FACT - The Memoir Club joins FACT's £2k challenge to raise 2 million - can you help

Joanne Smith Chief Executive & Founder at FACT - Fighting All Cancers Together Hi, I hope this email finds you well. I was wondering if you and/or your organisation would be able to help with a project I am currently managing. Following my diagnosis with breast cancer in 2005, I set up FACT (Fighting All Cancers Together) to help people and families in the NE who are affected by cancer. FACT has grown from strength to strength and now offers over 2000 support sessions a year. Almost 1 in 2 people in the NE will be diagnosed with cancer, Thankfully medicine is advancing, so many people are surviving and living longer following diagnosis. However, this means that more people need support services, and need them to help them live with and /or beyond cancer. Support needs to catch up with medicine! FACT has big plans to make sure that the people of the North East have all of the support they need to cope with a diagnosis of cancer, and this is where I would like to respectfully ask that you consider supporting our exciting plans.....here is one way you can help, but if you have any other ideas about how you would like to be involved, please let me know. Would your organisation like to take on FACT's £2k challenge & see your name on the founders wall of the UK's First CANCER SUPPORT, AWARENESS & EDUCATION CENTRE. This £2m, state of the art facility will benefit thousands of people every year FACT is looking for 2oo people, organisations, schools etc to each raise £2k over 12 months. What will your challenge be? Run, bake, swim, raffle, cycle, dress down, party, walk, sing ..... Let the challenge begin! Here is a recent press article about our new centre. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/uk-leading-2m-cancer-facility-planned-7657818 If you would like to offer your support or would like more information, please do get in touch, and please pass this on to anyone you think might be able to help. Hope to hear from you soon! Joanne Joanne Smith Founder & Chief Executive FACT- Fighting All Cancers Together Charity No. 1130258 Suite 4, Enterprise House, Team Valley, Gateshead, NE11 0SR 0191 4420833 “Having the Support of FACT for me and my family has made the world of difference in helping me cope with my diagnosis of breast cancer, and the treatment that I am having. Without the friends I have made at FACT I would feel lost and very alone. FACT should be available ‘on prescription’ to everyone diagnosed with cancer – they are real medicine.”…….Feedback from a FACT service user

Liverpool Docks - Francis Major

AUTHOR

The author, Frank Major MBE writes his memoir following a career of nearly 55 years service in both the public and private sectors.

He left school at sixteen and joined, as a trainee, the port services contractor Rea Limited.

In 1966 he joined the newly formed cargo handling division of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board and over a period of eighteen years rose through the ranks, holding appointments of increasing seniority and diversity, to become Director of cargo operations, effectively running, at that time, the largest cargo handling business in Europe.

One such role was of a uniquely pioneering and innovative nature, leading the transition team that developed and implemented the gradual, evolutionary modal switch from traditional general cargo services towards specialist deep sea container and Ro/Ro operations in the Port.

This was a policy that eventually presented the Port and Industry at large with unpredictable challenges in its already precarious labour relations and a steep decline in the demand for Dock side personnel.

Leaving Liverpool in 1984 he then worked for Scruttons Plc, a London based maritime services company before being appointed in 1985, as General Manager (Chief Executive Officer) of the local authority owned Port of Sunderland.

During his twenty years in the North East he led the strategic transformation of the Port from its shipbuilding and coal shipment heritage towards a more diverse port business.

He was a founder member in 1992 of the British Ports Association of which he was Chairman from 1996/1998.

Working with north east MEP Alan Donnelly at a European and national level he was actively engaged in the promotion of short sea shipping as a strategic growth opportunity for medium sized ports and was a member of several Boards associated with the Ports Industry.

Chairing a joint DCLG/DFT working party on the future of the local authority owned ports sector, his 'legacy' was published  in 2006 as Opportunities for ports on local authority ownership; a review of Municipal ports in England and Wales which contained radical recommendations to improve governance and finances.

Since retirement he was appointed by Defra as Chairman serving until 2013, Northumbria Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and was a Non Executive Director until 2014 of QE Gateshead, a Foundation Trust acute hospital.

He is currently Chairman of the 3 Rivers Local nature partnership, Chairman of Sunderland RNLI lifeboat Station and a member of RNLI national Council.

He was commissioned in 2007 as a Deputy Lieutenant for Tyne and Wear and appointed MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list 2013 for services to flood and coastal risk management.

He is a Freeman of the city of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights and a Freeman citizen of Glasgow and a member of the Incorporation of Hammermen.

INTRODUCTION

I’ve reached a stage in my life that seems to justify penning my recollections of a career in the Ports Industry.

So what has prompted me to do it? Could it be that I’ve been flattered to receive a letter from a firm telling me that I’ve attained an age when I may possibly have interesting stories to tell or simply that when I see twenty something year old football starlets and other self-acclaimed celebrities writing auto-biographically about their short, tinsel-town lives, I merely think that the world’s somehow topsy-turvy and that the common man may risk having something more interesting to say.

As an avid reader, for some peculiar reason, of obituaries in the Daily Telegraph and the Times newspapers, I am regularly amazed by the exploits of ordinary folk. Ordinary only in the sense that these people often have what they themselves perceive as orthodox interests or pursuits or careers which to many of us are beyond our comprehension.

Misfits, pioneers, highly ranked naval officers, fighter pilots, soldiers, scholars and the landed gentry have carved out their own niches by way of their eccentricities and exploits and by their heroism of the hour, but where do mere Port managers fit it into this complicated matrix of character, pedigree, personality and talent?

