Just a Liverpool Lad by Peter McArdle
| Just a Liverpool Lad by Peter McArdle | |
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| Category: Autobiography | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: Memories of a life in and around Liverpool. A delight for those of us who remember when times seemed so much simpler and more satisfying. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 145 | Date: June 2025 |
| Publisher: Maria McArdle | |
| ISBN: 978-1036916374 | |
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Just a Liverpool Lad is a collection of memories and reflections from the years Peter McArdle spent growing up in and around Liverpool. Some are factual, such as the family history of a sea-going family, with the docks dominating lives. Other stories blend seamlessly into the what-might-have-been. It's a book to settle into and allow your mind to roam across your childhood memories, to think of simpler times when life seemed less constrained, despite the blitz that was a constant factor in McArdle's early years. I'd never heard of parachute mines before - but they were almost soundless and could appear after the all-clear was sounded.
It didn't stop boys paddling in the sea, though. The writing is poetic, and brought back such a strong sense of feet sinking in wet sand and water lapping around ankles that I had to check I was still on dry land. I was most touched, though, by the story of Covey Thomas, who was admitted to a rest home at the age of ninety-four. He was persuaded into the home by the promise of a room which would allow him to watch the ships and his beloved docks. Life improved even more when he found a young friend who played sea-going games with Thomas. The room was renamed The Fairview Adventurer and the pair went on their voyages far and wide.
Bureaucracy intervened, though - the room and its access weren't safe for Covey - and he was moved to a room without a view of the sea. Childish ingenuity and his young friend found a way around the problem - in fact, they made the problem into something positive. It's a delightful story. Is it true? In my heart, it is, and that's what matters.
I remembered my own terror (no - that's not too strong a word) when I had to go 'out of my depth' at the swimming baths to swim my first full length. It wasn't just the depth of the water; it was the jeers of the swimmers who'd completed this rite of passage when I showed my nerves. Many decades later, it's a relief to know that I was not alone. There were other memories I hadn't thought about in a while - such as the bottles of milk at school break time. They were disgusting in summer and delightful in winter!
Initially, I thought that this would be a book for the McArdle family, but it proved to be so much more than that. The writing is a treat to read, and it's supplemented by the pencil drawings of Peter's wife, Maria. It's a slim book, but it was not a quick read; I spent far too much time on my own memories!
We have an autobiography of another scouser: Hungry: A Memoir of Wanting More by Grace Dent. You can read more about Peter McArdle here.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Just a Liverpool Lad by Peter McArdle at Amazon.com. (Paid link)
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