Latest Books
Child of High Chapel Row:
Growing up in Co. Durham in the twenties and thirties then going off to war
By Nora Booth
November 2011
Nora Booth was born in 1921 and tells of growing up in a small mining community in Co. Durham which has since been swept away. At 15 she left to make a new start in London but war forced her back and her next job was at Washington’s asbestos factory around which the homes of workers ‘looked like igloos’ under their lethal dust. Leaving to join The Army in 1942 probably saved Nora’s life for it was here that doctors discovered early symptoms of asbestos poisoning and warned her never to return. So they gave her another dangerous job, as a gunner on anti-aircraft guns, shooting down enemy planes and V1 missiles.
What the client thought:
Over the years my family wanted to know about my life in the 'olden days' as they call it. There are about 30 of them aged from two and a half to 63 and they live in various parts of the country from Brighton to Newcastle. I would forget who I had told about what. I struggled to write down what I could but wanted the story completed and put in a proper book. But where would I start? My eldest daughter Roslyn discovered Caroline Brannigan's website and advised me to contact her, which I did, not knowing what to expect. Caroline lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire, and I live near Burton-on-Trent but that was no problem for her. Caroline came to my house, showed me some of her work and explained how much it would cost, which seemed very reasonable for what she would have to do.
I didn't hesitate to agree and when I asked when we could start, Caroline suggested we did so immediately because of the distance involved and the deadline of my 90th birthday celebrations. We got through so much but it was so relaxing it didn't seem a problem any more. She changed around some of my own writing to make a better structure without making me feel inadequate. We had one more full day together and also did some work by phone.
She gave me a date when it would be ready which was met. She copied and tidied up old photographs and did quite a bit of extra research. She was able to put dates to certain events that I wasn't sure about. The outcome was that at my 90th birthday party I was able to present my family with a beautiful book containing a very professional account of my life. Consequently, my family think they have a very cool Nannie Nora. They all love the book. It didn't cost one penny more than I was quoted. Thank you Caroline for a job very well done.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Nora had begun writing her extraordinary life story in an exercise book years ago but had put it aside after covering her childhood. She was now worried that her story would remain unfinished but then her daughter contacted me, having seen this site. In a series of interviews, Nora told her story to me. I asked her to give greater detail about what it had been like growing up among the Durham coalfields at a time when life was very tough for many, then we moved on to her later life, taking it up to 1945 when she left The Army. Her memories are a fascinating social document and her horrifying descriptions of working in the asbestos factory are a reminder of what life – and death – was like for a workforce who once had to endure dangerous conditions in mines and factories or risk going hungry.
Diamond Days: A Middlesbrough Childhood in the 1920s and Finding Love in the Ruins of War
By Ron Routledge
November 2011
on Routledge describes the warmth and humour of growing up in one of Middlesbrough’s two-up, two down houses in the 1920s and 1930s. Snatched away by war in 1942, he found himself camped near the pyramids of Egypt. When the conflict ended, Ron was part of the Army of Occupation in Germany where he met and married Sophie, a young German woman whose family had lost everything.
What the client thought:
Ron's son Andrew writes: It's difficult to find an original gift for a man who's 88. After seeing Caroline's advertisement in the Dalesman magazine, it sparked an idea. Although Dad (Ron) had some initial trepidation about being able to create a memoir, once he began the interviews with Caroline he thoroughly enjoyed it and looked forward to each meeting. It was a relaxed and very enjoyable experience. Caroline is very friendly and helpful and guided us throughout the whole process. We are delighted with the end result, as are the rest of the family who received their copies on Christmas morning. We have captured many precious memories and would happily recommend it to anyone.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Ron’s family knew he had a remarkable story to tell. They had heard some of it but wanted a permanent, detailed record and so contacted me. It was fascinating and very moving to hear Ron’s tale and highly satisfying to get it down properly for his family and all those descendants left to come. He had fought in the war and yet felt no bitterness against the ordinary German people, whose terrible sufferings he witnessed. He told me what he could of his wife Sophie’s story. She had fled with only what she could carry as the Russian Army advanced across eastern Germany. Her father failed to escape and was never seen again. I only wish that I could have spoken to her too, but sadly Ron was a widower. Ron’s Army life took him all over the Middle East, into Italy, then to Germany and, as part of the occupying forces, to many bases in that country. It was a complex job to sort out places and dates and, with some extra research by me, to put the jigsaw together but that’s partly why people bring me in. It was great working with Ron and we had a good laugh, as well as a few sad moments. He reminded me of my parents, who were an Englishman married to a German woman during World War II. Like Ron, having survived the war, they decided to make the most of life. And they did.
