Riverside Writers

I would like to begin by thanking Tony Franks-Buckley for inviting me to write for this site, an offer which I am most happy to accept. 

Time flies, hmm?  I have chaired meetings of Riverside Writers for the last nine years; and much fun it has been, too.  We're a lively, friendly and informal group who meet in West Kirby Library, Wirral - usually on the last Monday of each month unless a Bank Holiday coincides with this, in which case we meet one week earlier.  Meetings start at 7.30pm, and after a catch-up of each others' news we share our efforts for that month's group project. 

We started running optional group writing projects a few years ago when we felt the need to focus the group on actual writing, rather than just talking about writing.  So each month we set ourselves the task of creating a poem or short story using a set theme, location, an interesting photo or an opening sentence, for example.  It's ok if a person diverts from the original idea, as the purpose is simply to offer a starting point.  The results have been both interesting and fun, and people who have regularly participated in the project have found that they written pieces which they otherwise may not have thought of and, more importantly, their skills with the craft of writing have steadily improved.

Riverside Writers have played host numerous speakers over the years, including Marc Gee (Al's Lads), Jon Mayhew (Mortlock), Colin P Davies (Tall Tales of the Iron Horse, The Bookmole) and Anthony Peake (Cheating the Ferryman).  We have also held public readings, sometimes as part of Wirral Bookfest but also independently.  Several members have also participated in Wirral's festival of SF/F/H, called Parallel Dimensions, which has attracted writers from across the UK.

In 2012, Riverside Writers published an anthology of original short stories and poetry by our members. 

The blurb reads:  "Romance, heart-ache, treachery and death! Eighteen stories and poems inspired by the sea, from a group of imaginative writers who live surrounded by water on the Wirral peninsula in England."

The contributors are:  Tim Hulme; Andy Siddle; Adele Cosgrove-Bray; Peter Caton; Nikki Bennett; Ruth Ann Titley. 

Seaside Stories (ISBN 9781301150069)  is available as a FREE download from Smashwords, where it is offered in a variety of formats.

A second group anthology is already being planned for 2013.  This, too, will be produced as an ebook.

If you are looking for a Wirral-based creative writing group, do feel free to come along to any of our meetings.  Whether you're a published author or totally new to writing, new faces are always made very welcome at Riverside Writers.

Write on Wirral December 2012 Edition

The December edition includes short stories, poems, and the continuation of our serial The Memoirs of Hector Hornsmith.

Read it here  http://www.writeonwirral.co.uk/this-edition

Write On Wirral

Write On Wirral is an exciting bi-monthly webzine dedicated to articles and stories from the Wirral Peninsula.

http://www.writeonwirral.co.uk/

Meet the Write On Wirral Team.

 

 

 

Photographer L. Gerrard. Showing (from left to right): Michelle Pearson (Business Adviser), Carole Wilson (Illustrations and Design), Sheila Perry (Illustrations and Design), Gavin Chappell (Editor), Justine Robinson (Promotions). (Off-screen) Margaret Etheridge (Treasurer). Joining us for the Winter 2010 issue : Lisa Daniels (Assistant Editor).

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Hector Hornsmith Diary Entries & The History of Pirates in Wallasey.

$4.99 in Paperback $1.25 on Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/Hornsmith-Entries-Preface-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B008GNLJOY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1355705048&sr=1-4

