Charlie Robinson

One of my favourite bloggers on WordPress is Charlie Robinson, aka charliecountryboy.  He was born in Bradford, like me.  He is of the same generation.  And he has lived some… here is a great example:

https://charliecountryboy.wordpress.com/2019/02/17/i-was-too-young-to-die-part-1-of-2/

https://charliecountryboy.wordpress.com/2019/02/23/too-young-to-die-2-of-3/

https://charliecountryboy.wordpress.com/2019/03/02/too-young-to-die-3-of-4/

… and if you need to smile, then check out his Sooty videos made during lockdowns.

But then he got his book The Siege of Mr. Kahn’s Curry Shop published and it brought all my earliest memories of life back to me.  The late 60s/early 70s always bring back rose-tinted memories.  But there were a few things I had forgotten about in my halcyon fantasy… like the skinheads for example.  This gritty novel brought it all back. 

Helen Moat

A few years ago, I was on a travel blog site from Wanderlusters magazine.  It was a community of travel writers and a pleasure to exchange experiences.  Helen Moat was one of these and has now left the classroom to become a successful author and travel journalist.  So of course, I bought her book when it was published (and read her many travel pieces on various media).  “A Time of Birds” is a beautiful travelogue where she cycles with her son through Europe to Istanbul.  It is a travelogue that combines the landscape with Helen’s memories of her father, as well as chronicling her pleasure of traveling with her son.  Truly delightful.  Beautifully written.