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Revision as of 10:54, 15 August 2025
, 15 AugustCreated page with "{{infobox1 |title=Just a Liverpool Lad |author=Peter McArdle |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=Autobiography |summary=Memories of a life in and around Liverpool. A delight for those..."
{{infobox1
|title=Just a Liverpool Lad
|author=Peter McArdle
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Autobiography
|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.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=145
|publisher=Maria McArdle
|date=June 2025
|isbn=978-1036916374
|cover=1036916375
|aznuk=1036916375
|aznus=1036916375
}}
''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 [[:Category:Peter McArdle|here]].
{{amazontext|amazon=1036916375}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=1036916375}}
{{commenthead}}
|title=Just a Liverpool Lad
|author=Peter McArdle
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Autobiography
|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.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=145
|publisher=Maria McArdle
|date=June 2025
|isbn=978-1036916374
|cover=1036916375
|aznuk=1036916375
|aznus=1036916375
}}
''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 [[:Category:Peter McArdle|here]].
{{amazontext|amazon=1036916375}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=1036916375}}
{{commenthead}}