I don’t really know, but it’s probably worthwhile trying to find out.

By the way, I’m not setting about writing my own obituary; this will be more of a canter through the first forty or so years of my life of which, significantly, some twenty-five years was spent in a fascinating industry characterized by so many wonderful people.

It is also a recollection of some incidents and experiences that, upon long reflection, reveal the gritty and witty side of an industry that for many still remains a mystery.

It may even be viewed as an informed commentary about a remarkable and turbulent twenty-five year period in the social and economic history of a great institution, the Port of Liverpool. If I have learned one lesson from my experience in business, it’s simply to have fun in whatever you choose to do!

In a timely book entitled Cargo Handling and the Modern Port published by Pergamon in 1965, the author R. B. Oram observes that:

It is becoming an increasingly recognized fact these days that no single factor can so directly affect the standard of living of a maritime people as the speed with which ships can be turned round in her ports. In addition, the last 15 years have seen an increasing Government interest in the running of our ports, a distinct raising of the status of the port worker by the wholesale introduction of modern machinery into dock work, and the development of an entirely new conception of the functions of a port.

Already emerging is a kind of port physically different from its conventional predecessor; the port that both in America and Europe is becomingly increasingly integrated into the new forms of national economy.

It is against the backdrop of such an important contemporary statement that I find myself as the author of a book that reflects on the stresses felt at the dockside of significant industrial change and modernization.

Available direct from The Memoir Club memoirclub@msn.com

Michael Tibbs - Hello Lad Come To Join The Navy
Foreword by Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB OBE DL

Copies are available from Lynn Davidson memoirclub@msn.com  mob 0755 2086888

Michael Tibbs' warm and matter of fact account of his wartime adventures, using a chronological flow of unabridged letters, eloquently captures his personal observations of the naval service, its people, and the nature of wartime life at sea and ashore. I am certain his grandchildren will be thrilled and all those that read this account will be entertained and enlightened. The letters not only cover his stories of frontline exploits but also the realities of his family's challenges in keeping the home fires burning. One cannot escape the huge warmth and importance of the family tie, alongside its strong Christian foundations, that underpinned the flow of correspondence.

his wife

In a battered old suitcase in the loft were nearly 1,000 letters written by Michael and his family during the war, it is from these that this book has been written. Over the six year period in World War II, they describe not only life onboard Michael's various ships, but also life in a country Vicarage on the 'Home Front' in Lynchmere. Michael wrote to his family every week and they to him. Censoring restrictions meant that Michael could never say what he was actually doing, so he has written commentaries to fill the gaps. Michael has lived in Lynchmere since his father Rev. Geoffrey Tibbs became Vicar in 1932 A founder member of Lynchmere Home Guard when it started in May 1940, September of that year at the age of 18, he joined the navy as an Ordinary Seaman. Through no merit on his part Michael may be one of the very few who experienced action of some sort in every ocean - Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific. He serviced in a destroyer, a cruiser, and finally in submarines.

On leaving the navy he went up to Oxford and then joined the Sudan Political Service taking his wife Anne out there in 1951. Sadly he had to leave the Sudan on independence and joined the staff of the Automobile Association holding various managerial appointments, then for eighteen years he was Secretary of the Royal College of Physicians (for which he received the OBE). Anne and Michael have two sons, both doctors, and seven grandchildren. Now aged 91 he hopes that these memories may give his grandchildren some idea of what the family did in the Second World War.

REVIEWS

As I mentioned to you on the phone, the collection of letters both from yourself, describing what life was like in the Royal Navy as well as those written to you by your parents, form a fascinating and invaluable account of wartime life on the fighting front and at home .......    the letters are just the kind of personal war record that we are anxious to acquire for the Museum’s archive and so if you ever decide to pass on the letters, the Museum would be delighted to be offered them so that they can be preserved for future generations to enjoy. We feel that it would be particularly appropriate to hold your papers alongside your Sound Archive interview.                                        Imperial War Museum

Absolutely amazing. I must say. .... I will ensure I post it all over my FB pages in the RN groups. Very many thanks.                                         Guy Wilson. Editor HMS Sheffield Association News Letter

LOVERS of history, humour and human relationships will find a new book by a well – known local man a delight.                                                                                                   

 Hello Lad, Come to Join The Navy?” by 92-year-old Michael Tibbs, is an account of a young man and his second world war experiences, told both through a collection of letters written to and from home over six years, interspersed with commentary.

The letters show us how life was for a him as he played a part in some of the major theatres of war, alongside glimpses of, from the perspective of Lynchmere vicarage - the home front.

Michael wrote to his family every week and they to him, although the arrival of correspondence was often sporadic as it found its way through the fronts. War time censoring restrictions meant Michael could never say what he was actually doing, though post war commentaries aided by an excellent memory fill the gaps.

“I had the idea in my head for some time,” said Michael, who with his wife Anne put the book together over about two years. There were more than 1,000 letters to choose from, along with photographs and sketches, stored in a battered old suitcase in the loft, and 68 intervening years.

                                                                                                                                Haslemere Herald

A fascinating insight into the life of a young Royal Navy officer at sea during the  war. ......
Drawings & Diagrams throughout the book fill in more details that throw a fascinating light on wartime experiences at sea for those who were .. but have not talked abut their wartime experience, and, unlike the Tibbs family did not have the letters to tell what happened 70 years ago. 
                                                                                                              Midhurst & Petworth Observer

.....finished reading your book yesterday. Not only did I enjoy it very much but found it most interesting. 

