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Lord Mackenzie
Now available as an eBook on Amazon Kindle:
What the author says about The Memoir Club
eBooks - I think it is brilliant – It is a great addition to your portfolio of services and should assist your growth. Well done and many thanks!
Brian, Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate OBE
IN THE PRESS
Lord Mackenzie described navigating parliamentary lobbying rules as “walking on eggshells”, but denied any wrongdoing. “I’m very meticulous about what I do and what I don’t do and make sure that I’m not crossing the boundary. When I left that interview, I checked the code of conduct in the House of Lords and I came to the decision that it was very near the mark and I immediately emailed the people who did the interviewing and I said that I’m not interested.”
The Independent
"I wish to make it clear that I did not agree to act as a paid advocate in any proceedings of the House nor did I accept payment or other incentive or reward in return for providing parliamentary advice or services," he said.
Now available as a PDF £7.50email memoirclub@msn.com
Foreword by Sir John Stevens QPM LL.B
Two Lives of Brian published in 2004 by The Memoir Club and on Kindle 2013.
This book chronicles an extraordinary journey from the back streets of the north east of England to the House of Lords. The story is of a child born into a working class family in Darlington, County Durham who soon decided he was dissatisfied with his lot and through sheer determination, strength and humour joined Durham Constabulary and embarked on a truly remarkable career.
Brian relates how his ability to communicate and his voracious study of the law allowed him to rise through the ranks from rural beat bobby to chief superintendent. Quite properly restricted as a police officer, his political ambitions were realised when he was elected National President of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales in 1995.
He describes how this position allowed him to raise the Association’s profile, influence events and really make a difference to the legal system. By working alongside Tory Michael Howard and his successor, New Labour’s Jack Straw, Brian developed the plan for a paedophile register which resulted in the Sex Offenders’ Act of 1997. He went on to campaign for the abolition of the ‘right to silence’ and the removal of the ‘double jeopardy’ defence resulting in a change in the law in both cases to the advantage of the victims of crime. He continues this struggle as a Labour Peer in the House of Lords.
Two Lives of Brian is written with humour and vigour and allows Brian to give his side of the story, when he found himself the victim of a ‘honey trap’ sleaze campaign by the now totally discredited and defunct News of the World tabloid Sunday newspaper.
REVIEWS
Brian Mackenzie has made a huge contribution to policing in Britain. As a serving police officer, as President of the Superintendents' Association and as a forceful contributor to debates in the House of Lords he has been at the forefront of many of the controversial issues which have characterised the politics of law and order over the last thirty years. He has written a very entertaining account of those experiences, which will be enjoyed by all who read about it.
The Right Honourable Michael Howard QC MP
Brian's work as President of the Police Superintendents' Association, detailed in these pages, had an important impact on government policies towards tackling crime. But, as the book shows, he has always been a colourful character and able to combine his serious role with good humour.
The Right Honourable Jack Straw MP
Brian Mackenzie has spent his life in public service, as a police officer, Superintendents' leader and parliamentarian. This memoir is a good read, evocative of working class life in the 1950s and 1960s and the changes in policing over the years. Brian is a good man and a fine parliamentarian and his memoirs reflect that history.
The Right Honourable David Blunkett MP
Brian Mackenzie is a colourful, larger than life character and I am very pleased to say that this book does him justice. It is a modestly written account of a man whose life has been characterised by achievement but who remains someone who understands the value of friendship, loyalty and commitment to others.
John, Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington QPM LLB
Former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service
Price £17.50 P & P £2.50 UK £3.00 Europe £5.00 ROW
Available on http://www.thememoirclub.co.uk/ email: memoirclub@msn.com or tel 01913735660
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Tony Speed - PRIVATE EDITION ONLY - NOT FOR SALE
This book depicting the life of a Policeman working his way up the ranks is a fitting memoir at a time where the British Policing system is placed under great scrutiny, particularly concerning the methods deployed to counteract the 2011 London riots. The story takes the reader on a journey through the highs and lows of working within the force. Speed enthrals us with detailed analysis of murder cases and various other crimes that were dealt with over the span of his thrilling career.
He provides detailed coverage of major disasters during his time, such as the incident in 1989 at the Hillsborough football stadium when visiting Liverpool supporters stormed into the ground just as the game kicked off. 96 people were killed and 766 were injured during the event. In contrast the book is rounded off with a taste of Speed's peaceful life after retirement.
This cleverly written memoir allows us to delve deep within the life of a Policeman, whilst enabling us to appreciate the sheer courage and determination required to be able to succeed in the force. It presents a fine guide to anyone currently in the Police Force and also for those wishing to pursue a career in the future.
More about Anthony Speed visit: Royal Parks Constabulary Wikipedia
Richard Cole
This is a factual account of an amazing man who was loved and respected by many people. A combination of personal, social and family history, the story starts with Raymond Buxton Cole’s own history of life in Oxford as the youngest son of the Chief Constable and the impact the Great War had upon the family.
After that War, he built a career as a solicitor and then, when another War seemed inevitable, he joined the Territorial Army before later enlisting in the Royal Artillery.
