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Gerry’s Year In Books

Gerry’s 2024 Year in Books

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Gerry Wolstenholme

Goodreads Author

Born

in Blackpool, The United Kingdom

Genre

Sports, Literature & Fiction, Poetry

Member Since

September 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/gerryw

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Gerry Wolstenholme was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, and attended Northlands private school from the age of three to five because his Dad wanted him to have a better education than he had managed. He then attended Devonshire Road School, infants and juniors, and finally went to Baines Grammar School in nearby Poulton.

He did not know what he wanted to do while at school and, seeing an advertisement for Civil Service examinations he took them. Having passed, he chose to go to London and entered Her Majesty’s Treasury, Whitehall, where he gained promotion and eventually worked in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s office.

He married Linda ('the love of my life') in 1968 and in 1972 they decided to move to Gerry’s hometown and relocated in Black Gerry Wolstenholme was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, and attended Northlands private school from the age of three to five because his Dad wanted him to have a better education than he had managed. He then attended Devonshire Road School, infants and juniors, and finally went to Baines Grammar School in nearby Poulton.

He did not know what he wanted to do while at school and, seeing an advertisement for Civil Service examinations he took them. Having passed, he chose to go to London and entered Her Majesty’s Treasury, Whitehall, where he gained promotion and eventually worked in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s office.

He married Linda ('the love of my life') in 1968 and in 1972 they decided to move to Gerry’s hometown and relocated in Blackpool where Gerry had arranged a transfer to the Department for National Savings. He became ERNIE’s (Premium Bonds) prize draw manager before he took early retirement.

During his Civil Service career he ran a successful secondhand and antiquarian bookselling business, attending book fairs and producing catalogues with a speciality in 19th century English literature. He also wrote his first book, ‘The West Indian Tour of England, 1906’ while still continuing his professional career.

Also a fanatical cricket watcher he produced ‘The Cheltenham Spectator and Festival News’, a day-by-day summary of the Cheltenham cricket festival, for six years. He then produced his own magazine for about the same length of time and there were many disappointed readers when he decided to call it a day for ‘The Cricket Postcard Collectors’ Journal’ magazine that ran to 24 issues. In addition he did radio ball-by-ball commentary on the County Championship and one-day games at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival.

On final retirement he turned to writing more often and contributed many articles to various magazines as well as writing his own books, mainly on sporting themes ('because that was what people wanted me to write'). He was also a regular contributor to the Blackpool Football Club matchday programme, sometimes writing as many as six articles in one issue. And he did match commentary on Blackpool Football Club's Premier League and Football League games for many seasons.

When his wife sadly passed away in 2004 he was devastated and, following a breakdown, he wrote a book of poetry expressing his feelings on the two incidents. He did not expect ‘The Lost-Love Poems of a Madman’ to sell well as he was not known as a poet but the book surpassed expectations and since then he has written occasional poetry on various themes. He says of his poetry book, 'I think it was the title that helped market it for readers were curious as to what it was about!'

In addition to writing his books, he also produces a short run, 10 copies only, of essays on various subjects, ranging from cricket and football to Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini and these have proved to be very popular.

He says that he doubts whether he will ever produce a novel, ‘I don’t have the imagination to do so’ is his view, but he intends to continue writing, God willing, for some time to come.

After his wife's death he was also drawn into another sphere when he was asked to do an after-dinner talk; he says, 'A friend of mine thought I was not eating well and invited me to his Rotary Club for a meal with the proviso that I would do a talk. I asked him how he thought I could do such a talk and he simply said that he had known me long enough and knew that I could do it - so I did!' After that engagements poured in, even without any advertising - 'and certainly not any self-promoting' for he confesses to be extremely nervous prior to each engagement. Initially he did the talks without charging a fee but then decided that he would raise funds for Trinity Hospice, where his beloved wife was treated, and he has continued to do that over the years. ...more

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What books are on your summer reading list this year?