Considering you were on active service throughout the war, you were very lucky only to have to narrow squeaks; especially bearing in mind you took part in some Malta convoys and equally dangerous ones to Russia. It is a very frank account, compared to another I read recently full of ‘clever little mes’ which I found nauseating. Not only was it a full, fair and  frank  account, in which you include all the mistakes you made (did not we all make mistakes during our time on the services?) but you stress how you were sustained by your Christian faith – not surprising when you had the wonderful example of your father who was a Vicar but it also must have given you an interest in the navy because of his time as a Chaplain. You even applied for a permanent commission so you could have finished up as an Admiral!             

                                                                                                   John Hannah. (Sudan Political Service)

I have been reading your latest book. I have to say that I enjoyed it enormously... ..is important that the stories of people like yourself are recorded for the future. So few people spoke about their personal experiences that we are in danger of being left with only the ‘Official’ histories of these events. I have almost no idea what happened to my father in the war, and as you know Herb spoke very little about what appended to him. (Herbert Madgwick DFM, a Flight engineer in Bomber Command).                                                                                                                      Michael Dalton

I have just finished reading your book aloud to Jane. And we both thoroughly enjoyed it. IT is certainly a tale of dedicated service, which will inspire your grandchildren. What shines through is the wonderful adult relationship that you had with your parents. Those of us, who have such a lasting bond with our parents, are indeed blessed. You had some extra-ordinary experiences. You were a true blue sailor having served in HMS Sheffield on the Russian convoys, I think it was very brave of you to volunteer for submarines.                                                        Colin Heape. (Colonial Service Friend)

Captain Roger Venables, Royal Navy. 21 5.13

I have enjoyed reading your book, particularly when you  mention Hugh Oliphant and Ewan Raikes. Both were senior to me.                                                                                Captain Roger Venables

                           

 It is wonderful that you have all these letters written at the time. Ryan (aged 7) is very impressed that you fought Hitler.                                                                                           Sara Tibbs. (Niece)

Congratulations on the wonderful book, I found that it offered me an insight into life at sea and I will not look out on the River Foyle without images of you hanging over the side painting the boat”!

                                                                                                                                        EJ.  (Friend)

The book is indeed a remarkable achievement. It brings to life events over a period of six years which changed our world forever but in a wonderfully human way. By describing events in both Lynchmere and from your adventures around the world over the same time frame, it provides a really unique perspective. Personally, I found the descriptions of life in the wardroom, of the general comraderie across the ranks and of the pleasure of getting a few days off to explore foreign countries and cultures all reminiscent of my own years as a young man in Southeast Asia in the late 60’s. I enjoyed every chapter.                                                      Melville Stephens (American International Lawyer)

I’m most impressed with the book – and with your wartime letter writing - thanks for sending it. 

I quickly found the Lynchmere Home Guard story which paints a wonderful picture and even mentions chauffeur Giles and housemaid Barrie. The Major’s required method of alerting him in the event of invasion is a classic. My grandmother’s nickname ‘Oh yes’ is new and a nice touch. And I didn’t know that her sister Doss was commandant of the Red Cross. 

I also found several mentions of my father. 

Richard Wingfield. (Son of Captain Mervyn Wingfield, DSO,DSC*, a book about him was published recently ‘Wingfield at War’).

In THE book I am now joining Tantalus, and found the Battle of Barents Sea electric and hair-raising, and shared the horror of the anchor dragging in the blinding snow of the arctic.- someone's (arch)angel was looking after you I think. (4^th February). Your book was a very super read and so special for me. Thank you so very much for it. You had amazing enthusiasm and courage - wanting to go ashore on your birthday to a possibly occupied by Japanese island with a suicide pill in your mouth ready to swallow.                                                                              Rev Canon John Tibbs. (Brother)

A feature of your adventures is your enthusiasm. You really entered into the spirit of whatever you were doing, whether it was serious warfare or practical doing. Clearly you were a deservedly popular shimate. You were hones over the odd mistake, about which a lesser man would have amnesia! Furthermore what character - not many submariners went to war with a m/c amongst the torpedos!
                                                                                                                                Christopher (Friend)

Thank you so much for the book. Totally engrossed!                                                   Anthony Preston 

I received your AMAZING book today! Thank you so much. I can’t believe that you are still writing books, cruising the canals of France and going to 100^th birthday parties! And yet, somehow I totally believe it all!

I have already cheated and read all the letters you put in the book from Geoff and Madge – honestly reading them was like sitting outside at the Knapp Cottages with Mum on a summer night and listening to “ Annie’s Lynchmere Tales”! Gosh how I used to love those nights. Mum would be so proud of you and would have loved the book.

It is so wonderful that you have collated all the stories and photographs. And I will take the book with me when I go to South Africa over Christmas and New Year and read it properly. Thank you, thank you.                                                                                                   Thomas Preston (Nephew) 

Grandpa I've just finished reading your book and it was incredible! I'm so glad I finally have a good idea about you were doing during the war. I know how much time and effort you have spent writing it and I'm so glad you did. 

I was amazed by how positive you were through all your letters during that awful war, many of your letters made me laugh.

It's difficult for me to imagine being in the situation you were in, with the responsibilities that you had, starting from when you were younger than I am now.