Posted to Burma, he commanded British troops in the Battle of the Admin Box, a pioneering battle which led to the first defeat of the Japanese Forces. For his efforts he was awarded DSO and presented with his ribbon in the field by Lord Louis Mountbatten.
After victory in 1945 he returned “with a mission” to support others in the provision of sporting facilities in the Oxford area. He achieved this with the founding of the Oxford Sports Club. He also returned to professional life, entering into a partnership of solicitors (Cole & Cole) which became one of the largest in the country. In the meantime, he settled into life as a devoted family man until his death in 1991.
A former Lord Mayor of Oxford once said that “Bunny Cole is as much a part of Oxford as Carfax” (the main crossing in the centre of the city). This lovingly assembled book serves as a tribute to a great man who made a profound contribution to his community.
REVIEWS
This is clearly a nostalgic book as it refers to those pre 1968 days.
REVIEWS
This is clearly a nostalgic book as it refers to those pre 1968 days.
Oxford City Police Association
It is an inspiring story, lovingly assembled by its author and we think it serves as a fitting tribute to someone who did so much for his country and community in Oxford.
Price £12.95 P & P £2.25 UK £4.50 Europe £7.50 ROW
Available on http://www.thememoirclub.co.uk/ email: memoirclub@msn.com or tel 01913735660
with card details and address
Available on the internet go to link:
Mike Chandler
The past, as they say, is another country; they do things differently there. Forty years in the making, And Nothing But The Truth is a dark and brutally honest account of life in an inner city Yorkshire police force in the 1960s.
Describing an era of law enforcement rife with sexism and racism, the book pulls no punches in its gritty portrayal of life as a city copper. Nothing is whitewashed or romanticised in this vivid portrait of a young recruit as he goes through police training, walks the beat without radio support and patrols the streets using ‘Noddy bikes’ and panda cars before finally working for the vice squad amidst the notorious underbelly of 1960s Leeds. Refusing to moralise or preach, the author simply tells it all as it was.
Semi-fictionalised but firmly rooted in fact, And Nothing But The Truth is a riveting look at the policing methods and values of a forgotten age. Often unsettling, at times shocking, but never boring, it is a blackly humorous tale that once read will never be forgotten.
The author, Mike Chandler, worked first as a uniformed officer and then as a plain clothes member of the vice squad in Leeds during the 1960s. Upon leaving the force he trained as a teacher and youth leader, working as both until his retirement in the 1990s. This is his first book. All profits will be donated to the Lymphoma Association.
Price £7.99 P & P £2.00 UK £3.00 Europe £4.50 ROW
Hardback Price £14.95 P & P £3.00 UK £4.60 Europe £8.00 ROW
Hardback Price £14.95 P & P £3.00 UK £4.60 Europe £8.00 ROW
Available on http://www.thememoirclub.co.uk/ email: memoirclub@msn.com or tel 01913735660
with card details and address
Available on the internet go to link:
Ray Gibbon
The Way It Was, Tales from a Policeman’s Notebook is a well written and entertaining collection of short stories taken from the author’s time in three north-eastern police forces. Wittily illustrated with cartoons and pictures this book is an enthralling look at policing as it used to be. Packed full of amusing anecdotes from his police days Ray Gibbon also writes with great warmth about his family, colleagues and the many entertaining characters he meets in the course of his duties.
Ray Gibbon had a distinguished career, he served in three North-Eastern Police Forces; The Durham County Constabulary, the amalgamated Durham Constabulary and finally the Northumbria Police Force. He received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He spent many happy years serving with the Dog Section and has fond memories of his faithful partner Rebel. Post retirement Mr Gibbon spent his time doing voluntary work with various charities, such as the Samaritans. He also served for 20 years in the Citizens Advice Bureau; eventually he became a Durham City Councillor. He had the honour of serving as Mayor of the city in the year 2003/2004 and became an Alderman of Durham in 2008. He married Margaret Allen in 1956 and they have spent many happy years together, they have a son, daughter and 4 grandchildren.
REVIEWS
Wittily illustrated with cartoons and pictures this book is an enthralling look at policing as it used to be. Packed full of amusing anecdotes from his police days Ray Gibbon also writes with great warmth about his family, colleagues and the many entertaining characters he meets in the course of his duties.
REVIEWS
Wittily illustrated with cartoons and pictures this book is an enthralling look at policing as it used to be. Packed full of amusing anecdotes from his police days Ray Gibbon also writes with great warmth about his family, colleagues and the many entertaining characters he meets in the course of his duties.
National Association Of Retired Police Officers (NARPO)
This thoroughly enjoyable memoir is a warm-hearted and nostalgic collection of tales from the past.
Chief Constabule of Durham Constabulary Jon Stoddart
The author chronicles his training as a dog handler, his experience of raiding a so-called massage parlour in the West Midlands and the eventual realisation that a policeman's lot, although not entirely unhappy, was not well rewarded. The reminisces of a policeman working in days before technology was applied to policing will be valid for the social historian and others interested in the wider topic of law and order.
