Bøger udgivet af Brewin Books

Tony Aston was born in 1953 in Redditch, Worcestershire and grew up there until he was sixteen years old. In this book Tony explores his memories of ordinary day-to-day life when the town, like hundreds of other towns and cities at that time, was striving to repair and re-invent itself after World War II. Tony recalls the demolition of the old town and the building of the new as well as his personal memories of Christmas, food and drink, the big freeze of 1962/63, incidents and accidents, special people in his life, radio and television, all intertwined with significant national and international events. Tony is a former Scotland Yard detective and counter-espionage specialist within the UK Defence Industry and in this, his first book, he has triumphed in weaving a narrative that will make readers both laugh and cry whilst rekindling their own memories.

Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck were drawn to each other the moment they met, but there were obstacles in the way. Clara was ten years younger and her domineering father, Friedrich Wieck, Robert's piano teacher, was against their relationship as it developed over the years. He saw Robert as a dissolute womaniser, and he saw his own reflected glory disappearing if Clara's career prospects as a pianist diminished. But the couple did marry, with help from the judiciary, and had a happy life together, so happy that their increasing number of children did indeed hamper Clara's performing opportunities. Then a young composer, Johannes Brahms, came into their household as a disciple of Schumann and nothing would ever be the same again. About The Author Christopher Morley is Chief Music Critic of the Birmingham Post, and contributes to several international magazines. Schumann has always been very special to him, and a visit to the asylum in which the composer died made a huge impression upon him.

Gill Mansell (nee Hewitt) was born in 1949 and brought up in the Lozells area of Birmingham, her large family had lived in the area for several generations and it was her happy playground whilst growing up. This book is the story of Gill, her parents and grandparents who led ordinary lives but were extraordinary people, living through hard times at the beginning of the 20th century, just carrying on and dealing with whatever life threw their way. Gill's family reminiscences and the history of Lozells are very much intertwined and record, for future generations, tales about the 'old days' with humour, sadness and all the other emotions which made up the rich tapestry of family life in Lozells.

If in doubt fall on your arse. That was the mantra of Fred Karno: acrobat, comedian, writer, music hall impresario, film producer and the undisputed king of slapstick. From his famous nursery of nonsense, the 'Fun Factory', the Guv'nor conquered the world, built an empire, made millions and lost the lot. In the process he discovered and trained the early twentieth century's greatest comedians: Will Hay, Robb Wilton, Sandy Powell, Syd Walker, Frank Randle, Max Miller, Billy Bennett, the Crazy Gang, and most significantly of all Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin. He pioneer physical sketch comedy and developed the raw material that Hollywood later fashioned into the finest comics of silent film. The phrase 'It's like Fred Karno's Army' entered the lexicon to describe any chaotic situation, but his extraordinary legacy is largely forgotten, lost in the mists of time and sullied by a tarnished personal reputation. This book tells the remarkable story of the man behind the myth and reveals Karno's huge contribution to comedy and popular culture - an impact which still resonates today.

People make history in the place they call home. This book briefly describes the lives of twenty-nine Brummies, native and adopted, who shaped, influenced and made Birmingham the cosmopolitan city it has become today. In some cases, their impact was not only local, but national or global. Their lives are seen within the context of Birmingham's development from a Middle Age settlement in Deritend to Britain's second city. Virtually all are forgotten or barely known today. They include: John Rogers, martyred for his beliefs; James Brindley, father of the canals; William Hutton, Birmingham's historian; Joseph Priestley, who provoked a four day riot; Thomas Attwood, universal suffrage campaigner; Josiah Mason, big-hearted philanthropist; Peter Stanford, Birmingham's first black minister; Austen Chamberlain, overshadowed Nobel Prize winner and Hilda Lloyd, women's health care pioneer, along with twenty other Forgotten Brummies.

The definition of slang according to the Oxford Dictionary is'a type of language consisting of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal are more common in speech than in writing and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people'. Thus, the choice of a phrase, or the use of 'jargon', a saying, or abbreviation, can accurately reflect our links to a specific place, employment or situations that impact upon us in our everyday lives. In the UK alone it is estimated that there are at least fifty-six regional interpretations of how we use English to convey our feelings and to communicate with one another. This little book contains some 2,000 such phrases, sayings and abbreviations drawn together, in the main,from the experiences of one family. It manifestly displays what a diverse world we now live in as families transcend different cultures and countries. It is not an academic study, rather it is designed to promote memories, to enable reflection on previous life experiences and, above all else, to simply have some fun whilst reading it. Preserving our past whilst understanding the present helps us to create history for the future as new generations go on to create their own versions of 'slang' applicable to that period. 'Ta-Ra-A-Bit'.

An epic flight into shattered Sarajevo. A stand-off with Miss Piggy. A world scoop as the Cold War ends. A seal hunt at the North Pole - and why you should never trust cats. It's all here in Bloody Adjectives, as Peter Rhodes, former chief feature writer with England's biggest evening newspaper, the Express & Star at Wolverhampton, looks back on half a century in journalism and recalls some great assignments, from royal weddings to wars, natural disasters, death knocks and the sillier side of life. Rhodes mixed with princes and paupers, legendary actors and leading politicians and military heroes. He chronicled some of the greatest events of our age and now shares a host of memories and some award-winning dispatches. En route he encounters a pink poodle, a fried frog, a wounded Home Secretary and the End of Empire. And he also lifts the lid on Princess Anne's fairy grotto loo.