My generation owes an enormous debt to you and everyone else involved in the war effort, it is hard to imagine the sacrifices folks made to win that war or how different things would be had those sacrifices not been made. I'm also personally very glad that you survived or I would not be around today!                                                                                                                                           Alex

ORDER Price: £17.00 P & P £3.00 UK (£5.00 Europe £7.50 ROW)

Post: The Memoir Club, The Courtyard, Arya House, Langley Park, Durham. DH7 9XE.

Cheques made payable to The Memoir Club

Tel: 0191 3731739 with card details

Email: memoirclub@email.msn.com

From Michael Tibbs.
Bunchfield, Lynchmere Ridge, Haslemere GU27 3PP
Tel 01428 643120. E-mail michael@bunchfield.co.uk

Reviews

http://www.stpandp.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/December-2013.pdf

FORUMS
www.worldnavalships.com%2Fforums%2Fforumdisplay.php%3Ff%3D2&ei=6y_yUsywI8K2hQfwxIFA&usg=AFQjCNHspt7JMXOz6nYSTH2GacWPqjBxaw&sig2=SXark8ZHAMIrN7RzjnY3LA

Sir Albert McQuarrie -  A Lifetime of Memories

ONE of Scotland's most colourful MPs of the 1980s has published his memoirs at the age of 95.

Foreword by Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind KCMG, PC, QC, MP.
Hardback 100,000 words – 26 Chapters – 94 Photographs

Copies of the book signed by the author can be obtained from Sir Albert McQuarrie, Kintara House, Newton Road, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire  AB42 5EF, UK 

ORDER Price:  £15.00 P & P £3.00 UK (£7.50 Europe £10.00 ROW)
By Post: Sir Albert McQuarrie, Kintara House, Newton Road, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, AB42 5EF.

Cheques made payable to Sir Albert McQuarrie.

Sir Albert McQuarrie, former Member of Parliament for East Aberdeenshire, Banff and Buchan, born on 1st January 1918 - 95½ years ago – has written his memoirs. This remarkable achievement has taken Sir Albert 11 months of writing. It covers many experiences and aspects of his youth, his business activities, the years in Parliament. He piloted a number of Private Member’s Bills - notably the Regulations in the Safety at Sea Act of 1986 which has saved the lives of many fishermen. He successfully led the opposition to that part of the British Nationality Bill 1981 which sought to remove the right from the people of Gibraltar to be British Citizens. For his tenacity in the House of Commons the media gave him the nickname of ‘The Buchan Bulldog’. 

     This is a book written from the heart, and mind, by the former apprentice plumber who by his drive and determination became a successful businessman, a Member of Parliament, elected to Mr Speaker’s Panel of Chairmen and a Knight of the Realm. 

General

We invite you to share a life of diverse interests in this engaging book. The reader is invited to accompany Sir Albert on his journey through a life dedicated to his passion for politics. 

Sir Albert reveals an intimate view of the conservative leadership. His enthusiasm for political life makes him a fascinating and incisive chronicler of the inner workings of government. Sir Malcolm Rifkind recounts in his Foreword, that Sir Albert

...... was a great champion of the fishing industry of the North-East of Scotland and this, rightly, led to him being referred to as the ‘Buchan Bulldog’. It was a reference both to his physical appearance and to his tenacity. He was as happy with the title as Margaret Thatcher was with being known as the ‘Iron Lady’.

His energy and enthusiasm was not confined to his own constituency. He championed the people of Gibraltar and their entitlement to remain British, for many years; chaired Parliamentary scrutiny committees at the Speaker’s request, and has done valuable charitable work. 

A Lifetime of Memories  revolves around the twin themes of business and political life, boasts a cast of fascinating, often high profile figures such as Margaret Thatcher, Lord Boothby, Rt Hon George Thomas, (Viscount Tonypandy) and Lord Forsyth. Throughout there are delightful vignettes making the book fall into the ‘must have category’.

Reviews

Sir Albert McQuarrie earned the nickname the Buchan Bulldog as MP for East Aberdeenshire, Banff and Buchan for his staunch support for the Scottish fishing industry during his two terms at Westminster during the Thatcher era.

In A Lifetime of Memories and published by The Memoir Club, Sir Albert tells the story of how he rose from being an apprentice plumber to set up his own business after serving in the Second World War and later become a councillor in Gourock.

He first stood for Parliament in 1966 but did not win a seat until 1979, when he was one of 21 Scottish Conservative MPs elected as the Tories seized power under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

He won the previously SNP-held seat by 558 votes and retained it four years later before losing to a highly-rated young Nationalist called Alex Salmond in 1987. Sir Albert was responsible for introducing regulations improving safety on board fishing vessels.

In his foreword to the book, former Scottish Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind describes Sir Albert - now retired and living in Aberdeenshire - as a "splendid colleague".

Recalled his reputation as the Buchan Bulldog, he adds: "He was as happy with the title as Margaret Thatcher was with being known as the Iron Lady."

