politics.This long-awaited edition of Griffith and Oakeshott's classic text includes a new preface and foreword by horse racing journalist and author Sean Magee, and political commentator Peter Oborne.

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Book SynopsisReg May has put pen to paper to create a record of iconic and historic races, including such classics as the 1955 Mille Miglia, and the 1957 German Grand Prix - races that the author has heard and read about since his childhood, and that have left a lasting impression. With personal opinions, careful observations, and measured reflections on motor racing in general, Reg has added his own personal experiences of motor racing, and penned a volume that excites as well as informs the reader. Reg injects his infectious enthusiasm for the sport, whilst painting a vivid picture of each event and its backdrop, Racing with Heroes captures the atmosphere of these great races, immersing the reader in the action as history is made.Trade ReviewFormula One's greatest races, remembered in gushing prose by an F1 super fan. Classic Cars a compact, entertaining compilation of memorable Grand Prixs ... plus a few personal reminiscences thrown in for good measure. At just GBP12.99 this book will make a great Christmas stocking filler. RETRO SPEED one for everyone to enjoy ...easy reading and often in the story it brings to light some small point we had missed in the past. I enjoyed it and hope you will Motor Cycling Club (MCC) The reader is transported around the worlds' circuits by the authors' passion for the sport. Antique and Collectors Trader an excellent read, and one in which the author's enthusiasm for his subject shines through. Speedscene It's an enjoyable little book and at just $24.99 it wont break the bank. Oily Rag MagazineTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements. Introduction. Chapter 1 - A Passion for Racing Chapter 2 - German Grand Prix -1957 Chapter 3 - Monaco Grand Prix-1961 Chapter 4 - LeMans-1969 Chapter 5 - Brazilian Grand Prix - 2008 Chapter 6 - French Grand Prix- 1959 Chapter 7 - Mille Miglia-1955 Chapter 8 - German Grand Prix-1935 Chapter 9 - Italian Grand Prix-1971 Chapter 10 - British Grand Prix -1976 Chapter 11 - French Grand Prix-1961 Chapter 12 - Dutch Grand Prix-1967 Chapter 13 - Australian Grand Prix-1986 Chapter 14 - A Family Day At The Races Chapter 15 - Canadian Grand Prix-2011 Chapter 16 - Japanese Grand Prix-1976 Chapter 17 - He Raced With Heroes Index

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Book SynopsisThe decade between 1960 and 1970 saw British racing singles reach the peak of their decelopment, a decade in which exciting racing unfolded at circuits across the land every weekend, and the decade of Bob McIntyre, Derek Minter, Mike Hailwood, Phil Read, Bill Ivy and Peter Williams. This book documents the period from the introduction of the G50 Matchless, up to the advent of the Yamaha TR2, and the birth of the two-stroke era - a period of immense change. Britain during the 1960s wasn't only a nation of pop music and fashion; it was a decade crammed with the most competitive racing in the history of motorcycle sport. Racing Line tells this story - the ridres, the machines, the drama and the the excitement.Trade Reviewone of the finest records I have ever read of the unforgettable 1960s racing era ... a thoroughly entertaining read ... it really does bring those glory years back to life. Old Bike Mart exceptionally well written and really allows you to take a step back in time with gripping accounts of the races and the period ... well worth double the GBP19.99 cover price! Ian Kerr a fascinating insight into British motorcycle racing and its characters from WWII up until 1970 Nacelle I can thoroughly recommend this book to all those who are interested in motorcycle racing from 1946 to 1970 On The Level If you have any interest in racing during the 60s, I reckon you'll just love this one: I did. Bike Rider Magazine Illustrated with 75 period color and black and white images, Racing Line features some of the best action shots of the day, as well as dramatic portraits of some of the men and machines who made it all happen Ultimate MotorCyclingTable of Contents1. Il grandi piloti inglese The character of 1950s racing and its people; British riders and their backers - promoters, team managers, tuners 2. Blank canvas The evolution of the British circuit. Riding on airfields, parks, grass tracks and between barrack blocks 3. A choice of rivals The tools of champions - evolution of the British single, its development, refinement, performance and rugged durability. The emergence of the 7R AJS, and, finally, the G50 Matchless to challenge the pre-eminence of the Manx Norton; then the Italians - Aermacchi, Paton, Linto - and the first stirrings of the Japanese giant 4. 1960 Mercury (Bob McIntyre) 5. 1961 Man in the Shadows (John Hartle) 6. 1962 Perfero (Alan Shepherd) 7. 1963 The Mint (Derek Minter) 8. 1964 Wild Colonials (Mike Duff) 9. 1965 The Kirby Boys (Bill Ivy) 10. 1966 Eyes front (John Cooper) 11. 1967 Anything, anywhere (Mike Hailwood) 12. 1968 Summertime (Dave Croxford) 13. 1969 Nemesis (Yamaha TR2) 14. 1970 Eclipse (Peter Williams) 15. The Records Who won what, where and when

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Book SynopsisAround the wild and windswept Cornish coast fishing has been a way of life for centuries. Sons have followed fathers and grandfathers in the family boats, setting out from ports such as Polperro, Mevagissey, Mousehole, Newlyn, St Ives, Port Isaac and Looe to brave the stormy Atlantic Ocean to earn their living.