The History of Pirates in Wallasey has been somewhat over shadowed by the likes of Bristol and of course the Caribbean. Pirates & Smugglers have played a big part in the early history of Wallasey and is known only to the local people of the area. This book will introduce the world to the story of a little suburb called Wallasey. Situated on the banks of the River Mersey, it became one of the biggest smuggling haunts and later became a popular Victorian Seaside Resort in Britain. There have been plenty of rumours of Wallasey's piratical past and its connections with smuggling in the eighteenth century. Many local people know stories of Mother Redcap, and the legendary smugglers? tunnels beneath Wallasey. Mother Redcaps death, however, is linked with mystery; thousands of pounds worth of privateers prize money had been entrusted to her care, but after she died it was never seen again. What did happen to Mother Redcaps treasure Was it spirited away into the labyrinth of tunnels riddling Wallaseys bedrock and just exactly how was Wallasey Linked to Pirates and Smugglers. This is the Preface to Hector Hornsmith & The Torment of Tortuga. Hector Hornsmith speaks of his adventures with his good friend Captain John Gray & his Pirate Crew during the late 18th Century. They are the thorn in the side of King George III and his Royal Navy. Hiding out at Mother Redcaps when they are not at sea in the Inn itself and the network of tunnels that run beneath Wallasey. The Background of the main characters are contained in this book and explain just how Captain John Gray and his Pirate Crew found their way into Liverpool Bay and became housed on the shore line of Wallasey in Mother Redcaps Inn. Not all is plain sailing as whilst Captain John Gray is in search of "The Treasure of Treasures" Lord Captain James Vernon a former Slave Merchant now turned Royal Naval Captain, is in hot pursuit of the pirates as ordered by HRH King George III. for several years he has been hot on the tail of Captain John Gray but is yet to succeed but he grows ever closer to making his capture and is certain that he will soon be celebrating in the Kings Court as the man who captured Captain John Gray. These Diary Entries are the preface to the Historical Fiction book that is due out in the near future "Hector Hornsmith & The Torment of Tortuga" and this book also talks of the history behind the true facts of Pirates and Smugglers on the shore line of Wallasey. The hidden tunnels of Wallasey have been brought to life in the adventures with Hector Hornsmith and using true facts, giving the book an interesting twist that will enlighten the reader to just what it was like in the days of Pirates and Smugglers on the shores of Ye Black Rock. Not only is the book set on the Wallasey side of the River Mersey but Liverpool is also included as it was busy trading goods in and out of the port, that attracted smugglers to the area. Liverpool was a small fishing port which became one of the biggest cities in the world and is a well known city for its links to the Trans-Atlantic slave This is the beginning of the adventures with Hector Hornsmith and his travels around the world as a pirate and smuggler in the 18th century, avoiding the deathly pursuits of the British Royal Navy and searching for treasure that will make fortunes for him, Captain Bones and his crew, It all starts at Ye Black Rock.

 

Hector Hornsmith Diary Entries & The History of Pirates in Wallasey. $4.99 in Paperback $1.25 on Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Hornsmith-Entries-Preface-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B008GNLJOY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1355705048&sr=1-4

Book of Dead Names (Going Underground)

 

 

Three teenage runaways and a revenant occultist spell trouble.

First in the GOING UNDERGROUND series.

Previously published in www.schlock.co.ukand in the longer work GOING UNDERGROUND.

 

 

Now Available for the Amazon Kindle, you can purchase it here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Names-Going-Underground-ebook/dp/B00A4E4882/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355394027&sr=1-1

 

 



Celtic Dawn by Gavin Chappell

 

 

The date is 400 BC. Britain is a patchwork of tribes and kingdoms, united half a century ago by Dumnoualos of Dumnonia, whose armies brought peace to a land torn apart by war. But now the High King is dead, and he leaves two sons, Brenos and Belinos, who are both supported by rival tribal factions. Regardless of their own wishes, one of the brothers is destined to be High King, the other to be banished. And yet his deeds in exile will resound down the centuries, when the savage Celtic tribes burst down from the Alps to sack the nascent city-state of Rome.

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Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing (1 Oct 2003)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1589394798

ISBN-13: 978-1589394797

Product Dimensions: 21 x 0.8 x 28 cm

To Purchase the Book from Amazon click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celtic-Dawn-Gavin-Chappell/dp/1589394798/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355351257&sr=1-16




Wallasey - Days Gone By

At over 380 pages long, this book will bring back memories to the local residents, the day trippers and holiday makers who flooded into the area to enjoy all the attractions it had to offer such as: the largest tower in Britain, the pier, the theatres, the swimming pools, the fairgrounds, the parks, the busy shopping streets and all the other entertainments provided for their pleasure. The area of Wallasey has a recorded history that dates back to the days of Pirates & Smugglers in the early 16th Century. Wallasey became more well known for becoming a haven for rich merchants who built vast numbers of mansion houses and its time as a popular seaside resort from the 19th century onwards. Wallasey has that much history for such a small area, that it would be impossible to detail it all in one book. This book captures all the important factors of Wallasey that made is so popular with tourists and why merchants flocked from across the land to build their mansions amongst others. Take a step back in time and remember Wallasey from days gone by.