Reviews newspapers
http://www.fraserburghherald.co.uk/news/local-news/buchan-bulldog-publishes-memoirs-1-3257251

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/wider-political-news/buchan-bulldog-has-memoirs-published.23149420

REVIEWS - READERS

A Lifetime of Memories by Sir Albert McQuarrie

‘Sir Albert, your book was fabulous.  What a wonderful life.  We enjoyed reading every word.  Many congratulations’.   Arni and Eve, Great Crosby

‘Your book was excellent and a pleasure to read’.   C Penny, Stuartfield, Aberdeenshire

‘What a wonderful piece of work.  A great read which brought back many memories’. S.G., Fraserburgh

‘I am going to enjoy reading this book.  There is so much in it which puts it in a class of its own’.  A.G., Ayrshire

What a wonderful read.  I could not put it down.  It was so exciting’.   M.G., Monifieth

‘I have enjoyed reading your biography.  It is personal and fascinating.  Like you I try to follow the sentiments of Simon Grellet’.  S.W., Westhill, Aberdeen

‘I was overcome with emotion when I read your very careful chosen words.  It was such a special thing for me to read of your caring nature’.   S.R., Preston

‘Your book is worth reading.  Yours is a life well worth having on record.  I am enjoying it’.D.A., London

‘I enjoyed reading your book.  It was a most interesting read of all the remarkable things in your life’.   L.B., New Leeds

‘Thank you, Albert, for the many accomplishments you had when our MP.  The fishermen have a lot to be grateful for from your efforts’.  A.A., Peterhead, Aberdeenshire

‘We are delighted to report the copies of your book have reached us.  The book is handsomely presented which should make you proud’.  G.K. Queensland Australia

‘I have enjoyed reading your book.  The parts relating to Gibraltar have been of great interest to me.   You did so much for the people of Gibraltar when you served as an MP In London’.   L.P., Gibraltar

‘What an achievement having written your Memoirs.  We have enjoyed it immensely and are now reading it again – it was of such interest’.  G & M, Kent

‘Yes, Sir Albert, authorship is hard work.  It is enormously to your credit you should have produced ‘A Lifetime of Memories’ as a nonagenarian.  I am enjoying reading all your achievements and particularly those when you served as an MP’.   T.D., Linlithgow

 ‘May every Blessing be with you and good luck with the selling of your book.  I am looking forward so much to reading A Lifetime of memories’.  R.M. Peterhead

‘I have finished reading your most interesting and entertaining book which gave me much pleasure.   It has been a job well done – many congratulations’.  D.T. West Sussex

‘We were delighted to receive a copy of your book ‘A Lifetime of Memories’.   It will be read with much interest’.  A & B, Aberdeen

‘What an amazing life you have had Sir Albert.  I enjoyed reading your book and finding out your goal to such great success’.  E.D., Turriff, Abdns

I am enjoying reading your book.  It is making such fantastic reading – well done’.  T.B., Fife

‘Thank you for the book.  There are not many people of 95 years writing their memoirs.  It has brought back many fond memories to me’.  JBS, Midlothian

‘What a surprise in the mail.  Your book looks great.  Cannot wait to read it.  I will need more!  Do not sell them all until you have heard from me’.   I.H., Moray

‘Thank you very much for the book.  Dipped into it and looking forward to a good read.  In awe of the work you have done to produce the book’.  S.G., London

‘Something worth reading.  We are grateful to you for such an excellent product.  Good luck with the sales’.  G.M., Malaga, Spain

‘Delighted to see the photograph of Albert Street and McQuarrie Street on back outer cover of your book.  Your family name is much revered in New South Wales’.  M.M., Sydney, Aust

‘Please let me tell you how much I enjoyed reading your book ‘A Lifetime of Memories’, Sir Albert.  I walked every road with you in the marvellous journey of your life so far’.  G.K. Australia

‘Many thanks for the book A Lifetime of Memories.  It is a great meander through a political period that marked my own Ministry and I am thoroughly enjoying it’.  H.S., Bearsden

‘We would congratulate you on the outstanding achievement.  An immense job well done.  Great read’.  R & R, Glasgow

‘Enjoying your book immensely.  Brings back many happy times.  Fantastic read’.  M.M., Johnstone

‘In your book you manage to convey an understandable and entirely justifiable pride in your achievements without being conceited.  It gave me great pleasure to read your book’.  A.B., Wales

‘Wonderful achievement to complete your book in just over one year.  Many Congratulations on the production of your book – perfect for people of all ages as all our lives are built on memories’.   S.D., Luss

‘Much enjoyed reading your book – particularly the account of the compassion and humanity shown to the survivors of the Arandora Star’.  J.S., Berwick

‘Enjoyed your book.  With a time line of 95 years you are an outstanding gentleman with a passion and desire to serve Queen and Country.   To give up what you had to pursue a career in politics demonstrates to the reader your wish to help people.   Fishermen the country over are most grateful for your Safety at Sea Bill which due to the EPIRB now on vessels has saved lives of many fishermen.  There are some wonderful people in the world and I say Sir Albert you are one of them.  I hope your book sells well’.  J.B., Peterhead

 ‘The book is fantastic, Sir Albert.  Full of many achievements in your very active life’.  A.D., Aberdeen

 ‘Wonderful  surprise to learn you have written your memoirs.  Many Congratulations.  Looking forward so much to reading it’.  B., London

 ‘Delighted to purchase your book.  Full of admiration for the effort.  Enjoying reading it immensely’.

C.C., Mintlaw

 ‘It is fantastic and interesting bringing back memories to me’.   R.L., Walton

 ‘No surprise your book is a success.  Well written and shows your wonderful career.  Now proudly in my bookshelf’.  Y.B., London

 In Quest of a Fairer Society  - Stan Newens

Copies are available from Lynn Davidson memoirclub@msn.com  mob 0755 2086888

 In Quest of a Fairer Society  - Stan Newens - A fascinating political biography of a rare vintage...’

Beginning with his working-class upbringing in Bethnal Green, Stan Newens describes his education at state schools and University College London where he obtained a history degree. After working as a coal-miner for four years in lieu of national service he has spent his life in public service, as a teacher and parliamentarian. He describes his time in Parliament with a perceptive political commentary, recounting his relationships and views.

