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When I Was a Boy in Dagenham

When I Was a Boy in Dagenham

Brian Hawkins
3.7/5 ( ratings)
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'When I Was a Boy in Dagenham' is a true account of the first eighteen years in the life of a boy born a few months after the end of the Second World War to a typical working class family from east London living in the capital’s first and largest council estate, the Becontree Estate in Dagenham, eleven miles from central London.
The author describes his earliest recollections, his life before starting school, his progression through infant and primary schools – from being a confident, precocious and academically advanced student, constantly wanting to be the class clown – to a teenager who turned his back on secondary education to chase his dream of becoming a professional musician, a dream that was never fulfilled.
Poignant at times, amusing at others, Brian Hawkins takes us through his life in post-war Britain and compares it with life today, as he talks candidly about the things that worried him, annoyed him, upset him and, indeed, those that made him happy.
There is plenty to interest readers of all ages. School-age readers might identify with the accounts of playground games, school mischief and the occasional teacher who is not so pleasant; teenagers might identify with the author’s first tentative interactions with the opposite sex; and readers of more seasoned years might feel a hint of nostalgia about mention of government-issue orange juice, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, 'Rin-Tin-Tin' and 'The Grove Family' on television, London trolleybuses, steam trains, and songs of the 1950s.

About the author: Brian Hawkins is a retired medical scientist who has lived in Hong Kong since 1982. He wrote extensively in the scientific and medical literature prior to his retirement and more recently has turned his attention to writing about the entertainment industry. Reflecting his cockney roots, he is the author of the best-selling guidebook to the 'Minder' television series, 'The Phenomenon that was Minder' published in 2002, and its updated version 'The Complete Minder' in 2014. In 2013, he teamed up with the accomplished British actor the late George Cole O.B.E. to help write his autobiography 'The World was My Lobster'. He reignited his teenage passion for music in the 1980s after he moved to Hong Kong and ran a high school jazz band and took part in many musical performances in his spare time. He is married with three adult children and six grandchildren.
Language
English
Pages
180
Format
Kindle Edition

When I Was a Boy in Dagenham

Brian Hawkins
3.7/5 ( ratings)
Read Download
'When I Was a Boy in Dagenham' is a true account of the first eighteen years in the life of a boy born a few months after the end of the Second World War to a typical working class family from east London living in the capital’s first and largest council estate, the Becontree Estate in Dagenham, eleven miles from central London.
The author describes his earliest recollections, his life before starting school, his progression through infant and primary schools – from being a confident, precocious and academically advanced student, constantly wanting to be the class clown – to a teenager who turned his back on secondary education to chase his dream of becoming a professional musician, a dream that was never fulfilled.
Poignant at times, amusing at others, Brian Hawkins takes us through his life in post-war Britain and compares it with life today, as he talks candidly about the things that worried him, annoyed him, upset him and, indeed, those that made him happy.
There is plenty to interest readers of all ages. School-age readers might identify with the accounts of playground games, school mischief and the occasional teacher who is not so pleasant; teenagers might identify with the author’s first tentative interactions with the opposite sex; and readers of more seasoned years might feel a hint of nostalgia about mention of government-issue orange juice, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, 'Rin-Tin-Tin' and 'The Grove Family' on television, London trolleybuses, steam trains, and songs of the 1950s.

About the author: Brian Hawkins is a retired medical scientist who has lived in Hong Kong since 1982. He wrote extensively in the scientific and medical literature prior to his retirement and more recently has turned his attention to writing about the entertainment industry. Reflecting his cockney roots, he is the author of the best-selling guidebook to the 'Minder' television series, 'The Phenomenon that was Minder' published in 2002, and its updated version 'The Complete Minder' in 2014. In 2013, he teamed up with the accomplished British actor the late George Cole O.B.E. to help write his autobiography 'The World was My Lobster'. He reignited his teenage passion for music in the 1980s after he moved to Hong Kong and ran a high school jazz band and took part in many musical performances in his spare time. He is married with three adult children and six grandchildren.
Language
English
Pages
180
Format
Kindle Edition

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