 

 

Paperback: 392 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (27 Nov 2012)

ISBN-10: 1481109006

ISBN-13: 978-1481109000

Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm

To Purchase the Book from Amazon Please Click Here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wallasey-Days-Gone-Tony-Franks-Buckley/dp/1481109006/ref=la_B008D4XQY2_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1355322076&sr=1-4

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The House of Skulls and other stories

 

 

The House of Skulls and other stories. Featuring: When the Life-Giver Dies - a pagan god, a virgin sacrifice; just another night's work for Walwain the Pict. Or is it? The Last of the Ogres - a perfect, gentle knight grows up at last. Castle of the Blood Visage - Viking shieldmaiden the Red Daughter encounters a nest of Celtic Vampires. Gordred and the Golden Goose - the secret to untold riches creates galloping inflation and social breakdown in the city-state of Cosht. Off to Bedlam Without Any Supper - an old man faces a dystopian future where hilarity is compulsory. Escape into Danger! - four space pirates are pursued by the galactic police. And many more! First published on Schlock! Weekly Webzine (www.schlock.co.uk)

 

 

Paperback: 394 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2 Jun 2011)

ISBN-10: 1463560303

ISBN-13: 978-1463560300

Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 12.7 x 2.5 cm

To Purchase the Book from Amazon please click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Skulls-other-stories/dp/1463560303/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355327782&sr=1-6



The HitchHikers Guide to the History of the Wirral Coastline

 

 

At over 560 pages long, this book will enlighten the reader to the History of the Wirral Coastline, with a collection of previously unknown materials and pictures. The collection also offers a reminder of the type of buildings that swept not only the Wirral but as a country during the Industrial and Victorian eras. The area boasted many beautiful mansions, houses, public buildings and gardens which were created to mark the beginning of the modern way of life and make Britain look the most advanced country and front runner in world during its Industrial and Post Industrial eras. The area has been blessed with vast amounts of History and for a small area it excels more than most. Forget Westminster, the first parliament in the UK was actually on the Wirral, a little area of Merseyside across the River from Liverpool. It is the nation's capital of Viking history. Inside this book you will find information of the Viking Ship found in an area called Meols where Vikings first came ashore onto the Wirral. The name Wirral is derived from the Gaelic meaning “Wyre Heal” or “Myrtle Corner”. This is because of the peninsula being heavily forested in the past. The area was populated by large amounts of deer and other game, so much so that in Medieval times kings and noblemen used the area for hunting. The emblem of Wirral is the Wirral Horn. The Horn is a brass tipped hunting horn used by the foresters of Wirral and is portrayed in many of the Coats of Arms associated with the peninsula. The horn was given to Alan Sylvester... the first Forrester of Wirral and has passed through thirty generations to the present owner... the Honourable Vivian Baring who has leant it to Wirral Museums where it has been on display. There has been a settlement at what is today known as Wallasey for many thousands of years. Archaeological investigations at the highest point of Wallasey... St Hilary's Brow unearthed artefacts dating back to the Stone Age. The name "Wallasey" is derived from the Gaelic... "Wealas Eye" which roughly translated means Welshmen's or Strangers' Island. This was due to the fact that Wallasey could only be reached by crossing water whether it be the River Birkett, Wallasey Pool, the River Mersey or Liverpool Bay Birkenhead has often been overshadowed by its neighbour, Liverpool, but it has its own unique and interesting history. It was at the forerunner of the Parks Movement which the New York Central Park is designed on that of Birkenhead Park. Birkenhead was also first place in Europe with a street tramway. To the north of Birkenhead lies a ridge known as Bidston Hill. The hill lies between Wallasey Pool and the marshlands that extended from Moreton right the way up to Prenton prior to the Leasowe Embankment being constructed and Moreton Marshes being drained. The hill is an extension of the Storeton Ridge that runs down the Wirral as far as Storeton Quarry, where the Storeton Tramway (an early railway) conveyed the rock quarried at Storeton to docks at Bromborough Pool (Port Sunlight) on the banks of the River Mersey. At the north-western corner of the Wirral Peninsula, approximately one and a half kilometres off the coast, adjacent to West Kirby, there lies an exposed reef of sandstone. At high water, most of the reef is submerged. The three parts of the reef that are exposed form the Hilbre group of islands. Geological evidence suggests that originally, there was one large island. But, over the years, tide and weather erosion have worn away at the soft red sandstone to create three islands. The three islands that form the Hilbre chain of islands are known individually as Little Eye, Middle Hilbre and the main island of Hilbre itself. West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, in the county of Merseyside, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the village of Caldy to the south-east.

