Chomping on the Boiled Sweet of Life - Hardback

What happens when a life is lived with curiosity, humour, gratitude and a determination to savour every moment?

Born in Singapore in 1962 to an RAF doctor and raised between military postings, boarding school, family adventures and a long medical career, Robert Chapple tells the remarkable story of a life shaped by family, friendship, medicine and travel.

Beginning with an extraordinary family history stretching back generations—including military surgeons, Irish merchants, landowners, wartime volunteers and medical pioneers—this deeply personal memoir follows the author's journey through childhood, education, medical school, hospital medicine and decades working as a frontline family doctor.

Filled with vivid memories, colourful characters and touching reflections, Chomping on the Boiled Sweet of Life captures a world that has largely disappeared: post-war Britain, RAF life overseas, traditional boarding schools, family holidays, community medicine and a society transformed beyond recognition during one man's lifetime.

Along the way, readers encounter:

✓ A fascinating multi-generational medical family history
✓ Childhood adventures in Singapore, Gibraltar and Britain
✓ Life at boarding school and medical school
✓ The realities of working as a doctor at the coalface of the NHS
✓ Family, marriage, parenthood and personal challenges
✓ Travels across Europe, Tanzania, Nepal and the United States
✓ Reflections on friendship, football, golf, books, music, food and dogs
✓ Honest observations on ageing, retirement and the meaning of a life well lived

Warm, witty, nostalgic and frequently moving, this richly illustrated memoir is both a personal record and a love letter to family, friendship and the generations that follow.

For readers who enjoy the memoirs of Adam Kay, Dr David Nott, Michael Palin, James Herriot, and reflective autobiographical writing that combines humour, history and humanity.

A life remembered. A world preserved. A story worth sharing.