Jaqueline is a local author whose books  juxtapose old photographs and postcards with modern
photographs of the same scene  and a brief commentary. ‘Stratford Upon Avon Through Time’ is the latest in the “Through Time” series that Jaqueline has written.
In this fascinating full colour collection of over 200 photographs and postcards, Stratford upon Avon and its surroundings are explored. From images of the streets, buildings, pubs and hotels, to the beauty of the river and surrounding countryside, all aspects of working and social life are chronicled. Join Jacqueline Cameron on this affectionate tour of the area, as she takes us beyond the familiar Tudor black and white buildings, and explores the people of the area, and the changes which have taken place to this quintessentially English town. As she usually finds, some buildings have been preserved for posterity, while others have witnessed a great deal of modernisation.

Author and Shakespearian actor  Ben Crystal gave a talk about his book

 ‘Shakespeare On Toast : Getting a Taste for the Bard’

at 7pm on the evening of Wednesday 3rd November.

This was a talk in our ‘Meet The Author’ series. Ben has written a super book aimed at getting everyone as interested in Shakespeare and as enthusiastic about him as he is. The nub of his argument is that it is important to realise above all that Shakespeare is not meant to be read, let alone studied, as he writes modern, thrilling and uplifting drama…..to be seen and experienced.

In his talk Ben adopted the lightest touch possible, unlocked the difficult bits, explained the vagaries of language, and generally urged us to enjoy Shakespeare for what he is ..a master scriptwriter. Particularly fascinating was his rendition of part of Macbeth first of all in received Shakespearian pronunciation, then in the sort of accent that Shakespeare would have used, this coming from meticulous research from his father – the master linguist David Crystal – and himself. This may well have been the first occasion that such an accent, bass and West Country in style, had been used in the hall of LOrd Leycester’s Hospital for 400 years. A wonderful thought.

Ben is touring next year with his own production of Shakespeare in the original speech patterns, and with the encouragement of Colonel Lesinski, The Master of the Hospital, we hope to stage it in the hall. Something very much to look forward to.

A book signing for ‘ Stab Proof Scarecrows’ will take place with Lance Manley on Saturday 27th November

Warwick Books 10am -11.30am

Kenilworth Books 1.30pm – 3pm

Don’t miss a chance to discuss with Lance what it’s really like to be in the police force of today.

Be careful what you wish for, you may end up stuck with it. Unlike other frontline police books, this one is from someone who chose to resign, rather than compromise his ethics.

 ’Stab Proof Scarecrows’  looks at policing in England from a trainee’s perspective – someone who joined with high aspirations of helping to protect people and serve the public trust, only to resign while still in his probation, after becoming thoroughly disillusioned with the modern world of coppering. Lance Manley spent 20 months as a volunteer Special Constable in the City of London, patrolling the Square Mile. He was on duty on 7 and 21 July 2005 in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. He then worked for 19 months with another Force as a paid Regular officer.

 The book looks at, amongst other things:

• How the London public REALLY reacted to the terrorist attacks in July 2005.

• Why the officers that shot Jean Charles de Menezes deserve gallantry medals.

• How Race and Diversity training has taken centre stage over self-defence, legal knowledge and common sense.

• Why the Police are reluctant to let their officers use force.

• The back stabbing that is actively encouraged by senior management.

• The focus on caring for the criminal, while leaving victims to fend for themselves.

• The bullying and underhanded tactics used to bin anyone that doesn’t fit in.

• How the modern English Police put their image before everything else.

Peter Rhodes  talked about his new book ‘For A Shilling A Day’at Kenilworth Library on Wednesday 10th November at 7.00pm.

It was a full-house to hear regional newspaper journalist Peter Rhodes talk about his book  ’For A Shilling A Day’.  ‘We can get you buggers for a shilling a day, but the horses cost eighty quid each.’ Knee-deep in mud and slush, covered in boils and lice, this was what his sergeant-major told one of the interviewees in this extraordinary and moving series of accounts of lives lived in the service of king, queen and country. The author, Peter Rhodes, has built up a unique collection of interviews with war veterans and we were lucky that he came to Kenilworth to talk about it.

He built up his compilation of nearly 200 pieces over the course of 25 years and, just as the book begins with an interview with 110-year-old John Evans recalling the death of General Gordon in Khartoum in 1885 and ends with the killing of a Midlands soldier in Afghanistan more than 120 years later, so Peter ranged in his talk over a tremendously wide field. It promised to be an important and fascinating talk, and so it was. Everyone present went away grateful that Peter had added immeasurably to our understanding of what it is like to fight in a war and what scars it leaves. A memorable evening.