 

Paperback: 578 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (21 Sep 2012)

ISBN-10: 1479363030

ISBN-13: 978-1479363032

Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 3.8 cm

To Purchase the Book from Amazon Please Click Here http://www.amazon.co.uk/HitchHikers-Guide-History-Wirral-Coastline/dp/1479363030/ref=la_B008D4XQY2_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1355322076&sr=1-5

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Stella the Stork's Special Delivery

 

 

Stella the Stork sits on her nest knitting and dreaming of the time when she used to work for the Express Stork Delivery Service. To her surprise she is called out of retirement to deliver a baby to Bethlehem. And so the adventure and the miracle begins...

 

 

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 720 KB

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

ASIN: B00AIP6N44

To Purchase the Book from Amazon in Paperback and Kindle format, Please Click Here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Introduction-West-Wirral-Coastline-Peninsula/dp/1479362484/ref=la_B008D4XQY2_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1355322076&sr=1-7



An Introduction to the West Wirral Coastline

At over 160 pages, this book offers an insight into the West Wirral Coastline during the early years, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries using information and plenty of pictures. The West Wirral Coastline is probably the most naturally beautiful area in the North West of England, offering much wildlife and species. most notibly the grey seals at Hilbre Island. Over a thousand years ago Wirral was invaded by the Norsemen and their leagacy can be read in the local place-names, the -by suffix meaning village in the old Norse tongue; we still use the term by-law today West Kirby was west of Kirby in Walea, the old name for Wallasey. The focal point of their settlement was the site of St Bridget's Church in the old village, although the oldest remaining part of the building dates back to about 1150, placing it firmly in the Norman period. The growth of modern West Kirby really began in 1886, when the wonder of the age of the steam engine - arrived. The speed of travel offered by the railway meant that it was possible to work in Liverpool during the day but escape to the cleanermore peaceful and healthier surroundings of this part of Wirral to live. Developers were not slow to realise this, and the place grew out of all recognition. The First Edition of the O.S. plan, drawn in 1871, shows four or five buildings clustered around the corner of Grange Road and Dee Lane. By the time the Second Edition was drawn in 1897, the village layout south of Grange Road was almost exactly as we see it today, and by the turn of the century, just three years later, the shops of the north side were completed. The population boomed - in 1871 Hoylake and West Kirby together had 2,118 residents; thirty years later this figure had increased five-fold to 10,991. Down on the shoreline the Marine Lake is a major attraction for watersports. This was opened on 21 October 1899, and formerly included an open-air swimming pool. The pool has gone, but the lake itself has been extended to cater for the growing demand. This book will also focus on The islands of Little Eye, Middle Eye and Hilbre which are located at the mouth of the Dee Estuary on the border between England and Wales. Hilbre is a designated nature reserve and Site of Specific Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, a Ramsar site (a wetland of international importance), and is a candidate for designation as an European Union Special Area of Conservation. Last but not least is the beautiful area of Caldy. Caldy Village was mentioned as Calders in the Doomsday Book. It is situated is on the west side of the Wirral peninsula and is developed around the old village and manor which dates from the late 17th century. In 1832 the village was bought by a Mr R.W.Barton. Development from 1906 to the late 1960s was by way of disposal of individual plots, in most instances for the purposes of the construction of single dwellings. The methods of sale continued to constitute a quite effective way of preserving the special character and nature of the Caldy village, which was one essentially of a low density area of good quality housing offering a high environmental quality.

 

 

Paperback: 164 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (21 Sep 2012)

ISBN-10: 1479362484

ISBN-13: 978-1479362486

Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 0.9 cm

To Purchase the Book from Amazon Please Click Here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Introduction-West-Wirral-Coastline-Peninsula/dp/1479362484/ref=la_B008D4XQY2_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1355322076&sr=1-7

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Marvellous Mavis and the Devolve-o-Meter

 

The year is 1903, and Sir Radwin is about to embark on the greatest experiment of all which hopes to find the answer to the greatest question of all: What came first, the chicken or the egg? Mavis, 11 year old daughter of his cook, knows only one thing: she too must find the answer to that question. But who can forecast the future? Little does she suspect that it will not only involve saving the world but the life of Sir Radwin himself.