     He was always seen as a left-winger and was a founder member of the Tribune Group of Labour MPs. In 1956 he was active in the campaign against the Suez expedition and, in the House of Commons, he opposed supporting US involvement in Vietnam. Throughout his career he supported innumerable international causes and strongly opposed Soviet intervention in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968.

     In Quest of a Fairer Society is the account of a life dedicated to a cause but characterised by loyalty and commitment to family, friends and the community in general. It is also a very revealing commentary on the social and political life of the period and of interest to politicians, lay readers students and many others.

Author

Arthur Stanley Newens, known as Stan Newens, was born 4 February 1930. He is a former British Labour Co-operative politician and Member of Parliament (MP) and Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

     Stan Newens received a History degree at University College London and became a schoolteacher. He held several posts in the National Union of Teachers and was Chair of the Movement for Colonial Freedom and President of London Co-operative Society.

     In 1949 he joined the Labour Party, and is still a member. Newens represented Epping 1964-70 and Harlow 1974-83 in Parliament. He became MEP for the London Central constituency in 1984, sitting until 1999. He held several senior positions including Vice-Chair of the PLP Foreign Affairs Group; Chair and Deputy Leader of the Labour Group of MEPs.

     Newens has been an active trade unionist and co-operator and has written numerous pamphlets, books and articles, including The Case Against NATO [1972] Third World: Change or Chaos [1977], A History of Struggle: 50th Anniversary of Liberation, formerly the Movement for Colonial Freedom [2004] and A Short History of London Co-op Political Committee [1988]. He is also a local historian of Essex and East London: his book A History of North Weald Bassett & Its People was published in 1985 and his study of Arthur Morrison was published in 2008.

news.silobreaker.com/retired-roydon-and-nazeing-mp-stan-newens-refle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Newens
http://t.co/sOMypxrYzV
http://t.co/aED7EWNerQ
hhct.org.uk/members/stan-newens-trustee
journalisted.com/stan-newens‎

Available in Softback £12.00  & Hardback  £20.00 

Copies are available from Lynn Davidson memoirclub@msn.com  mob 0755 2086888

IDLE and DISSOLUTE – The History of the 160th (Wearside) Brigade Royal Field Artillery

IDLE and DISSOLUTE – The History of the 160^th (Wearside) Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Written by Phil Adams published The Memoir Club and printed at JASPRINT 12 Tower Road, Washington NE372SH

This month (March 2015) has witnessed a number of events coinciding with the centenary of the formation of the 160^th (Wearside) Brigade.  On 2^nd March, his Right Worshipful the Mayor of Sunderland Cllr. Stuart Porthouse and the lady Mayoress Mrs Marie Porthouse unveiled a blue plaque at Houghton Hall, Houghton-le-Spring, Co. Durham, the place of the original H.Q. of the Brigade.

Philip W. Adams author of IDLE and DISSOLUTE – The History of the 160^th (Wearside) Brigade Royal Field Artillery was also present to say a few words at the unveiling and attended the post event gathering and display of WW1 Memorabilia held at the nearby Keiper Hall, organised by the Heritage Department of Sunderland City Council and local Cllr. Shelia Ellis.

On Saturday 14^th March – Phil Adams gave a talk on the history of the Brigade at the invitation of the FoSUMS at the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. The Deputy Mayor Cllr. Barry Curran and the Deputy Lady Mayoress Mrs. Curran attended as did nearly one hundred members and guests (some of who had travelled from as far away as Portsmouth).

Finally Phil is proud to announce that a Limited Hardback Edition (160 copies) of IDLE and DISSOLUTE has been produced by the Memoir Club and Jasprint. Copies are now available, priced at £30.00 each and can be obtained by contacting Phil directly via email 160brigade@gmail.com by (Mobile) telephone 07749-403942 or by visiting the website 160wearsidebrigade.co.uk

Also anyone wishing to learn more about Phil's ongoing search for more of the men that served with the 160^th Brigade or the 15 years research behind the book is welcome to visit the Brigade Facebook page via the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Idle-and-Dissolute-The-History-of-the-160th-Wearside-Brigade-RFA/509128915885582

A tribute to Wearside war heroes is to be unveiled. Sarah Stoner reports.

THE bravery of a ‘forgotten’ band of Wearside war heroes is to finally be remembered – 100 years after fighting for King and Country.

The soldiers of the close-knit ‘Idle and Dissolute’ unit saw action across Europe in battle after bloody battle during the Great War – winning dozens of gallantry awards.

But, a century after the 160th (Wearside) Brigade Royal Field Artillery was raised, the courageous deeds of its 2,500 troops have been largely forgotten – until now.

Next month will see council bosses erect a blue heritage plaque honouring the unit at Houghton Hall, its former HQ – 100 years and one day after the brigade was formed.

And the move has delighted author Philip Adams, who has campaigned for greater recognition for the 160th since publishing a definitive history of the unit in 2013.

“Their deeds were just as heroic as those of their illustrious infantry comrades of the Durham Light Infantry, but there was no proper memorial to them until now,” he said.

“These men carried the Wearside name into battle. I wrote the book to ensure their sacrifices were not forgotten and I’m delighted there will now be a plaque as well.

“As a final gesture, I would love to see a standard or a flag dedicated to the brigade, which could be displayed at Sunderland’s Remembrance Parade each November.”