During its eighty years under London's legendary Oxford Street everyone from Louis Armstrong to rock icons the Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols and Chuck Berry have played the historic 100 Club. In Ace of Clubs, with foreword by Jools Holland, we read its story in the words of the people who came to the club to play, work, dance or just listen to the music. Handsomely illustrated in colour, this is the first comprehensive story of one of the world's longest-running clubs, its seventy-year jazz history and its transformation into the greatest grass-roots music venue in the UK. Now granted special status it is ranked alongside Abbey Road Studios, Jane Austen's home and Shakespeare's birthplace. The 100 Club's story is an inspiring and frequently hilarious must-read for music fans everywhere.

Proud to Serve chronicles the journey of one police officer between 1999 and 2004 as he worked with key community influencers and colleagues to tackle the challenges of policing diverse communities. Whether working to recruit more black and minority ethnic staff into the West Midlands Police, engaging with counterparts in India and the UK to tackle 'Forced Marriages' or simply making communities safer in Cyprus this illustrated book straddles continents as that journey unfolds. It contains recollections including from Paul Lewin, founding chair of the West Midlands Black Police Association who said of his work, 'Our legacy has been about learning from the past, living in the present in order to build and improve for the future. I am proud that we did our best. Ultimately, this will be for others to judge'. Michael Layton concludes, 'From Willenhall in the Black Country to Delhi and the Punjab, and finally Cyprus - was the journey worth it - of course it was!'

Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) was a globally important industrialist who introduced innovative minting practices at this Soho Mint. This book describes the processes involved, from mining the copper to the delivery of products to the customer. There was a shortage of small change towards the end of the 18th century, and Boulton strove to solve this problem, eventually obtaining customers all over Britain, including the British Government. He also made coins for the East India Company, and for Europe, Africa, the West Indies and America. Included is Boulton's role in the copper industry, and how he obtained his raw materials; his expertise in steel making for dies, and the technology of his new steam-powered mint. The design, production, marketing and distribution of the finished product is also covered. The book is illustrated with over 200 colour images, including an extensive section on the coins, tokens and medals produced at the Soho Mint.

George and Leila find life very different when Middlesbrough goes into Covid-19 lockdown. They miss their friends, football training, and going to watch Boro. They even miss going to school! Then Mrs Jenkins falls ill and her naughty sausage dog Parmo comes to stay with the children, keeping everyone on their toes.

This second book by Maggie Payne is a collection of fond reminiscences and anecdotes about her life growing up and living in the small town of Alcester in Warwickshire from the 1950s onward. The book describes what it is about Alcester with its people and traditions that makes it so unique, with plenty of scrapes that Maggie gets herself into along the way! A well-known figure in the town, Maggie is a former Alcester Mayoress and Chairman of Alcester in Bloom and these lighthearted memoirs are intended to put a smile on the face of the reader as they take a walk down memory lane with her.

Robert Owen was a charismatic pipe-dreamer, bound to unrealistic expectations. Though born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire, by the time he met Joseph Hansom in Birmingham, he had become a self-taught manager of successful cotton mills in Manchester and New Lanark, Scotland. It was here that he developed his theories of early education and campaigned for factory reform. Lacking the support he needed to advance his plans, he purchased a community in America, only to lose all his money. The much younger Hansom was an ambitious architect, who fast-tracked his own career by winning the competition to design Birmingham Town Hall. Birmingham was a proactive town, open to Thomas Attwood's efforts to bring about the Great Reform Bill, and the advancement of newly-formed trade unions. Along with his partner, Edward Welch, Hansom became so involved in politics that his attention was diverted away from the Town Hall, which resulted in both their bankruptcies. Nevertheless Hansom re-established his career, while Owen strove to develop his master 'Plan', the building of a self-sufficient community. He leased a property in a remote part of Hampshire and appointed Hansom. Despite Herculean efforts (as Hansom described the Town Hall), the community collapsed. Under different ownership, it became home to the most prestigious scientists in Britain. The inclusion of Birmingham and Hansom adds a new dimension to the complexities of Robert Owen's life ... a great bit of research ... should grace the shelves of any museum or library where his name rests. Charles Rex Shayler, chairman of the Robert Owen Museum and relative of the architect who designed the building in which it is housed.

In 1951 a two year old infant Sheila Jones was diagnosed at Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH) with a rare condition Phenylketonuria (PKU). There was no treatment but, not accepting this, her distraught mother Mary persevered until she found help from three pioneering doctors at BCH: Dr Horst Bickel, Dr John Gerrard and Dr Evelyn Hickmans. In the hospital laboratory they worked tirelessly to prepare a special formula and Sheila was the first person in the world to receive dietary treatment for PKU. Until now, little has been known about the life of Sheila, and her family in Birmingham, and the hardships and sacrifices they endured. It is a remarkable story of a brave little girl, her brothers, and her courageous and tenacious mother. Sheila's contribution is immense; it led to the introduction of newborn screening and worldwide treatment for PKU. It is a great sadness that Sheila herself was unable to benefit long term but her legacy is a triumph for all those with PKU. This is Sheila's story until her death in Birmingham in 1999 and will be important to people with PKU, their families, health professionals and readers interested in the history of medicine.