 

 

Paperback: 234 pages

Publisher: Local Legend Publishing (31 Aug 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1907203249

ISBN-13: 978-1907203244

Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.3 x 22.9 cm

To purchase the Book from Amazon please click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marvellous-Mavis-Devolve-o-Meter-Mal-Muirhead/dp/1907203249/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355326404&sr=1-1




The History of Birkenhead & Bidston

At over 170 pages long, this book offers an insight into the areas of Birkenhead & Bidston during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries using information and plenty of pictures. Situated on the Wirral Peninsula, Birkenhead was a popular area during the British Inudtrial Revolution and has contributed greatly to new innovations and most notibly ship building at Cammell Lairds. Whilst industrialisation was occurring in Birkenhead, nearby Bidston became a popular area with beautiful scenery to offer, it became a luxery area for wealthy merchants and businessmen. Birkenhead is perhaps Wirral's best known area, famed for centuries of maritime trade and commercial activity. The name Birkenhead derives from the Old English 'birchen' which translated into' birch trees on a headland'. This of course refers to the area known today as Woodside which in ancient times was a large piece of land filled with Birch trees that jutted out into the River Mersey. Although today many people consider Birkenhead the centre of Wirral's economy, it is only in recent years that this area has become heavily populated and the hub of Wirral industry. Prior to the 1800's there was very little in Birkenhead to talk about other than the old priory, a ferry house and a sparce population. Birkenhead had a meagre population of 110 people in 1801 suggesting that very little trade or activity went on in this area. Within the short period of 50 years and thanks to some very clever town planners, the population had rocketed to over 8000 residents sparking the boom which transformed Birkenhead to the town we know today. For anybody that is interested in Ships and Ship Building, Birkenhead has been famed for its linkage with the two. From Cammell Lairds to the "Ferry Across the Mersey" Birkenhead has contributed greatly to the British ship building industry. Bidston is a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula. In modern days is a mixture of the well-preserved Bidston Village, Bidston Hill, the industrial estate Bidston Moss and a modern housing estate. Not only has Bidston played an important role on the Wirral through Geographical natural beauty. Bidston has also got vast amounts of history of its own. From Bidston Hill to Bidston Hall, the area has played an important part of the History of Wirral and is still today an area that attracts many to visit its beautiful surroundings and buildings.

 

 

Paperback: 180 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (21 Sep 2012)

ISBN-10: 1479362360

ISBN-13: 978-1479362363

Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.2 x 0.9 cm

To Purchase the Book from Amazon Please Click Here http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Birkenhead-Bidston-Wirral-Peninsula/dp/1479362360/ref=la_B008D4XQY2_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355322076&sr=1-2

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Thieves' Guild Academy: The Dungeoneers: 1 by Gavin Chappell

 

 

 

A WORLD OF KNIGHTS AND CASTLES, MONSTERS AND ADVENTURERS, TREACHERY AND INTRIGUE. While spying on the occult rituals of a White Witch in contemporary England, four youths - Gerald, Percy, Norman, and Brian - find themselves mysteriously transported to another planet. Their struggle to survive in a hostile world leads them on a terrifying journey through dark forests, dank underground tunnels, war-torn wastelands, and finally to the winding streets of a violent city where they are apprenticed into the notorious Thieves' Guild. Will they survive the tests set by Grandmaster Mohock, and become star pupils of the Thieves' Guild Academy? Or will the marauding horde of barbarians even now crossing the horizon send them on another, more terrible path? Book One in THE DUNGEONEERS

 

 

Paperback: 342 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (10 July 2012)

ISBN-10: 1478221291

ISBN-13: 978-1478221296

Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm

To Purchase the Book from Amazon Please Click Here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thieves-Guild-Academy-Dungeoneers-1/dp/1478221291/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355324278&sr=1-3#_


Liverpool During The Industrial Revolution 1700-1850

 

The Rise of Liverpool During the British Industrial Revolution is a research document into how Liverpool coped with the mass influx of immigrants increasing population, disease, economy, imports, exports during the industrial boom that seen Liverpool become the biggest port in the world.