More than 25,000 Wearside men stepped up to fight for King and Country in the ‘war to end all wars’ – a conflict the like of which had never been seen before in Britain.

Such was the show of patriotism that, in 1915, the Mayor and Recruiting Committee raised both the 160th (Wearside) Brigade and the 20th Battalion Wearside DLI.

The losses would be grievous – one soldier in every ten – but the courage of the men was supreme. The 160th won 157 medals for gallantry, while the 20th collected 163.

“Public subscription helped raise the Wearside Brigade in March 1915, with shipyard workers and miners providing the backbone of the new unit,” said Phil, from Stoke.

“But every trade skill was represented, from bakers to hat makers, dairymen and lawyers. University graduates fought alongside hewers, boilermakers and riveters.

“The capabilities and skills of these men, particularly those from the mines, as well as their capacity for hard work, would prove to be invaluable on the battlefield.

“Indeed, the 160th officers were immensely proud of their men for numerous reasons – not least their ability to dig the deepest and safest trenches in double quick time.”

Months of training in artillery and horsemanship followed the creation of the brigade until, in January 1916, the troops embarked for the battlefields of northern France.

Action at the Battle of the Somme, Arras, Passchendaele and Ypres soon followed. Tragically, 135 men would lose their lives in battle, with many more being wounded.

“The ironic tag of The Idle and Dissolute was given to the men of the 160th as an affectionate tribute to their formidable fighting prowess,” said Phil. “Initially it started as an insult from their commanding officer during early training, when commenting on their inadequacies, but it was later worn as a badge of honour.

“It just goes to show how much this unit of miners and labourers made other people stand up and take notice.”

Phil’s interest in the 160th was sparked by family history research into his great uncle William Henry Adams, who fought with the brigade and was killed in March 1918.

Unfortunately, as the majority of the unit’s personnel records were destroyed during World War Two, Phil’s investigations ground to a halt with little further information.

“To make up for my disappointment of not knowing what happened to William, I decided to research the 160th instead. I saw it as a debt of honour and a labour of love.

“That the men won 157 gallantry medals, including four Distinguished Service Orders, 19 Military Crosses and ten Distinguished Conduct Medals, is a real tribute to them.”

The brigade was officially disbanded in August 1919, just over four years after being raised, but reunions for old comrades were held at the Palatine Hotel until the 1960s.

“These men should never be forgotten. They were so modest about their part in the war that stories of their brave deeds were not recorded in their lifetime,” said Phil.

“It is therefore very fitting that a plaque to these brave soldiers is to be unveiled a century after they joined up to fight. I’m very, very pleased this is finally happening.”

The unveiling of the plaque on March 2 forms part of a programme of events and activities organised to mark the centenary of WWI by Sunderland City Council and its partners.

Councillor John Kelly, the council’s portfolio holder for public health, wellness and culture, today applauded the bravery of the men of the 160th and said: “During the First World War the brigade was the only artillery unit to be afforded the official “Wearside” title, which they carried into battle many times. This commemoration event gives our city the opportunity to take pride in the contribution these brave men made to the war effort and to remember the many sacrifices they made while fighting for our freedom.”

Extraordinary tales of Wearside heroes

THE men of Wearside’s 160th Brigade were in the middle of the storm when German attackers launched a barrage of 1,160,000 shells on March 21, 1918.Death and destruction rained down on the Allied battlefront during the Battle of St Quentin, leaving thousands dead, gassed, captured or wounded.But, although many British troops were forced to retreat, one Wearsider rode straight into the heart of the conflict - to retrieve abandoned guns.George Moses, a former horseman from South Hylton, was awarded a Military Medal for his bravery - but rarely spoke about his actions after the war.

“I am very proud of my grandfather; my whole family is,” Stephen Scrafton revealed in 2013. “He was an ordinary, decent man who did something extraordinary.”

WALTER Robinson was barely 18 when he signed up to fight for King and Country with the 160th Wearside in 1916 - and his service would last just a year. The youngster, son of award-winning police officer Fairley Robinson, left his job as an apprentice boilermaker to take up arms, quickly winning promotion to corporal.After arriving in France on January 23, 1916, Walter fought his way across the country at battlegrounds including Fleubaix, Albert and the first day of the Somme. The corporal survived the bloody carnage without injury but, within days, was summoned back to work in Sunderland - due to a chronic shortage of boilermakers. “I am very proud of him,” said his son Jack in 2013.

“He developed a love of horses during the war, going on to join the mounted section of Sunderland Borough Police.”

•WEARSIDE teenager James Moody Donaldson was so desperate to fight for King and Country that the 16-year-old lied about his age to join the army.The Southwick lad saw action at some of the Great War’s bloodiest battles, including Passchendaele and Arras, as a driver with B Battery of 160th (Wearside) Brigade.Young James concluded his war with a role in the bloody Offensive of Picardy, in which the 160th Brigade helped to halt the German advance to channel ports.But, although the brave young man made it home safely once peace was declared in 1918, he would die during the next war – after an accident in the shipyards.“James Donaldson was destined to be one of history’s heroes and is greatly remembered by his family,” said his great nephew Kevin Donaldson.

Some of the 160th’s award-winning soldiers

Richard Baggott. Born in Washington. Awarded Military Medal and Bar.

Richard Collins. Miner from Grangetown. Military Medal.

Thomas Cowan. Labourer from Sunderland. Military Medal.

Charles Curle. A shoeing smith from Chester-le-Street. Military Medal.

Thomas Dixon. Sunderland coal miner. Military Medal.