Terry Gilder, Staffordshire Newspaper
Many of his stories are of what Dixon of Dock Green called an ordinary copper just patrolling his beat, and all the more fascinating, and more credible, for it.
Ray is well known to a number of members - as a policeman, active City councillor and City Mayor in 2003-2004. He came to us today to recount some of the incidents in a long career in the police force and to reflect on the way things change. I particularly liked his story of the snow shoes which were part of the equipment at Greenside Police Station - winters could be bleak up there. Ray told us how they were eventually replaced by a Land Rover - the snow shoes never went out but the Land Rover was never in!
Ray had kept many of his "official" pocketbooks and these have proved to be a rich source of recollections, leading, eventually, and much persuasion, to the publication of a book - and I'm sure he won't mind me reproducing the cover above.
In proposing a vote of thanks to Ray, Grenville Holland (City Mayor 2008-2009) praised him for his long and effective public service and stressed the importance of the "beat bobby" - one of the four pillars of a peaceful community - the priest, doctor, teacher and policeman. Has their absence lead to the "broken society"?
Rotary Club of Durham
Price £8.95 P & P £2.00 UK £3.50 Europe £6.00 ROW
Available on http://www.thememoirclub.co.uk/ email: memoirclub@msn.com or tel 01913735660
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Available on the internet go to link:
Ralph Pettitt
This account of Ralph Pettitt's 30 years in the police force is an amusing and entertaining work which will appeal to anyone who can remember The Beatles, Concorde's first flight and the Silver Jubilee. Focused on Birmingham, A Plod Round Brum traces the intriguing path of a young man who embarks upon a career in policing and encounters a great variety of experiences, some good, some not so good, before closing the door of the police station for the last time. The author takes us on a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable journey through his reminiscences and illustrates the lives, fortunes and deaths of his companions and colleagues as well as showing how the police force and society as a whole have changed and progressed.
The book is a modern history of a community moving from the slums to high-rise flats and a police force moving from whistles and truncheons to computers and helicopters.
REVIEWS
Ralph Pettitt's autobiography and account will neither age nor wither in interest, it is an encapsulation of a couple of brief decades but will serve to entertain and educate for many years to come, perhaps in time being regarded as 'a classic'.
REVIEWS
Ralph Pettitt's autobiography and account will neither age nor wither in interest, it is an encapsulation of a couple of brief decades but will serve to entertain and educate for many years to come, perhaps in time being regarded as 'a classic'.
Rob Jerrard
To read more of this review, please click onto the following link: Pettitt Review Jerrard
Available on the internet go to link:
John Tomlinson
This
is an intriguing story of a boyhood dream come true. John Tomlinson longed to
be a policeman from an early age but when he contracted polio at the age of
eight it was thought that he would never make it. He did, and in this book he
describes his journey through the police force, the happy, the sad, the
characters he encountered, both good and bad.
During
the 1950s and 60s the police force was very different to that of today and John
describes how tough it was for a new recruit, without ever expecting the
reader's sympathy. His early encounter with a dead body and all manner of
events from tyrannical landladies to rowdy prisoners are described with humour.
John
became one of the youngest ever mounted policemen and tells how working with
horses brought its own problems and rewards. Throughout his career he continued
to work with animals and spent the majority of his service as a dog handler. He
recalls how the special relationship between man and dog made for an extremely
effective crime fighting team.
Born
in 1941 in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, John Tomlinson is the son of a farmer.
Following the Second World War the family moved to a farm in Leek in the
Staffordshire moorlands where he spent his childhood. Following his career in
the police force John went to work for a Philips company in Wolverhampton which
entailed vetting customers for credit. He was involved in most aspects of
electrical retailing and after six years became general manager. In 1974 he
left Philips to take up a position as Regional Director with what is now London
Scottish Bank plc. John retired from the bank in 1998 as Deputy Chief Executive
and now enjoys shooting and fishing. He is a member of the Stick makers Guild,
the Chartered Management Institute and is a fellow of the Institute of
Financial Accountants.
REVIEWS
His story of training courses in the Welsh mountains, grasping landladies, encounters with local and London villains etc all make for absorbing reading.
REVIEWS
His story of training courses in the Welsh mountains, grasping landladies, encounters with local and London villains etc all make for absorbing reading.
Police History Society
This is one of those books that for some reason you just do not want to put down. There's something compelling about it that is difficult to explain. Perhaps it is because it is not, as one might expect, the memoirs of a police officer who reached the top echelons of the service or had spent a lifetime dealing with high profile cases which captured the headlines and enabled the author to indicate the number of commendations that had been given from Judges down to Chief Officers. Instead, this is a book written rather late in life by a person who came to the police service as a Cadet, served a few years as a Constable and then went off to industry and banking. His path followed so many, who over the years have become police officers, only to have an urge to leave, probably at a time when they might have aspired to greater things and certainly at a time when in terms of experience their use to the police service was probably at its greatest.
Brian Rowland
Price £17.50 P & P £3.00 UK £5.00 Europe £9.00 ROW
Available on http://www.thememoirclub.co.uk/ email: memoirclub@msn.com or tel 01913735660
with card details and address
Available on the internet go to link:
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