Bøger udgivet af Brewin Books

Desperate, exhausted after the Battle of Worcester and hunted by Cromwell's troops, King Charles II was helped by the courageous and resourceful Colonel Careless, who in one of history's most enthralling incidents, hid with him in an oak tree. Who was this brave officer risking his life for his Monarch? Where was he from and what became of him after these dramatic events? This thoroughly researched book reveals the life and character of Colonel William Careless as witnessed by his family, his friends and even the King himself! It gives an insight into the lives and hardships of some of Staffordshire's ordinary people in the seventeenth century, who were so convinced of their beliefs and loyalties they were prepared to face the dangers of imprisonment or even death. Above all, this is the story of an honourable man who, in one of England's most troubled and momentous times, acted as a trustworthy and loyal hero.

This book relates the history of Rotton Park Lodge and the surrounding area of Birmingham. Margery Elliott provides a detailed account of the Lodge and gardens and its environs including the former farm, Edgbaston Reservoir and Perrott's Folly. She includes biographies of people associated with the Lodge and their families, several played a significant role in Birmingham's history. The author's grandfather, James Richard Turner, was a builder and prominent City Councillor who lived in the Lodge from 1903 to 1933. Her father, Edwin Elliott, was founder and managing director of E. Elliott Ltd, manufacturers of injection-moulded plastic goods. The book incorporates numerous photographs and reproductions of old maps and documents. It offers a fascinating insight into the social history of Britain's second city.

Born in 1943, Richard Pottinger grew up in and around the small rural villages near Cirencester, Gloucestershire. His engaging childhood reminiscences reveal the charm of living a simple country life within a small and friendly community, but also the instability experienced by many families due to the transient nature of employment for farm workers at that time. It meant a childhood spent moving from place to place with friendships gained and lost and a precarious existence which impacted upon the whole family. Each time his father uttered the words We're shiftin Richard, his mother and three brothers would all have to up sticks and move at short notice to where there was work with a tied cottage or accommodation âEUR" good or bad, they didn't know until they arrived!

Deep in the beautiful Worcestershire countryside lie a number of secret places that played a special part in protecting a generation from the onslaught of a world war. Travellers passing through leafy Worcestershire lanes may catch a glimpse of a structure that seems out of place against the backdrop of fields and hills - the dish of a gigantic radio telescope. How did such an incongruous structure arrive in the middle of nowhere, and what does it do? This book answers the question, and recounts the dramatic history of two 'Top Secret' wartime airfields, and how their activities were inextricably linked to the 'boffins' of the Malvern Telecommunications Research Establishment. It tells the story of brilliant inventions, wartime courage and sacrifice, tragic air crashes, and ordinary and extraordinary people, pushing themselves and their machines to the limit and beyond. Crafted using personal recollections - the book reveals the truly extraordinary wartime commitment and camaraderie that fuelled extraordinary endeavour and achievement.

When Alex's bowling hits a rough patch, his sister tells him he needs to be more aggressive. Alex doesn't think much of this advice and embarks on his own journey to discover what kind of preparation will work best for him. Can Alex sort out his bowling in time for the important match against the dreaded Smasher Jones and his team next week? This story touches on the themes of mindfulness, resilience and the sometimes underrated art of just being yourself. At Chance to Shine, our aim is to improve the lives of young people through participation in cricket. In schools, we take our work in the classroom as seriously as our work in the playground. For this reason, we are delighted that Alex's cricketing journey continues in this new reading book. You will find some familiar characters and meet a few interesting new ones. My favourite is Smasher Jones! Laura Cordingley, Chief Executive, Chance to Shine.

The Girl from Guildford Street describes a working class childhood, growing up in Lozells, Birmingham, 1957-1968. The author and her sister and cousins were the last generation to grow up in the back to backs: Birmingham council houses, two up, one down; no bathroom, inside toilet, central heating or hot running water; centred around a back yard with outside toilets, sheds and a brew'us or wash house. The author looks at family life in the back to backs, and how whole families lived on one street. The author's parents both worked in local factories at a time when manufacturing was booming in Birmingham. This is not a misery memoir - it is the story of a happy childhood in one of Birmingham's poorest areas. It also looks at the Sixties - the fashions, the politics, the music, the hairstyles, the World Cup - as a golden age.