91 Not Out
A West Yorkshire Childhood of the 1920s and Other Stories
By Bill Dobby
December 2011
Bill Dobby was born in the village of Old Town near Hebden Bridge in 1920. He and his wife Vera were married for 68 years. He writes of his happy childhood in a small, close-knit community where most people got by on very little. When sickness tipped his family into trouble, loaves of bread and hand-me-down clothes were left on their doorstep. Bill’s early experiences of human kindness inspired him to become a lay preacher, speaking at churches around the area for half a century.
What the client thought:
Over the last three years I had written down part of my life story in a notebook. It was not in any order. I then made up my mind to have it made into a book. To this end, I looked round for someone to do it and was very fortunate to find a real professional in this field, Caroline Brannigan, through her advert in the Dalesman magazine. She put everything in order and spoke to me at length to add additional material. Nothing was too much trouble for her. I have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone. She is a very friendly person and works to the last detail and I express my thanks to her.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
I visited Bill and his daughter at his home in West Yorkshire where he showed me the exercise books in which he had captured marvellous memories of life in the 1920s and 1930s. I could see that there was a lot more he could tell me and that some things needed explanation for younger readers. Bill has grandchildren and great grandchildren so that was important.
I typed his words into the computer and added in a great deal more information which we compiled through our interview sessions together and my own researches. I also re-arranged the structure and made sure it read clearly and flowed well. We selected some photos and I also found an old one of the local mill which we gained permission to use.
This was a shorter memoir so I came up with a smaller sized book with one section of photos and Bill and I were both pleased with the result. It was fascinating to hear memories going so far back and also to hear the stories of his parents, which took us right back even further.
A Children’s Tale of the Yorkshire Moors
By David Mosley
December 2011
This is a story about an adventure in the Yorkshire countryside. It tells of a young grouse and his search for a legendary giant – and the creatures he meets along the way. Some of these creatures – ouzels, curlews, lapwings, magpies, hares and moles – can still be seen. Others, such as giants, moor gods, Boggarts and the Fosse Fairies are much harder to spot.
Anstruther the young grouse listens as his mother and father tell him about the world around him. Yet he still needs to know more. Surely the sheep people can be helped to become less stupid? Surely it is possible for a grouse to dive and tumble in the air with the elegant Lapwings if only they would show him how? And what secrets does the curlew hold? So he sets off to find out for himself.
What the client says:
Caroline Brannigan produced a fairy-tale for me which I had written for my nieces. I gave the commission to her having been impressed with examples of her work for others, I was not disappointed. She did a first rate job and I am well pleased with the result. Her layout ideas and able manipulation of sections of illustration turned the little book into a positive delight. I have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone one seeking to publish a memoir or child’s tale. She does and excellent job.
Caroline adds: Instead of a photo, what better than the author's own illustration of himself?
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
This was a new venture for me because I don’t usually handle fiction. David Mosley’s story had been hand written many years ago and illustrated with his own exquisite illustrations. Now this beautifully written tale, cleverly teaching children about the wildlife and legends of the Yorkshire Moors, can be shared more widely, as it deserves to be. And instead of being in precarious paper form only, it now exists both as a book and electronically and can’t be lost or destroyed. I had a lot of fun using the most up-to-date computer magic to pull out parts of illustrations and use them as regular “drop-ins” on page tops and at the beginnings and ends of chapters. It was great fun to do and very gratifying to see the author’s satisfaction in finally holding his book in his hands so long after the tale was written.
Interesting Coincidences
I wrote a memoir for a woman who had trained as a teacher in Scarborough during World War II. Later I had a request to write a memoir from another woman many miles away. It turned out that she had also trained as a teacher in Scarborough at the same time and the two had known each other. I was able to tell the second lady that I already had one photo of her: a college group. Since then they have got in touch again by phone. A third client was taught as a boy by one of these trainee teachers.
Two of my clients had grandfathers who had worked at the same textile mill in Yorkshire. The clients met up for an enjoyable chat, swapping family stories.
Another two share the same birthday.
Two clients grew up in the same small Yorkshire village. One had moved away long ago but they have now met to swap memories.