Reseña del libro "The Girl From The Lido Cafe (Belfast 1960) (en Inglés)"
This is a true story, a detailed account, of the writer's life and times, starting with his early years covering 1942 to present day 2017.Growing up in a heavily industrialised North Yorkshire seaside resort of Redcar, this book covers his war years as a child, his schooling, and his family moving home several times in the local area. leaving school, starting work as an apprentice, meeting girls, the dancing years of the fifties, and teenage motorcycling with friends. And joining the Yorkshire Police force is some of the many areas covered. These will bring back memories to the readers of what is was like to live, and grow up then. The 1950's was a time of hope, a time where war rationing had just finished. The young looked to the future and made the best of what they had. Reminders of war existed to show just how bad the bad times could be. A fascinating look at times gone bye, which will no doubt bring back a flood of memories to all from that Era.The writer leaves home as a young man, aged 21, and travels to Ireland for the first time, in 1959, to find work with an Irish friend, and falls in love with the place, and people of Ireland, all its customs and charms, and as a young man of course the local Belfast girls.A weekly Commute between Belfast and Dublin for work, allowed him to build up a considerable amount of experience with the differing areas, customs, and what makes the Irish people who they are. He meets his future wife Kathleen, pictured standing in the doorway of the famous Lido Café, (book front cover), who at 20 years of age, was the second eldest of her three other sisters, who also worked there. The writer provides details of his engagement, moving back to North Yorkshire with his fiancée Kathleen in the very bad winter of 1960. Working like a slave, firstly as a locomotive fireman, in the steelworks, then filling sacks of coal sometimes for many days in the rain, all for just 1.50 per day. Going onto be a process worker in Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) chemical works, then as a council road sweeper in Redcar Yorkshire. He details his great highs such as getting married, their first rented home, then later, buying their first House together, their first child. starting a new business, expanding into plastic injection moulding, moving into their own new factory, and employing staff.To great lows in their life, such as the loss of the second Baby, the hardships of work in the fifties and sixties.In his later years the writer details expanding the family to four children, moving to Eastbourne in the south east for better opportunities, starting a cosmetics / Import business, opening two shops, and later two Guest Houses. At the same time, he gained Irish citizenship, travelled there frequently exhibiting and selling in Ireland, whilst property developing in Sussex.The book contains many photos of the times and allows the reader to slip back into the past, to feel immersed in the time and place. Many will find it a refreshing look back to their own experiences in their youth, other will find it a fascinating look back at something which is now lost to the past. The reader will find the book written in a typical basic working-class style, because that is what the writer is, and again is a telling fact of a time when some children left school for work at 15 years old, a necessity to help towards the family budget. You will read about poverty, ambition, love, happiness, and sadness, and the sheer determination to overcome the hardships of life, followed by success, pleasure, and contentment, and eventual retirement. A compelling read!All a busy life whilst bringing up a large family, the present day finds the writer trying to retire, but still working now aged 79. The book has sold many copies in Northern Ireland, especially in Co Fermanagh, and Tyrone, has been well received with good press write ups, Belfast Live, and the Fermanagh Herald. Their reporter wrote the forward for this book.
