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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.
Little Ethel Smith - Her story told by herself
Author(s): Ethel Howell
Published: 1992
This autobiography was published in 1992 and it tells the poignant tale of a young working class woman who grew up in the Old Kent Road in London and came to live with her family in the Sussex countryside, when still a young girl. An important feature of the book is the value placed on family loyalty. It tells the story of Ethel's life during the war years, her courtship and marriage and the sad tale of her first love, a doomed romance that was unable to overcome the class barriers that were prevalent at that time. It is a description of one woman's journey through an often impoverished life – describing the transition from girlhood to womanhood. Ethel finally came a long way from her humble beginnings in the Old Kent Road and this publication is testament to her resourcefulness and hard work.Moulsecoomb Memories - Growing up in North Moulsecoomb in the thirties and forties
Author(s): Sheila Winter
Published: 1998
This personal history features the growth of the community of North Moulsecoomb. These are the reminiscences of Sheila Winter, who was born, raised and married in the community, and who narrates the story of her life during the years between 1929 and 1950. Through her eyes, the reader learns of the pleasures of childhood, despite the hardships and restrictions brought about by the Second World War. Sheila shares with the reader her personal hopes, fears, struggles and achievements as she describes her life's progression. Above all, the resilience of the human spirit shines through this honest and reflective account of one woman's life history.Take Him Away
Author(s): Ron Piper
Published: 1995
This adventure begins with Ron Piper, as a boy of seven, clambering around bombsites looking for shrapnel and ends with his appearance in the dock at The Old Bailey, as a notorious career criminal. It is a powerful wartime record of the author's steady progress towards a life of crime in war-torn East London. Ron's unique style and humour convey to the reader the tribulations of his life, as well as describing the deep camaraderie, friendship and mischief that he shared with his companions and fellow felons. Full of vivid memories and colourful characters, it's a compelling account of one man's life history, which also conveys a vivid picture of the social history of the time.Memories of Rottingdean - 1920 - 1945
Author(s): Margaret Ward
Published: 1993
This book is a sequel to One Camp Chair in the Living Room, written by Margaret Ward and published by QueenSpark in 1988. Margaret was born and brought up in Rottingdean and lived there all her life. Unfortunately in 1989 she suffered a major stroke and at the suggestion of her rehabilitation nurses, started (as therapy) to write again. As she began to describe the stroke itself and her hard, painful struggle towards recovery she discovered fresh memories of her childhood, teenage years and early married life - they came crowding in and these more recent recollections are incorporated in this narrative.The Crowd Roars - Tales from the life of a professional stuntman
Author(s): Ron Cunningham (The Great Omani)
Published: 1998
In these reminiscences, Ron Cunningham, alias "the Great Omani", presents tales and adventures from the life of a professional stuntman. Ron's inspiration was the renowned escapologist, Houdini and in describing the exploits that he undertook as part of his unusual career, echoes of Houdini's famous tricks can be spotted. For example, Ron once had to travel from Hastings to Piccadilly in London encased in a concrete coffin, and another time, he jumped off the West Pier bound in chains. His stunts ranged from the bizarre to the spectacular and dangerous. Warning - not to be tried at home!Just one of a Large Family - Pre-war memories of the Tenantry Down neighbourhood
Author(s): Don Carter
Published: 1992
This book is a personal account of living in the Tenantry Down neighbourhood of Brighton in the pre-war years. Don Carter, the author, describes his childhood in the Hartington Road area of Brighton, where nearly all the roads are named after places in the Isle of Wight. Don can claim to be a true Brightonian, having been born and bred in the city. His boyhood territory was the vast, almost rural, valley of the cemeteries and the allotments of Tenantry Down. Added to Don's personal memories, are recollections from family and friends, which are incorporated into this interesting tale of life in Brighton in a bygone era.Me and My Mum - The story of five daughters and their relationships with their mothers
Author(s): Leila Abrahams, Irene Donald, June Drake, Monica Hastings, Violet Pumphery
Published: 1996
These childhood reminiscences examine the special and unbreakable bond between mothers and their daughters. Through the story of five daughters and their relationships with their mothers, the book charts the positive and negative experiences of family life. In particular, it examines the influence that their mothers had on their development as women and individuals in their own right. Each story is as different as the people involved and reflects the actions, attitudes, beliefs and subjectivity's of the authors, and is especially relevant to all mothers and daughters, whatever their ages.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.Poetry - QueenSpark Poetry Anthology 1
Author(s): Joe Benjamin, Danny Birchall, Jackie Blackwell, Carol Brown, Thomas Clark, Beryl Fenton, Louise Hume, Geven Wayne Jones, Elaine Kingett, Fay Layton, Simon Mumford, Nick Osmond, Sam Royce, Tim Shelton-Jones, John Tatum
Published: 1994
However people personally define poetry, this anthology contains something for everyone. The poets all hail from the Brighton area and they reflect a wide range of ages and backgrounds. The poems can read by those who are looking for a pleasant read, by the poetry connoisseur or the serious academic. They include many different themes, ranging from the light-hearted to the serious and fantastical. Their only common feature is their accessibility to the general audience, the high quality of the verse and their readability. This is poetry that reflects ordinary people's experiences with insight and humour and should appeal to all age groups.Those Lost Years
Author(s): Mary Adams
Published: 1995
This absorbing book tells the story of Mary Adam's life. Born in Birmingham in 1930, she describes a wartime childhood that was spent in convent schools and documents the abuse she suffered at a "farm school" for children with learning disabilities, along with the forty-seven years that she spent at St. Mary's residential unit for women, where, after a difficult start, her life steadily became more enjoyable. From such inauspicious beginnings, she subsequently extols the gradual development of a new life and independence, until, sadly, her life was ironically and tragically cut short by her death from cancer in March 1995 - just as her story was being prepared for publication. So, this is Mary"s legacy, ensuring that she will never be forgotten as long as her special memories live on.