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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.
A Working Man - A Century of Hove Memories
Author(s): Ernie Mason
Published: 1998
One winter in the 1980s, Ernie Mason was at a loose end, so he bought a notebook and began to write his autobiography. This story encapsulates a working-class man's journey through life over the course of the twentieth century, documenting the many changes that took place in the local environment and in social conditions. Born in 1906, Ernie lived all his life in Hove, except for a short period spent in the Navy during the war years. His childhood was spent in a neighbourhood that was full of market gardens, orchards and fields. Ernie recalls vivid memories of growing up, of his working life and finally of retirement after sixty years of work, having begun his working life at the tender age of eleven. The narrative not only provides a unique personal history, but also depicts a largely forgotten way of life in a bygone era.Bad Dog Wally
Author(s): Lynn Armstrong
Published: 1993
This is the story of a dog that was rescued from Battersea Dogs Home in London by a family. It is notable for its unusual style and use of language, in that it consists almost entirely of cartoons with only minimal use of the written word. Each page is based on an event in Wally"s life, and contains one sentence that is graphically illustrated in a child-like scrawl. The bright red cover adds another layer to the visual images contained within, and taken together, the book as a whole invokes a somewhat troubled response in the reader. At first glance, the cartoons appear naive and childlike, but a closer examination reveals the author's sense of black humour and satirical purpose. Apparently childlike, the book is interesting, because it can be read on several levels, and incorporates universal themes such as loss, betrayal and isolation.International Service
Author(s): Kathleen Wilson
Published: 2002
With wartime Brighton as a backdrop, International Service tells the tale of Kathleen Wilson's naive teenage years, when her domineering father chose the jobs that she took and discouraged her passion for writing. It covers the time she spent working in family-run shops, through to her years at the International Stores in Preston Road and brings to life the atmosphere of the grocery trade in the period up to the 1950s. With her light-hearted and often humorous style, International Service enabled Kathleen to share her life story with the reader, who can follow her progression towards independence.At the Pawnbrokers
Author(s): Lillie Morgan
Published: 1991
This is the moving story of Lillie Morgan's life as a pawnbroker during World War One, in which she paints a vivid picture of the abject poverty that could be found in Brighton at that time. Food was scarce and people often had to go to desperate lengths to find the price of a loaf of bread - simply to feed their family! Within this life history, there are many amusing anecdotes that attest to the resilience of the human spirit. Lillie told her story to her granddaughter, Jane Russell, who transcribed it, using her grandmother's own words - as much as possible.Shops Book - Shopkeepers and Street Traders in East Brighton 1900-1930
Author(s): Neil Griffiths
Published: 1978
Shopping plays a major part in all our lives: we are all affected by rising prices and the changes that have taken place to shops in our local areas. This book is about shopkeepers and street traders – drawing together their various experiences in East Brighton. Shops have certainly changed greatly in the last hundred years - as large firms, supermarkets and superstores have replaced the small-scale local producers and craftsmen. The reader is better able to understand these changes through reading of first-hand experiences, in this comprehensive study of a bygone era.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.A Pen for all Seasons
Author(s): Ethel Akhurst, Marjory Batchelor, Sylvia Calvert, Stevie English, Valerie Goble, Dave Higgins, Susie Mehmed, Bob Miles
Published: 1997
Published in 1997, this interesting and diverse anthology is the outcome of work that was produced by members of the Hove Writers Club. It will appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, who should enjoy this inspiring work, which reflects the creativity and freedom of expression that has emerged from the pens of its authors. Including poetry and prose, it focuses on the details of everyday life through the medium of creative writing. The enthusiasm and energy of the writers comes across vividly, and this should appeal to readers of all levels; from the academic to the pleasure seeker, as well as to audiences who are new to poetry.Live and Learn - A life and struggle for progress
Author(s): Les Moss
Published: 1979
In this book, Les Moss tells of his lifelong struggle in search of progress, and his personal triumph over adversity. Also documented is the eventful daily and working lives of both himself and his family. Examples of the struggles experienced by Les's family are shown in the tale of how his grandfather's Northampton shoe manufacturing company was driven out of business by the advent of mass production and how his father, who played the flute in the Camden Music Halls in London, could no longer work when mass entertainment became prevalent. In turn, Les's own craft as a centre-lathe turner became largely displaced during his lifetime. This fascinating life history also describes one man's involvement in trade unionism and provides a picture of political activism in London and Brighton from the 1920s onward.Stories from the Nights at the Round Table
Author(s): Dawn Bartram, Margaret Bearfield, Marion Devoy, Gill Donocick, Peggy Eaton, Julie Everton, Sarah Griffiths, Clare Halstead, Ruth Lonsdale, Eve Peel, Sheila Smith, Pauline Streeton, Margaret Ward
Published: 1998
This is an anthology taken from work that was produced by the Hangleton and Brighton Women Writers' groups. The Hangleton group started meeting in July 1988 as part of the Hangleton and Knoll Community Festival. The aim of the programme was to introduce new writers and audiences to the notion of creative writing, using a variety of methods, to explore the central concerns and themes that impact on women's lives and to draw on their life experiences. For many women, it was the first time that they were able to see their work in print, and this was a positive and uplifting experience for them.Brighton Boy - A fifties childhood
Author(s): Andy Steer
Published: 1994
This autobiography takes as its subject matter the local areas and geography of post-war Brighton, seen through the eyes of Andy Steer. It includes descriptions of institutions in the city that were important to Andy such as Stanford Road School, the now defunct Brighton Cycle Club and the Shiverers Swimming Club at the King Alfred swimming pool in Hove! The book also brings alive those boyhood times when he and his friends played in Cherry Woods, near Withdean Stadium. Here they spent timeless hours on their endless games - lost in their own joyful, imaginary world. In short, Brighton Boy is a schoolboy's tale of Brighton in the fifties which is sure to bring back memories of forgotten times for many local people.