The Industrial Revolution in Liverpool saw the city emerging as one of the chief centers of cotton and slave trade. In the early periods of the 19th century, it became the chief importer of textile items, defeating London that was one of the chief contenders in the trading business. Being an important port city since the 13th century, Liverpool had major trading relations with Ireland which were later established with Manchester as well. Trading relations between Liverpool and Manchester were further strengthened by the Liverpool and Manchester railway line

With growing trade relations and the advent of machineries, Liverpool became an important industrial hub. Different kinds of warehouses, docks and factories were established which boosted up the economical scenario of the city and the country of United Kingdom as a whole. In the year 1772, the extension of the Bridgewater Canal to Mersey saw the beginning of canal construction in United Kingdom.With time, it also became an important trading partner with the Americans.

 

 

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 151 KB

Print Length: 23 pages

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

ASIN: B008CO4PRA

 

 

To Purchase the Book for the Amazon Kindle Please Click Here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Liverpool-Industrial-Revolution-1700-1850-ebook/dp/B008CO4PRA/ref=la_B008D4XQY2_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1355322076&sr=1-9



Pseudonomicon: Schlock Webzine: 1

 

 

 

Since the first issue was released on 10 April 2011, Schlock! Webzine has consistently featured some of the best science fiction, fantasy and horror stories on the internet. Editor Gavin Chappell has since accrued a motley collection of writers and artists, all determined to make Schlock! Webzine a force to be reckoned with. And now, we present you with the best stories hailing from the first volume of Schlock! Webzine. Inside you will find monsters and killers, saviours and saints. You will see visions of the future and depictions of the past, alternate realities and alternate personae. The birth of a genre... and the future of several more. This... is PSEUDONOMICON.

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Paperback: 250 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (4 Dec 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 146799975X

ISBN-13: 978-1467999755

Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm

To purchase the book please click here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pseudonomicon-Schlock-Webzine-Gavin-Chappell/dp/146799975X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355324278&sr=1-2


New Brighton - A Victorian Seaside Resort

During the Victorian era, the British Seaside became a popular destination for the working class citizens of Britain. At over 200 pages of information and pictures, this book captures just how popular, the area of New Brighton became during Victorian times. Not only was New Brighton popular during the 19th century, but it was formerly a haunt for Pirates & Smugglers, most famously with Mother Redcaps Inn. Lost treasure still remains underneath New Brighton, in smugglers tunnels that run to all corners of Wallasey. New Brighton was a front runner in many departments, it once housed the biggest tower in Britain, it still has the longest promenade in Britain and even had a football team playing in the top flight of football. Following the mass population growth that occurred during the British Industrial Revolution, Seaside resorts became a popular destination for the working class citizens in Britain. Separated by the River Mersey, Liverpool was the neighbouring city that looked across at the borough of Wallasey, and became a weekend retreat for many of the fun seekers that resided in the industrial region of Liverpool. In order to reach the destination, the famous “Ferry across the Mersey” was the viable form of transport. Until 1891 the river front was open to the shore. The only built up areas being the Ferry terminals. If a traveller on the river prior to this period looked toward Wallasey he would have seen mainly eroded clay cliffs supported by a large masonry wall (1858-1863). It was impossible to pass directly from Seacombe to Egremont via this route. At the Guinea Gap there was an actual hole in the cliff in which the tide had carved out a large hollow. From Egremont to what is now New Brighton, existed only private properties occupying the foreshore. In 1896, New Brighton was given a brand new feature when work started on the Tower & Ballroom. The New Brighton Tower was patterned on the world-famous Eiffel Tower in Paris. It all started when a newly formed company called The New Brighton Tower and Recreation Company Limited, with a share capital of £300,000 decided to purchase the Rock Point Estate of over 20 acres. The Tower was to be 544 feet high, with Assembly Hall, Winter Gardens, Refreshment Rooms and layout with a cycle track. The Tower was to be more elegant than Blackpool's. Shares were £1 each and the Tower would be made of mild steel. During the construction of the Tower six workmen were killed and another seriously injured either though falls or accidents. On completion the Tower was the highest building in the country. Soon after the Tower was opened a young man threw himself off the balcony to be the first suicide from the building. Four lifts took the sightseers to the top of the structure at a cost of 6d. From there you could see for miles around including the Isle of Man, Great Orme's Head, part of the Lake District and the Welsh Mountains. The Tower is said to have attracted around half a million people in the year. The book introduces the reader to the creation of a Seaside resort , from start to finish. Following the devastating fire in 1969, New Brighton which was the most popular Seaside resort in the North West, slowly dissapeared into a ghost town during the latter half of the 20th Century. However new investment in the 21st Century has encouraged vistors to return again to a once popular Victorian Seaside Resort.

