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T’ree Tins of Turpentine: Dirt Poor and Irish in Sixties Leicester – One Family’s True Story
“Go on, say “T’ree tins of turpentine!”, you bogtrotter!” was one of many jeers towards Irish families in Leicester in the 1950s, and is the inspiration behind the title of Tim O’Sullivan’s debut book.
In 2008, after realising how much people enjoyed his stories at family gatherings, weddings and funerals, Tim picked up a dictaphone and began verbally recording his memories. Originally a passion project destined to be read by the wider O’Sullivan family, Tim was inspired by his son, Ryan, to publish his memoir.
Tim’s anecdotal accounts give harrowing and humorous insights into life as a marginalised child in the 1950s. Born to a dirt-poor Irish mother, Tim weaves rich tales of living in extreme poverty on the unforgiving Mowmacre Hill council estate. This book will strike a chord with baby boomers and entertain any reader looking for first-hand nostalgic recollections of post-war, poverty-stricken Britain.
From narrowly avoiding sexual abuse at a children’s home, becoming a teenage father and enduring two prison sentences, Tim’s life is a rich jigsaw of highs, lows and laughs. He recounts his mother’s struggles at single parenting while avoiding destitution and the shock return of his biological father after being estranged for 17 years. Tim’s brotherly bonds are brought to life with stories of John - the brother Tim didn’t know he had for the first few years of his life and the tragic addiction-fuelled unravelling of his sister, Mary.
Tim’s determination to rewrite his childhood narrative resulted in a rock-solid marriage to his wife, Pam, unshakeable devotion to his children, and numerous business ventures that accrued great wealth.
T’ree Tins of Turpentine encourages you as a reader to think about your own stories and how they will be passed down to your future generations. Tim’s work is an inspirational reminder that no matter how hard you experience childhood suffering, with faith, love, hard work and a lot of laughter, it is possible to overcome adversity.
In 2008, after realising how much people enjoyed his stories at family gatherings, weddings and funerals, Tim picked up a dictaphone and began verbally recording his memories. Originally a passion project destined to be read by the wider O’Sullivan family, Tim was inspired by his son, Ryan, to publish his memoir.
Tim’s anecdotal accounts give harrowing and humorous insights into life as a marginalised child in the 1950s. Born to a dirt-poor Irish mother, Tim weaves rich tales of living in extreme poverty on the unforgiving Mowmacre Hill council estate. This book will strike a chord with baby boomers and entertain any reader looking for first-hand nostalgic recollections of post-war, poverty-stricken Britain.
From narrowly avoiding sexual abuse at a children’s home, becoming a teenage father and enduring two prison sentences, Tim’s life is a rich jigsaw of highs, lows and laughs. He recounts his mother’s struggles at single parenting while avoiding destitution and the shock return of his biological father after being estranged for 17 years. Tim’s brotherly bonds are brought to life with stories of John - the brother Tim didn’t know he had for the first few years of his life and the tragic addiction-fuelled unravelling of his sister, Mary.
Tim’s determination to rewrite his childhood narrative resulted in a rock-solid marriage to his wife, Pam, unshakeable devotion to his children, and numerous business ventures that accrued great wealth.
T’ree Tins of Turpentine encourages you as a reader to think about your own stories and how they will be passed down to your future generations. Tim’s work is an inspirational reminder that no matter how hard you experience childhood suffering, with faith, love, hard work and a lot of laughter, it is possible to overcome adversity.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2022
127 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Tim O'Sullivan
27 books4 followersTim O'Sullivan came from incredibly humble beginnings. Born to Irish immigrants, he and his siblings lived a hand-to-mouth existence when their father abandoned them and their mother.
Coming from an impoverished background and with little in the way of a career ahead of him, Tim worked his way through many different jobs before eventually taking up an apprenticeship as a refrigeration engineer. Eventually, Tim set up his own company.
Tim managed to overcome his dirt-poor beginnings to establish a successful business, suffering heartbreaking loss along the way and prejudice as the child of immigrants.
Having come from a childhood that offered few prospects, he would go on to build a successful refrigeration and air-conditioning business and later a property company in Leicester.
Coming from an impoverished background and with little in the way of a career ahead of him, Tim worked his way through many different jobs before eventually taking up an apprenticeship as a refrigeration engineer. Eventually, Tim set up his own company.