Gerry Wolstenholme Summer reading list? Any reading list? I pose these questions rhetorically for I am sorry to say I don't have any reading lists. If that sounds odd, j…moreSummer reading list? Any reading list? I pose these questions rhetorically for I am sorry to say I don't have any reading lists. If that sounds odd, just let me explain ...

Like probably most of our goodreads readers, I have a huge collection of books and even though I am rapidly running out of room, I do keep adding to it. For instance my daughter visited a couple of weeks ago and we went on buying sprees to car boot sales and various shops with the result that, during her week's stay, I added a further 86 books to my collection.

And that is the reason I do not have a reading list. Every lot of new books that come in (and believe it or not, hardly a day goes by without at least one purchase - and normally many purchases) I peruse and often decide that there is at least one that I must read next. In addition, when I look over my shelves (sadly some books are in wardrobes and are more difficult to get at) I always see something that I think 'I must read that next' - sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, it depends on what has come in. Hence no planned reading list!

I realise that perhaps this is an odd way to go about my reading but it seems to suit me and with such a random way of dealing with the problem, I never do know what I am likely to be reading next ... and again that suits me as it probably ensures more variety.

I do know that my book collecting habit is a disease; it comes from all those years of being a secondhand and antiquarian bookseller when, I must confess, when I attended book fairs and my Dad helped me, he used to say, 'I don't know why you are a bookseller for you never want to sell anything' - he was nearly right! I did sell the books, but reluctantly for I considered all the stock mine!

So, as a disease, I realise I do need counselling but I also know that it would do no good for my book buying habits help keep me sane and give me a great interest now that I have lost my beloved wife and in addition my daughter, also a collector, lives 250 miles away. I should mention that I did collect when Linda was alive and what is more, Linda also collected to acerbate the storage problem.

I do hope that this answer gives you an idea of why there is no planned reading list and I should say that I will carry on adding to the collection come what may. Forget that counselling.

If I do change and create a reading list, I will let you know but I doubt that that is going to happen ... it is as likely as me stopping buying books.

Finally, what a joy to be on goodreads and share stories and reviews with other people.(less)

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What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

Gerry Wolstenholme What a great question but I am probably not the best person to answer it as I do not feel that I have a novel in me. However, should that not be the c…moreWhat a great question but I am probably not the best person to answer it as I do not feel that I have a novel in me. However, should that not be the case (doubtful!) I think I would have to write about spies and spying. And that is because (a) I have always been interested in the subject since Burgess and Maclean days but (b) more relevant to the question is the fact that when I was in Government service I attended an intense three-day security course run by the security services. It was so intense that every night after it ended I walked circuitously back to my office for I imagined that I was being followed by spies who wanted to get into my mind and extract secrets from me. I feel sure that I could work something around that as a beginning ... perhaps it would be like PG Wodehouse's 'Not George Washington', that is 'An Autobiographical Novel'! Ah well, I can dream!(less)

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Gerry Wolstenholme’s books

Average rating: 4.96 · 26 ratings · 3 reviews · 43 distinct works

	The West Indian Tour of England 1906 by Gerry Wolstenholme (Goodreads Author), Deborah Wolstenholme (Illustrator) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1992	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lost-Love Poems of a Madman it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2008	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blackpool FC Miscellany Seasiders Trivia, History, Facts & Stats it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2011 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blackpool Finally Conquered ... as Manchester United triumph at Wembley, 1948 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2016	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Phoenix from the Ashes: The Rise and Rise of Blackpool Football Club 1887 - 1888 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	From Peak to Pool A Short History of Lancashire versus Derbyshire Matches at Blackpool by Gerry Wolstenholme (Goodreads Author), Deborah Wolstenholme (Illustrator) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1994	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Towering Success The Eighth Australians in Blackpool August 1893 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Harold Larwood Blackpool Cricket Club professional it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2003	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fleetwood Cricket Club: Northern Premier League Champions 2004 The Story of the Season it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2004	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	By Bus to Wollongong Blackpool Football Club's World Tour 1958 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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An interesting fact that I have recently become aware of is certainly one of interest to us goodreads readers!