 

 

Paperback: 218 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (20 Nov 2012)

ISBN-10: 1481054007

ISBN-13: 978-1481054003

Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm

To Purchase the Book from Amazon Please Click Here http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Brighton-Victorian-Seaside-Resort/dp/1481054007/ref=la_B008D4XQY2_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1355318812&sr=1-3#_

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State of Emergency by Gavin Chappell

 

 

A STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED AND A CURFEW WILL BE IMPOSED IN THE CAPITAL BETWEEN 1800 HOURS AND 0700 HOURS... WE MUST CRACK DOWN ON THESE INSURGENTS WHOSE ACTIONS THREATEN DEMOCRACY ITSELF.’ In a terrifying England of the near future, Will's chance reencounter with his old tutor plunges him into a world of political demonstrations and police brutality. Persuaded by activist Daisy Rae to take direct action, Will is horrified to find society descending into chaos as a result. He and his friends embark upon a nightmare flight through the London streets that swarm with rogue members of the security forces. The country's last chance for liberty lies in a deserted hotel room in Shepherds Bush. But what chance does Will have of getting Professor Quigley's Manifesto to Oxford before civil war erupts?

 

 

Paperback: 206 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (4 April 2012)

ISBN-10: 147515027X

ISBN-13: 978-1475150278

Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm

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The Treasure of Treasures - Part 1 Ye Black Rock

 

 

The Treasure of Treasures is a childrens adventure following Hector Hornsmith and his Diary, in which he records his adventures searching for the Treasure of all Treasures under the command of his good friend Captain John Gray. Hector Hornsmith speaks of his adventures with his good friend Captain John Gray & his Pirate Crew during the late 18th Century. They are the thorn in the side of King George III & Lord Captain James Vernon and his Royal Naval crew aboard the Barfleur. Hector Hornsmith was born in Portishead which was a small fishing hamlet on the West Coast of Britain. Always one with big ideas and a quest for knowledge, he left the shores of Britain and sailed across the ocean to Tortuga where he me Captain John Gray and became best of friends as well as treasure seeking Pirates. Hector and Captain John Gray find their way to the North West Coast when being pursued by the Ryal Naval ship The Barfleur with its Captain, Lord Captain James Vernon a former Slave Trader who has been ordered by HRH King George III to capture them at all costs. Captain John Gray and his crew Hide out at Mother Redcaps on Ye Black Rock when they are not at sea which is an Inn and has a network of tunnels running below in several directions filled with treasure rooms, living and sleeping quarters. Captain John Gray has been in search for the biggest treasure find which will allow him to retire from being a pirate and live happily with his Beloved Polly (Mother Redcap) but each time he thought he had sailed for his final time he has lost his loot but this time will be different he is armed with a map which he is keeping close to his chest, not even his best friend Hector knows what the map says. Will he find his treasure or will he once again leave with empty hands? find out in the Treasure of Treasures and join Captain John Gray on his adventures. Part 1 is the first of a trilogy and is Titled "Ye Black Rock" which starts in Liverpool and ends on the island of Tortuga.

 

 

Paperback: 104 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (21 Sep 2012)

ISBN-10: 1479362735

ISBN-13: 978-1479362738

Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 0.6 cm

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Going Underground by Gavin Chappell

 

 

Hamish awoke with a start. Darkness and dead white faces, loud noise and cloying, exotic scents assailed him from all sides: a scene rivalling Dante’s Inferno. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was.... GOING UNDERGROUND tells the story of three teenage runaways, Hamish, Eloise and Nick, whose adventures expose them to the seamier side of supernatural Britain. Encounters with black magicians, vampire cultists and Neo-Nazi mystics culminate in a quest for the Celtic Grail, located in the depths of the planet itself, with which their enemy Tybalt Kohl hopes to resurrect the Third Reich...