A collection of ghost stories, this work includes chapters that deal with a specific Midlands region, containing eye witness accounts of unexplained phenomena. Areas covered include: Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, the Cotswolds, and the Black Country.

This first and ground-breaking biography of Arthur Jefferson, the father of Stan Laurel (the mastermind behind the legendary comedy partnership of Laurel and Hardy), reveals that he was a major influence on his son, a fine comic actor himself, a successful playwright, and an excellent example of the provincial theatrical lessees who provided Victorians and Edwardians with their main source of entertainment. It describes the ups and downs of his life, family and career and how, in middle age, he had to confront the challenge to the world of intimate, local, live theatre from the emerging global, silent and then sound cinema industry. Ironically, it was the success of films like those of Laurel and Hardy which all but destroyed the provincial theatrical world that Arthur loved.

In Down to Earth, Nancy Cooper gives us a glimpse into the real life of a seventeen year old young woman who is recruited into the Women's Land Army in 1943. It is a big change from her life at Old Hill in the Black Country, and a welcome escape from the secretarial training that she was desperate to avoid. She soon found herself living alone, far from home and working on several farms. She managed to milk 30 cows, working alone, as she did her part in providing the country with enough food in the shortages both during and after WWII. At one farm she cared for a yard full of pigs, who cunningly tried to outwit her attempts to share their food out. Dealing with unfairly jealous wives, strange billeting arrangements with a nocturnal visitor and rats everywhere were also ways in which Nancy's resourcefulness was tested. There is now a memorial to honour the work of the Women's Land Army at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire. If you go to see it you will notice that the rats have got in on this as well!

U.S. Army Hospital Center 804' tells the story of five U.S. Army hospitals located on the Shropshire/Flintshire border during World War II: Llanerch Panna, Penley, Iscoyd Park, Oteley Deer Park and Halston Hall. They were built by British contractors during 1942-44 and used by American hospital units until the end of the war in Europe. When the American units left the area some of the hospital sites were used by displaced Poles. For a few months at the end of 1944/beginning of 1945 the hospital at Iscoyd Park treated German Prisoners of War. The headquarters of the 5 hospitals - Hospital Center 804 was first located in Gwemheylod (Flintshire) and later moved to Whitchurch (Shropshire). U.S. ARMY HOSPITAL CENTER 804 An AawMolltis U& Military Hospitals in lb. This book looks at the day to day activities at the hospitals using archive material and accounts and previously unpublished photos from those who were there at the time and their relatives. It also looks in depth at the stories of some of the patient-soldiers who passed through the hospitals. It touches on the impact the occupants of the camps and other U.S. camps in the area, had on the surrounding towns, with particular regard to Wrexham in Flintshire.

My incredible journey by Rear Admiral Peter Dingemans CB DSO begins with a series of reminiscences from training days and his early career in the Royal Navy. He culminates a first-hand account of HMS Intrepid's important contribution to the Falklands campaign.

Alex loves cricket! When Chance to Shine coaches come into school, Alex hopes his friends will discover a love of cricket too. Things don't work out quite how Alex had planned; but with the help of his teacher, Alex is determined not to give up.

This book, compiled by a former employee, is a look back at the history of Fort Dunlop through the recollections and memories of many other members of its workforce. What emerges is a very family orientated company which played a huge part in the lives of many people who worked there or lived nearby.

Sit back and read about the wandering ghosts of Callow End, enchanted Tardebigge, the white witch of Kidderminster, Malvern's Saint Werstan and the witch of Eldersfield and draw vour own conclusions...

This is Anne Bradford's ninth collection of true ghost stories from the Worcestershire area, she has been collecting eye-witness accounts of strange events since 1992, when she was inspired by a Victorian collection of ghost stories in the archives of her local library.

Worcestershire the Haunted County is Anne Bradford's eighth collection of true ghost stories and strange happenings from across the county, recounted by those who experienced them.