Film star Bette Davis' first husband, musician Harmon Nelson, brought up some fascinating comments about the state of their marriage when they were going through a divorce.

The most amusing was perhaps that she 'reads books to an unnecessary degree'! I wonder, is there really an unnecessary Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 25, 2025 09:37 • Tags: bette-davis, divorce, happy-marriages, harmon-nelson, movie-stars

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Gerry and 3 other people liked GoldGato's review of Fallen Angels: The Lives and Untimely Deaths of Fourteen Hollywood Beauties: "This book was an eye-opener for me, as I didn’t realize the extent of suicides, accidents, and fatal illnesses that engulfed so many female Hollywood starlets between the 1940s-1980s. I knew about Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Natalie Wood, bu" Read more of this review »
Dec 21, 2025 10:24AM · see review
Gerry and 3 other people liked Judith Johnson's review of Christmas Truce: The Western Front December 1914 (Pan Grand Strategy Series): "Although there are touching testaments of temporary truce in this book, which catalogues, no doubt, all the accounts which the authors could find, it is somewhat repetitive and I'm therefore not going on beyond page 92. Why should there be any surpri" Read more of this review »
Dec 21, 2025 04:13AM · see review
Gerry rated a book really liked it The Cock Lane Ghost: Murder, Sex and Haunting in Dr Johnson's London by Paul Chambers	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
... review to follow ...
Dec 21, 2025 12:15AM · like · see review
Gerry rated a book it was amazing Dr. Seuss Storybook by Dr. Seuss	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
There is very definitely only one Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Nobody else writes such zany verse and creates such wacky characters as Dr. Seuss. And this storybook that contains 'McElligot's Pool' 'The Zax', 'The Lorax' and Scra ...more
Dec 20, 2025 06:32AM · 2 likes · like · see review
Gerry rated a book really liked it And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
On a walk home from school Marco sees a horse and cart in Mulberry Street. Wanting to tell his Dad something exciting, he imagines what it could turn out to be. His imagination runs riot and from a simple horse and cart, it metarmorphoses into a cart ...more
Dec 20, 2025 06:00AM · 6 likes · like · see review
Gerry rated a book it was amazing Paddington: The original story of the bear from Peru by Michael Bond	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I can read any number of editions of this charming book because Paddington is such a cute bear and the story of his arrival from Peru is so amusing ... so here is another just read before I pass it on as a Christmas present for a young daughter of a ...more
Dec 19, 2025 04:22AM · 2 likes · like · see review
Gerry and 9 other people liked Terry's review of A Traitorous Heart: "What happens when love becomes all-consuming and destructive? A Traitorous Heart by Erin Cotter explores that question through court intrigue, secret societies, forbidden feelings, and an unhealthy hunger for power. A strong female protagonist ties i" Read more of this review »
Dec 18, 2025 08:19AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Traitorous Heart by Erin Cotter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Traitorous Heart by Erin Cotter <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gerry and 14 other people liked Terry's review of The List of Suspicious Things: "The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey opens in 1979 Yorkshire, England, with Miv’s Aunty Jean complaining about Margaret Thatcher becoming prime minister. The Yorkshire Ripper is terrorizing the region with his brutal murders, leaving every" Read more of this review »
Dec 18, 2025 05:09AM · see review
Gerry rated a book it was amazing Paddington: The original story of the bear from Peru by Michael Bond	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I can read any number of editions of this charming book because Paddington is such a cute bear and the story of his arrival from Peru is so amusing ... so here is another just read before I pass it on as a Christmas present for a young daughter of a ...more
Dec 17, 2025 07:43AM · 2 likes · like · see review
Gerry rated a book liked it Noddy and His Car (Noddy #3) by Enid Blyton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I can always return with affection to the eponymous hero of my first serious book collection of very many years ago. Ever since I have enjoyed Noddy at various stages of my life so I thought it was time to re-read about the happy little chap! In this ...more
Dec 17, 2025 03:32AM · 1 like · like · see review