 

 

Paperback: 466 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (18 Jan 2012)

ISBN-10: 1460998227

ISBN-13: 978-1460998229

Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 12.7 x 3 cm

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Hector Hornsmith Diary Entries Preface To The Memoirs of Hector Hornsmith

 

 

The History of Pirates in Wallasey has been somewhat over shadowed by the likes of Bristol and of course the Caribbean. Pirates & Smugglers have played a big part in the early history of Wallasey and is known only to the local people of the area. This book will introduce the world to the story of a little suburb called Wallasey. Situated on the banks of the River Mersey, it became one of the biggest smuggling haunts and later became a popular Victorian Seaside Resort in Britain. There have been plenty of rumours of Wallasey's piratical past and its connections with smuggling in the eighteenth century. Many local people know stories of Mother Redcap, and the legendary smugglers? tunnels beneath Wallasey. Mother Redcap?s death, however, is linked with mystery; thousands of pounds worth of privateers? prize money had been entrusted to her care, but after she died it was never seen again. What did happen to Mother Redcap?s treasure? Was it spirited away into the labyrinth of tunnels riddling Wallasey?s bedrock and just exactly how was Wallasey Linked to Pirates and Smugglers. This is the Preface to Hector Hornsmith & The Torment of Tortuga. Hector Hornsmith speaks of his adventures with his good friend Captain John Gray & his Pirate Crew during the late 18th Century. They are the thorn in the side of King George III and his Royal Navy. Hiding out at Mother Redcaps when they are not at sea in the Inn itself and the network of tunnels that run beneath Wallasey. The Background of the main characters are contained in this book and explain just how Captain John Gray and his Pirate Crew found their way into Liverpool Bay and became housed on the shore line of Wallasey in Mother Redcaps Inn. Not all is plain sailing as whilst Captain John Gray is in search of "The Treasure of Treasures" Lord Captain James Vernon a former Slave Merchant now turned Royal Naval Captain, is in hot pursuit of the pirates as ordered by HRH King George III. for several years he has been hot on the tail of Captain John Gray but is yet to succeed but he grows ever closer to making his capture and is certain that he will soon be celebrating in the Kings Court as the man who captured Captain John Gray. These Diary Entries are the preface to the Historical Fiction book that is due out in the near future "Hector Hornsmith & The Torment of Tortuga" and this book also talks of the history behind the true facts of Pirates and Smugglers on the shore line of Wallasey. The hidden tunnels of Wallasey have been brought to life in the adventures with Hector Hornsmith and using true facts, giving the book an interesting twist that will enlighten the reader to just what it was like in the days of Pirates and Smugglers on the shores of Ye Black Rock. Not only is the book set on the Wallasey side of the River Mersey but Liverpool is also included as it was busy trading goods in and out of the port, that attracted smugglers to the area. Liverpool was a small fishing port which became one of the biggest cities in the world and is a well known city for its links to the Trans-Atlantic slave This is the beginning of the adventures with Hector Hornsmith and his travels around the world as a pirate and smuggler in the 18th century, avoiding the deathly pursuits of the British Royal Navy and searching for treasure that will make fortunes for him, Captain Bones and his crew, It all starts at Ye Black Rock.

 

 

Paperback: 134 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (21 Sep 2012)

ISBN-10: 1479362689

ISBN-13: 978-1479362684

Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 0.8 cm

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Wirral Smugglers, Wreckers and Pirates

 

 

 

The book is the first authoritative, illustrated, full-length account of smuggling and related activities in Wirral. Covering the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it represents the first book-length account concerning this important chapter in Wirral's heritage. Not only does it describe familiar facts in great detail - Mother Redcap and her smugglers' tavern on the Wallasey shore, the labyrinth of smugglers' tunnels stretching from the Red Noses in New Brighton throughout Wallasey, and the wreckers who used to prey upon Liverpool-bound shipping - it also covers the less well-known aspects of Wirral's piratical past, including smuggling in Parkgate and Heswall, and the swashbuckling adventures of Captain Fortunatus Wright - the Wallasey privateer.

 

 

Hardcover: 184 pages

Publisher: Countyvise Ltd (30 Jun 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1906823200

ISBN-13: 978-1906823207

Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 14.6 x 1.4 cm

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 100,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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