John Dryden. Miner from Fordland Place, Sunderland. Military Medal.

Thomas French. Born 1885 in Burnhope. Military Medal.

Mark Glancey. Born Southwick 1897, died February 19, 1919. Military Medal.

Abner Harrold. From Sunderland. Meritorious Service Medal.

Charles Hamill. Born in Sunderland, killed in action 1918. Military Medal.

George Herring. Born 1896 at Bishopwearmouth. Military Medal and Bar.

Thomas Hudson. of Southwick. Killed in action 1918. Military Medal.

Oscar Jepson. Blacksmith of Milburn Street, Sunderland. Military Medal.

John Johnson. From Sacriston. Distinguished Conduct Medal.

John Lowther. From Gragetown. Military Medal.

Frederick Mackel. Of Hind Street, Bishopwearmouth. Military Medal.

Thomas McManus. Policeman from 8 Marlborough Street. Military Medal.

George Moses. South Hylton horseman. Military Medal.

John Naden. Plater from Ward Street. Military Medal and Croix De Guerre.

Reevel Pounder. Of Hendon Street, Sunderland. Military Medal.

John Reynolds. Miner from Pity Me. Military Medal.

William Sherrington. From Sunderland. Military Medal.

Edgar Spendley. Born 1891 in Sunderland. Military Medal.

Alfred Swinhoe. From Monkwearmouth. Meritorious Service Medal.

William Taylor. Born circa 1879, Southwick. Military Medal and Silver Badge.

Henry Wilson. Railway clerk from Monkwearmouth. Military Medal.

REVIEW
Just received a copy of your book in the mail this morning and it is amazing!  I own 200+ Great War unit histories and yours has to be the best of all!  An excellent model for anyone writing a unit history to emulate.  Congratulations on a job very well done.                           Dick Flory

REVIEWS

Just received a newly published Royal Artillery unit history that has to rank as one of the best: Idle and Dissolute: The History of the 160th (Wearside) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery by Philip W Adams.  The book is 411 pages which are crammed full of information on the brigade and excellent maps and photos.  The first 150+ pages (Chapters I through VIII) cover the history of the brigade from 1915 through 1919 with excellent maps and numerous photos.  Each of these chapters gives details on the location, services, casualties, awards and war activities of the Brigade and are illustrated by many photos of members (both officers and other ranks) of the brigade. Chapter IX covers the numerous reunions of brigade personnel, again with numerous photos.  In terms of data, the best part of the book are the appendices (218 pages) which include annotated nominal rolls of both officers and men; profiles (with numerous photos) of the officers of the brigade and similar profiles of many NCOs and men; a detailed roll of honour; and lists of awards to personnel of the Brigade. 

In my opinion this is the way a unit history should be written!  Well worth the price (£24.99).  For those interested it may be obtained from The Memoir Club, Ltd, Dartmoor Suite, The Courtyard, Arya House, Langley Park, Durham DH7 9XE (0191-373-1739).

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/.../10621617.Historian_s_tribute_to_forgott. www.shieldsgazette.com/.../forgotten-heroes-get-well-deserved-tribute-1-...‎

This book is without doubt the definitive history of the 160^th (Wearside) Brigade. It has been meticulously researched by the author who describes it as both a 'labour of love' to a long lost relative and a ‘debt of honour’ to all 2,500 men that served with the unit. The title of the book The Idle and Dissolute is taken from the ironic nickname given to the soldiers of the 160^th (Wearside) Brigade Royal Field Artillery during the early days of training in Co Durham.  The 'I & D' name stuck and was proudly worn as a badge of honour by all who served. 

It was public subscription that helped raise the Wearside Brigade in March 1915, with local miners and shipyard workers providing the backbone of the new unit. However during the course of WW1 men from all parts of the British Isles as well as from South Africa, America, Australia, Canada, Mexico, China, France, Argentina and later India would swell the ranks.

The 160^th Brigade embarked for battlefields in northern France during January 1916 and proceeded to take part in the famed battles of The Somme, Arras, Passchendaele and the Great Offensives of 1918.

The author Philip W. Adams interest in the 160^th Brigade dates back to his childhood, when he became fascinated by a photo of a soldier hanging on a wall. All he knew was that it showed his grandfather's brother, William Henry Adams, a Gunner with the Royal Field Artillery who had been killed in the First World War. 

The old picture proved the inspiration Phil needed to start a 10 year research project into his uncle William and the 160^th (Wearside) Brigade. His investigations revealed that William and 59 of his comrades were among the 38,000 casualties suffered by the British Army on the 21^st March 1918 – a fateful day that would prove to be both the darkest and finest hours in the history of the Brigade.

By the end of the Great War, the Wearside Brigade had suffered many casualties. From the original 766 volunteers, that enlisted in Co Durham during 1915 and marched off to France in 1916, only 156 marched back into Sunderland, for their ‘Welcome Home’ parade in 1919.

The men of the Brigade were awarded 157 medals for gallantry. This included four Distinguished Service Orders, nineteen Military Crosses and ten Distinguished Conduct Medals. The Brigade was officially disbanded in August 1919, but those who survived remained close friends. The first of many reunions was held at the Palatine Hotel, in 1919, and the meetings continued until the 1960s.

This book is a must have, it weaves together private documents, photographs, memories, letters and diaries, to tell for the first time the full story of the Idle and Dissolute. Soldiers, so modest and humble about their part in the Great War that the story of their deeds was never fully recognised in their own lifetime.