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Waggoner's Way
In a backstreet of East London, two families support each other through thick and thin.
Waggoner's Way is a poignant novel by much-loved author Harry Bowling that captures the spirit of a community often faced with brutal hardship - yet determined to laugh whilst doing so. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Dilly Court.
Waggoner's Way is a small back street in Bermondsey, home to a close-knit community of predominantly railway folk and their families. The Brennans and Kellys are among those who live there. They have been friends for years; Joe Brennan works as a train driver, Tom Kelly as a shunter; and Ada and Mary, their wives, patiently spend much of their time trying to untangle their children's tangled love lives. And, together, they help one another survive the worst of times.
What readers are saying about Waggoner's Way :
'I read this book in about three days! Fantastic, realistic, believable storytelling will have you rooting for the characters to overcome their hardships and will show the meaning of "love thy neighbour"'
'Just love Harry Bowling, he has a way of telling an East End story that makes it seem so real '
Waggoner's Way is a poignant novel by much-loved author Harry Bowling that captures the spirit of a community often faced with brutal hardship - yet determined to laugh whilst doing so. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Dilly Court.
Waggoner's Way is a small back street in Bermondsey, home to a close-knit community of predominantly railway folk and their families. The Brennans and Kellys are among those who live there. They have been friends for years; Joe Brennan works as a train driver, Tom Kelly as a shunter; and Ada and Mary, their wives, patiently spend much of their time trying to untangle their children's tangled love lives. And, together, they help one another survive the worst of times.
What readers are saying about Waggoner's Way :
'I read this book in about three days! Fantastic, realistic, believable storytelling will have you rooting for the characters to overcome their hardships and will show the meaning of "love thy neighbour"'
'Just love Harry Bowling, he has a way of telling an East End story that makes it seem so real '
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 1995
15 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Harry Bowling
38 books21 followers‘I suppose most people would see the ability to tell a story as a talent to entertain, but where I was born and raised, being able to spin a yarn was considered an asset of survival and, at times, it became a necessity…’ he said.
Harry was born in 1931, in Leroy Street, a back street off the Tower Bridge Road, the second child of Annie and Henry Bowling. His older sister Gladys died of meningitis before her second birthday. Harry’s grandfather worked at a transport yard as a carman-horsekeeper. He used to take Harry there to watch him and to pat the horses. He spent his youth hanging around the Tower Bridge Road market or hunting through Borough Market, a wholesale fruit and veg market near London Bridge, exploring the docklands and wharves, and swimming in the Thames.
Harry’s first contact with books began at the local library encouraged by his father, who was permanently disabled after being wounded during the First World War. Henry Bowling was often unemployed and struggled to support the family. Harry was only ten when the Second World War broke out. He could remember the day when Surrey Docks was bombed. His father helped him with his early education and he and his younger brother passed scholarships to Bermondsey Central School. He left the school at the age of 14 to help the family income by working at a riverside provision merchant as an office boy.
Only when his own children began to ask questions about the war, did Harry realise how many stories he had to tell. He started gathering scribbles and notes and wrote his first book. It was a factual account of the war and Harry realised it would probably have only a limited readership. He became aware that historical fiction was very popular and that there was no one writing about the East End of London, and the war, at that time. In his fifties, he was given early retirement from his job as a brewery driver-drayman, and was at last able to devote his time to writing.
He became known as ‘the King of Cockney sagas’, and he wrote eighteen bestselling novels of London life.
Harry was born in 1931, in Leroy Street, a back street off the Tower Bridge Road, the second child of Annie and Henry Bowling. His older sister Gladys died of meningitis before her second birthday. Harry’s grandfather worked at a transport yard as a carman-horsekeeper. He used to take Harry there to watch him and to pat the horses. He spent his youth hanging around the Tower Bridge Road market or hunting through Borough Market, a wholesale fruit and veg market near London Bridge, exploring the docklands and wharves, and swimming in the Thames.
Harry’s first contact with books began at the local library encouraged by his father, who was permanently disabled after being wounded during the First World War. Henry Bowling was often unemployed and struggled to support the family. Harry was only ten when the Second World War broke out. He could remember the day when Surrey Docks was bombed. His father helped him with his early education and he and his younger brother passed scholarships to Bermondsey Central School. He left the school at the age of 14 to help the family income by working at a riverside provision merchant as an office boy.
Only when his own children began to ask questions about the war, did Harry realise how many stories he had to tell. He started gathering scribbles and notes and wrote his first book. It was a factual account of the war and Harry realised it would probably have only a limited readership. He became aware that historical fiction was very popular and that there was no one writing about the East End of London, and the war, at that time. In his fifties, he was given early retirement from his job as a brewery driver-drayman, and was at last able to devote his time to writing.
He became known as ‘the King of Cockney sagas’, and he wrote eighteen bestselling novels of London life.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 28, 2022
ANOTHER FANTASTIC READ
This was another book to take me into the world of the East End of London,reliving my own memories of those happy days. Deserves to be read by everyone as well as his other books.
This was another book to take me into the world of the East End of London,reliving my own memories of those happy days. Deserves to be read by everyone as well as his other books.
July 18, 2007
waggoners way is set in the back streets in the south of bermondsey,it has tidy houses running along side the street.It is about two families the Brennens and the kelleys,the families are both working class families tom kelley is a shunter and joe brennens is a train driver.The families encounter love trouble with the youngest girl of the brennens kay. She has feel in love with pat kelley since he returned from war, but he has feel is dating another women.kay doesn't think the relationship will last very long, untilshe finds out pat is getting married to the women.
The families are always getting envolved with trouble in the area, and i can relate to this because i am from bermondsey and he is a friend of my great uncle. Harry was a bermondey boy and all his books are about bermondsey.
lucky cullen
The families are always getting envolved with trouble in the area, and i can relate to this because i am from bermondsey and he is a friend of my great uncle. Harry was a bermondey boy and all his books are about bermondsey.
lucky cullen
April 4, 2016
My first Harry Bowling book. I was hooked after the first chapter!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews