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QueenSpark Books Archive - Free Full Text Books
A unique searchable archive of the books published by QueenSpark Books up until 2010. Free to view and full text this collection features voices that tell the story of Brighton and Hove, across the 20th Century, in their own words. The majority of these titles are now out-of-print.
You can buy those still in-print, and newer titles, with this link.
The Town Beehive - A young girls lot in Brighton 1910 - 1934
Author(s): Daisy Noakes
Published: 1975(reprinted 1980)
This was first published in 1975 and was so popular that it quickly sold out. Brightonian, Daisy Noakes, tells her story from the age of fourteen, when she went into service. She gives us an insight into the life of a woman born and brought up in Brighton. Daisy documents – with humour - her inevitable trials and tribulations in the often physically demanding world that she inhabited during her working life. The autobiography covers her childhood, as one of a family of ten, living in Prince's Road and Vere Road, and her working days in service in different parts of the town. This is a special insight into Daisy's world and is a shining example of true grit and fortitude!Moulsecoomb Days - Learning and Teaching on a Brighton Council Estate 1922-1947
Author(s): Ruby Dunn
Published: 1990
The subject of Moulsecoomb Days is the establishment of a Brighton Council Estate. The book traces the creation of a community in a 'garden suburb' which didn't have a school or a church when it was originally conceived. In the social aftermath of the Great War, Lloyd George's government devised the first serious public house-building programme. Built in a beautiful downland valley, this was an early realisation of the Liberal policy of providing 'homes fit for heroes'. However, whilst it represented a great improvement for the residents, neither the vision nor the reality was as picturesque as this catchphrase suggested. Today, the estate is considered to be rather run-down and neglected - forgotten in the mists of time, as empty promises often are.Back Row Brighton - Cinema-going in Brighton & Hove
Author(s): Amy Riley, Martin Payne and Frank Flood.
Published: 2009
Back Row Brighton transports us back to the heyday of cinema-going in the company of those who were there. Alongside evocative archive photographs, names such as the Astoria, the Granada, the Continentale and the Regency are recalled in touching and humorous stories of romance, excitement, grandeur and, occasionally, fleas. Some of these recollections are drawn from QueenSpark"s rich archive, others are the recorded reminiscenses of elders of the city asked to recall cinema-going in Brighton and Hove in the 1930s and 1960s.Stroke: Who Cares? - The stories of five carers
Author(s): Georgina Castelfranc, Karen Clark, Guy Pearman, Irene Player, Joan Roberts
Published: 1993(reprinted 1996)
Continuing the theme of working with people who have suffered strokes, this book is intended as both a self-help aid and as a helpful guide that can provide support to others in similar situations. It is written by five people with experience of caring for a close relative who has suffered a stroke. The process of compiling their memories and thoughts and putting pen to paper was therapeutic for the authors. Their objective was to reach out and help others who may be struggling to cope in similar circumstances. Carers often have to deal with exasperating, challenging behaviour and a personal sense of being trapped and isolated. All of the narratives are lively, moving, evocative and informative and are taken from the layman's point of view, as the authors consider that professionals cannot speak with such insight. Issues that are covered include practical concerns such as claiming state benefits, hospital procedures, respite and palliative care.Missing the Nile - Experiences of Sudanese people in Brighton
Author(s): Sudanese people in Brighton
Published: 2005
Published in January 2005, this fascinating book examines the customs and culture of the Sudanese community in the Brighton and Hove area. The British and Sudanese cultures are very different to one another and the narrative includes comparisons of the two cultures, as well as giving first-hand descriptions of festivals, celebrations including weddings and funerals, and food. The text is written in both English and Arabic, making it accessible to the widest possible audience and will be especially enjoyed by the second generation of the Sudanese community, living in the Brighton and Hove area. It also fulfils the function of recording a culture's history for future generations.Back Street Brighton - Photographs and Memories: a sequel to Backyard Brighton
Author(s): Various
Published: 1989(reprinted Nov-07)
Originally produced in collaboration with the Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre, this is a sequel to Backyard Brighton incorporating photographs taken by the Environmental Health Department in the late forties and early fifties of houses in Brighton that were scheduled for demolition in the fifties and sixties. Each photograph is accompanied by reminiscences of families who lived in the houses which, unlike the narratives in Backyard Brighton, are generally positive - with many people expressing fond memories of the era and viewing the demolitions as a beneficial experience for the area. The book provides an interesting historical account of "slum" clearance for residents of Brighton and any other readers who might be interested in the architectural and social history of the city.Jobs for Life
Author(s): Joan Parsons
Published: 1995
Spirited Joan Parsons writes with enthusiasm about her working life in Brighton. She gives a light-hearted view of her employment for many years as a toilet attendant – which may not have been the most glamorous of jobs, but certainly provided Joan with plenty of material for her autobiography. She worked in many different areas of Brighton, including The Steine, Princes Place and the Aquarium, and during the course of her working day she would do many little things over and above the call of duty, such as keeping talcum powder for mothers and babies. Her fascinating story recalls many interesting incidents, including encounters with homeless drunks who had nowhere else to sleep! Overall, it is a book about a hard life, but Joan is a survivor. At the age of seventy, she was still working and still enjoying a good laugh!To be a Farmer’s Boy
Author(s): George Noakes
Published: 1977
This tells of George Noakes's childhood and early adult working life before he married Daisy, author of The Town Beehive and The Faded Rainbow, in 1934. George reminisces about his childhood farm memories and forays to the local shops and surrounding areas; for example, when he visited the local bakers, he always knew that a sugar bun would be given to him. When he was old enough to be trusted outside, he ventured everywhere. In short, he had an idyllic childhood, in an era where children had much more freedom to roam "without today's safety worries" and he progressed from a boy into a happy adolescent and adult.Who was Harry Cowley?
Author(s): QueenSpark writers
Published: 2003(reprinted Jun-03)
This is a reprint of the revised second edition published in 2003. It is included here (out of sequence in the QueenSpark chronology) because it was created to be a limited edition of the 1984 book that enabled a new generation of readers to become acquainted with Harry Cowley, a Brighton chimney sweep who became a legend. When he died in 1971, his body was laid in state at St Peter"s Church. More than 500 people attended his funeral to pay tribute to the man they called "the Gov"nor". Since then, Harry has not been forgotten. In 1999 Brighton and Hove Bus Company acknowledged his contribution to the City by giving a bus his name and in 2003 The Cowley Club, named in tribute to Harry and his grassroots action, opened its doors to the public.School Reports - Past Pupil's Memories of St Luke's
Author(s): Past pupils of St. Luke's school
Published: 2003
This book contains reminiscences and anecdotes from past pupils who attended St. Luke's School, in the Queens Park area of Brighton in the years between 1908 - 1983. It contains an eclectic mix of anecdotes that express both fond memories and less happy recollections of pupils' schoolday experiences and the reality of belonging to a close-knit community. It also provides the reader with valuable first-hand accounts of the changing education system during that period, covering the First form through to the Sixth form.