books
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Carl Chinn – The Real Peaky Blinders
Last week I was lucky enough to attend a talk with a real Midlands Legend. Professor Carl Chinn is my favourite historian, I particularly love his knowledge of ‘The Real Peaky Blinders‘, the stories of the real people and families who inspired the now classic TV programme. Carl gave a free talk at Great Barr library as part of the Sandwell Literature festival, which is currently ongoing across Midlands libraries. Here are some of the highlights of his talk. The Myth of the Peaky Blinders The TV series Peaky Blinders shows a glamorously dressed gang, they are very well turned out, anti heroes. But reality was very different. I believe…
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Agatha Christie’s Greenway – A Photo Story
Agatha Christie’s holiday home Greenway, is just the most beautiful, idyllic place. A mansion on the river Dart that still has the feel of a much loved family home, it’s setting and grounds served as inspiration for Dead Man’s Folly *(the body was found in the boathouse), and ‘Five Little Pigs‘*, where the Battery was a key setting. Greenway is now in the control of the National Trust, and visitors can enjoy all the house, the setting and its vast grounds, getting a feel of what made Agatha, a Devon girl born and bred, tick. You do not need to book to go to Greenway, but you must book a…
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A Waterstones Evening With Benjamin Stevenson – Pt 2
A little later than promised, but hey, life gets in the way. This is part 2 of the Waterstones Birmingham chat with award winning writer and comedian Ben Stevenson. (Part 1 is here.) His current book ‘ Everybody on this train is a suspect‘ is just out in paperback, and Ben was chatting about this, and all things cosy crime. What’s coming next? I have a Christmas themed book with the same detective out in October, and then a fourth novel currently in progress. But I do have a worry about how many murders an amateur detective can come across. The first book (Everyone in my family has killed someone)…
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A Waterstones Evening With Benjamin Stevenson PT 1
Benjamin Stevenson is one of the hottest writers around. An award winning stand up comedian as well as an author, his last book was the international bestseller ‘Everyone in my family has killed someone‘, and now he is back with a loving tribute to the golden age of crime, ‘Everyone on this train is a suspect’. Last Thursday Benjamin made an appearance at Waterstones Birmingham to talk all about his new book. Here are some snippets from that chat. What is ‘Everyone on this train is a suspect’ about? It’s about a writer’s festival, 6 writers on a luxury train (The Ghan) which is a bit like the Orient Express.…
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Cyrille Regis – Working Class Hero Book Signing At Blue Sheep Books
Blue Sheep Books is a cool independent book shop in the Black Country Town of Wednesbury. It stocks a gorgeous range of books, including local interest and authors, a great crime section, and beautiful special editions, as well as hosting reading clubs, Murdle evenings and Pokemon battles. It is, in short, a real destination for Midlands book lovers. Add in the fact it also serves coffee, cakes and craft beers and you have a hidden treasure that is fully deserving of its growing ‘book flock.’ Today Blue Sheep Books hosted a very special book signing for fans of West Bromwich Albion with a visit from Baggies chronicler and club photographer…
