A round-up of book signings, author interviews, news and events.
This is the eighth volume of short verses Eddie Thompson has produced. Usually short, often witty, mostly (but not always) cheerful and sometimes thought-provoking, they are based on his day-today observations and experiences of home and neighbourhood life, and their subjects range from Covid, crime and cutting hair to names, singing, ageing and local politics.
Sir Hyde Clarenden Gowan was born to a prestigious English family and in 1902 he entered the Indian Civil Service to embark upon a career in an exotic new country.
Sir Hyde rose from the position of under-secretary to become an important figure of the British Empire. Sir Hyde spent his entire thirty-six year career in the Central Provinces and Berar,
becoming Governor in 1933. Despite living for decades in India, he always felt like an alien abroad and often called it an “Ulta pulta desh”: an upside-down-country. Sir Hyde held the post of Governor during one of the most turbulent periods of Indian history. Tensions between Muslim and Hindu groups divided the country whilst nationalists such as Mahatma Gandhi fought for India’s independence from Britain. During this time, the Government of India Act of 1935 was passed forever changing the face of Indian society and the role of governors in the country. When Sir Hyde died suddenly in 1938, he was mourned by the British and Indians alike, having been much loved for his steadfast dedication to his duties. His family received condolences from King George VI and other members of the Royal Family. With an introduction by his son, James Hyde Bowie Gowan, Sir Hyde’s diaries are here reprinted in their entirety alongside some of his speeches. The diaries reveal the great man behind the Governor, the delights and difficulties of his position and an insight into Indian history and life never to be repeated.
“Life can seem mundane, ordinary or awful – or it can be an adventure… ” In this book David King, an international lecturer and a church leader for more than 30 years, is sharing his journey in faith in the hope of inspiring the reader to live a life of adventure in his or her own way, without letting the challenges and stumbling blocks of life deter them
from their goals. “Whatever your adventure, I trust you will find helps, hints and concepts which progress you forward… most of all, I trust that my adventure will encourage you to explore Christ, His claims and His church, with a view to including these in your adventure. Remember, the best is yet to come!”
Roland Minor knew early on that he wanted to become a vet. After graduating from Cambridge University, he left the UK in 1963 for his first post, in Uganda. He has since spent most of his life in Africa, holding senior government posts or practising independently in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Botswana, with a brief return to the UK in 2001 to help manage the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. He is now retired to the island of Lamu, off the north coast of Kenya. A Vet in Africa is Roland’s account of his experiences in treating animals of all shapes and sizes and his many encounters with farmers, pet owners and politicians. Some of the tales he has to tell are hilarious, others hair-raising and a few horrific, but all are fascinating.
Roland Minor was voted winner of the British Veterinary Association, Tony Blackburn Award 2013 for outstanding contribution to animal health and welfare in Africa
Victorian Scientist, Inventor, Gardener and Campaigner
Alfred Smee (1818-1877) was a doctor, scientist and inventor and also a businessman, campaigner and horticulturalist. His inventions led to his election at age 22 to a Fellowship of the Royal Society. He developed nonfading ink for the Bank of England and better techniques for printing banknotes. Some of his insights into the brain were echoed a century later in computational science. He was chairman of several companies, campaigned for better water and sewage services in London and stood for Parliament. His passion was plants and gardens, and he created a garden of eight acres which he stocked with plants he collected from far and wide. His wide-ranging, full and successful life has now been chronicled by his great-great-grandson, John Odling-Smee.
The murders which took place at 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, in the late1940s and early 1950s – crimes which led to the hangings of two men, one was the serial killer John Christie and Timothy Evans who was innocent – were so extraordinary and so shocking that they are still being debated today. Norman Morgan has studied the case in unprecedented depth over the years, and sets out a full account of the case, and of his conclusions, in this absorbing two-volume work.
The murders which took place at 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, in the late1940s and early 1950s – crimes which led to the hangings of two men, one was the serial killer John Christie and Timothy Evans who was innocent – were so extraordinary and so shocking that they are still being debated today. Norman Morgan has studied the case in unprecedented depth over the years, and sets out a full account of the case, and of his conclusions, in this absorbing two-volume work.
About Changing Borders
Tony Smith CBE spent his career managing our UK border controls, from junior immigration officer to Head of the UK Border Force. He spent more than four decades in the front line of the conflict between those who argue for open borders and free movement and those whose focus is on building barriers. He played a prominent role in managing security on both sides of the Atlantic after the 9/11 attacks in North America. Along the way he has worked constantly to make controls more efficient, better informed and fairer, yet less vulnerable to abuse. After retirement in 2013, he became a prominent media spokesman on border control issues, from tackling legal immigration crime, human smuggling and terrorist travel to managing borders through Brexit and beyond. This is his story.
About Tony Smith
Author Anthony John Smith CBE is a global border security consultant and former Director General of the UK Border Force. He was previously Gold Commander for the London 2012 Olympic Programme and Regional Director for London and the South East in the UK Border Agency. He is a regular expert commentator on Global Border Management and Security Practices in UK media and chairs expert panels on border and immigration conferences around the world including the International Summit on Borders in Washington DC with former US CBP Commissioner Rob Bonner and at Secure Document World in London. He became International Liaison Director at Borderpol in 2013 but resigned in 2016. He is also the founder and chairman of the International Border Management and Technologies Association (IBMATA). Tony Smith was appointed as a member of the Expert Panel to the Parliamentary Commission for Alternative Arrangements for the Irish Border in April 2019.
Praise for Tony Smith
“A fascinating memoir/social history of immigration control from the 1970s to today” David Goodhart, UK Policy Exchange.
“I can think of no better person to write about this subject than Tony Smith.” Theresa May MP, former UK Prime Minister.
“A candid account of life at the sharp end by a man who rose from the front line to the very top of the UK Border Force” Sir Mark Sedwill, former UK Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser.
“A ringside role in dealing with the fallout from some of the worst terrorist attacks in history.” Charles Hymas, Home Affairs Editor, Daily Telegraph.
Born in a Lancashire mill town just after VE Day 1945, Neville Reyner opted for a job as an apprentice electrician on leaving school – but then chose to go down dangerous coal mines as a coal face electrician to earn enough money to buy a sports car. That marked the beginning of a successful career which saw him rise to the top in the electronics industry and go on to see voluntary service with the Chambers of Commerce movement, regional economic development and as Deputy Lieutenant for Hertfordshire. This is his memoir of the past 75 years.
It is more than 50 years since young Geoff Langston decided to volunteer for VSO service overseas, and was sent to Pakistan to apply his skills as an electrical engineer to the training of local people as electricians. He found himself plunged in at the deep end without preparation or training, first at an eye hospital and then at a Christian training centre. Along the way his adventures included enduring a devastating tropical cyclone, hiking up into the Himalayas and making a trip through the Khyber Pass to Afghanistan.