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Book SynopsisFirst hand aircrew recollections of their wartime service, all set against the stark hazards of poor weather, mechanical failure, bitter cold, searchlights, flak and enemy fighters.

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Book SynopsisWoolworth’s bright red signboard was a beacon on British and Irish high streets for nearly a century. American in origin, Woolworth’s grew rapidly after the first branch opened in Liverpool in 1909. The business model – with inexpensive goods piled on counter tops – scored an immediate hit with British consumers. By 1930 there were 400 stores, and by 1960 over 1000. With its own architects’ department and regional construction teams, Woolworth’s erected hundreds of prominent stores in shopping centres throughout England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. It is these buildings – often typical of the commercial architecture of their day – which provide the focus of this book. This is not, however, a conventional architectural history – it is the story of Woolworth’s seen through the prism of its stores. The Woolworth’s chain was of huge cultural importance, shaping and reflecting fundamental changes – mostly American in origin – that took place in the nation’s shopping habits. Despite its dominant position on the high street, by the 1960s Woolworth’s was beginning to lose its way. As people acquired cars and freezers and began to desert the high street, Woolworth’s tried to stay ahead of the game with unsuccessful ventures into out-of-town and catalogue shopping. But by the time of its demise in 2009, a shrunken Woolworth’s owned just two of the stores which it had built and developed over the preceding century. The closure of the last British stores in January 2009 provoked an outpouring of nostalgia and grief. Woolworth’s occupied the heart of many communities, physically and commercially, and its heritage deserves celebration. Trade Review... Morrison's book is wonderfully revealing about the design and history of a business that was a familiar, and much loved, presence in Britain for a century and is essential reading for its insights into architectural, retail, and social history.Philip Wilkinson, English Buildings BlogIt may be time to reconsider the architectural and heritage value of the former Woolworth stores, and this excellent publication should help others to do that.Ann Robey, Transactions of the Ancient Monuments SocietyTable of ContentsIntroduction: Woolworth’s legacy 1. An American retail empire, 1879–1909 2. The pioneering years, 1909–1918 3. A roaring trade, 1918–1930 4. ‘The long long chain’, 1930–1939 5. Woolworth’s at war, 1939–1945 6. Catching up, 1945–1960 7. Retail revolution, 1960–1970 8. The sleeping giant of the high street, 1970–1982 9. After the divorce, 1982–2009 10. Aftermath, 2009–2014

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Book SynopsisGlasgow's most loved and famous hotel - choice of Hollywood stars on trips to Scotland, is the subject of this timely chronicle. Glamour, drama, stars, fame, food and travel, weddings, life above and below stairs, music and dance, weddings and pianos, autograph hunters, board meetings and AGMS, fancy dresses and ballroooms - Glasgow's Grand Central Hotel has it all - and more! Origins, growth, heydey, and then bust! And now refurbished and stunning in glorious luxury - the hotel is celebrated in this wonderful, beautiful book. Personal mementoes, wonderful images of stars like Danny Kaye, Mae West, Laurel and Hardy, Gene Kelly, The Beatles, Cliff Richard, Laurence Olivier, Lena Horne, Jimmy Durante, decorate this gorgeous book.Trade Review'Celebrates the grande dame of Gordon Street - as it went from dishevelled duchess and a return to splendour. The Herald's book of the week.' The Herald

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Book SynopsisTumshie is the Halloween story of a dad and son making old fashioned Halloween lanterns and a costume together. The story is set today in Scotland, and it's inspired by how a Scottish Halloween used to be celebrated. Back when Halloween meant 'guising' (today that is trick or treating) and 'dooking for apples' (bobbing for apples) and carving out a tumshie (Scots for turnip) was a rite of passage for Scottish children who needed the strength of an ox and the stubbornness of a donkey.

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Book SynopsisIn this 85th volume We travel back to the streets of Sunderland in the 1950s. Sunderland's trams had an appeal to tram enthusiasts that was as great as any other British system. Possibly it was the fact that many were second-hand from other systems, or was it their (almost unique) pantographs in the later years?

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