Tim managed to overcome his dirt-poor beginnings to establish a successful business, suffering heartbreaking loss along the way and prejudice as the child of immigrants.
Having come from a childhood that offered few prospects, he would go on to build a successful refrigeration and air-conditioning business and later a property company in Leicester.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 27, 2024
Oh, this book was OK. I was drawn to the story because I love memoirs and I’m also a “ Hibernophile” ( someone who loves Irish culture and Irish stories ☺️☘️)
But I grew *so tired* of all the drinking! My goodness, this author should have paid rent to the pubs, for all the time he spent in them. Just about any event was an excuse to drink- funerals, birthdays, even Christmas Day for heaven’s sake. And of course, he went to Mass too. Drinking before and after. Somehow he failed to see the incongruity. I’m surprised he didn’t pass away from cirrhosis years ago.
What amazed me so much too of Tim O’Sullivan was that even though he spent most of his life inebriated, he forged ahead and made something of himself. He built his own business, invested in real estate. Married. Had kids. And he helped others with his good fortune. Amazing..
He’s an entertaining storyteller. And this book reads just like what it was: him speaking into a dictaphone.
If you enjoy memoirs and like hearing a good story, this is a good book. Just be ready for countless drinking stories.
But I grew *so tired* of all the drinking! My goodness, this author should have paid rent to the pubs, for all the time he spent in them. Just about any event was an excuse to drink- funerals, birthdays, even Christmas Day for heaven’s sake. And of course, he went to Mass too. Drinking before and after. Somehow he failed to see the incongruity. I’m surprised he didn’t pass away from cirrhosis years ago.
What amazed me so much too of Tim O’Sullivan was that even though he spent most of his life inebriated, he forged ahead and made something of himself. He built his own business, invested in real estate. Married. Had kids. And he helped others with his good fortune. Amazing..
He’s an entertaining storyteller. And this book reads just like what it was: him speaking into a dictaphone.
If you enjoy memoirs and like hearing a good story, this is a good book. Just be ready for countless drinking stories.
September 16, 2023
Loved this book. Story of poor Irish family who moved to Leicester.
Funny and really sad in places.
Funny and really sad in places.
April 30, 2024
A good read of a life of poverty, hardships, and struggles to get by day to day in Leicester, England. A tumultuous time. It is a true story of a family doing their best to survive in the 1959s, 60s onward.
May 1, 2023
With the advent of self publishing it is possible to hear countless stories that you have never heard previously. It gives the everyday person a chance to tell a story. Gone are the days where it is some mega rich famous glitterati, bemoaning the tragedy that they have had to endure and now that they are rich and famous they can tell their story (usually with the aid of some ghost writer who magically transforms their words into a bestseller).
However, there is the other end of the memoir spectrum that tells the story of the unknowns and they managed to fend off the bricks that life throws at you in order to make you stumble and fall.
Born into a poor, single parent family, Tim O’ Sullivan tells the story of his life. Growing up almost feral and poor, we learn what life was like for the dispossessed of the time.
Now this could easily have been a misery memoir about tough times and poverty, but Tim O’ Sullivan manages to convey a sense of warmth and family throughout the story. As we follow him from being a wild child, to a disruly teen and finally into a man of responsibility, Tim O’ Sullivan’s book draws from his own experiences.
It’s an interesting book, and there are no doubts that Tim O’ Sullivan has made mistakes throughout his life. But what is interesting is that he takes full responsibility and discloses the information about himself in a candid manner. It never falls into the trap of becoming a pity party and his approach is simply that this is my life, this is what I did and this rawness makes him kind of endearing. I mean it would be so easy for him to fall into the trap of looking for excuses, but he doesn’t and this is a draw of the book.
As a whole, when it comes to memoirs, I can take them or leave them to be honest, and it has to be written in a way that draws the reader in, and I think with the honesty and likeability of Tim O’ Sullivan’s voice as he is telling the story it manages to hook the reader into his life. Not only that, there is a sense of hope to his story. With the hurdles that he has had to overcome, he seems to have shown an extraordinary amount of resilience that has worked in his favour.
At times, T’ree Tins of Turpentine can be a little rough, especially when talking about his sister’s substance and alcohol use. There are other moments in the book that are equally as tough, but T’ree Tins of Turpentine is a fascinating account of a life lived and Tim’ O Sullivan gives a heartwarming account of his days from childhood to adulthood
However, there is the other end of the memoir spectrum that tells the story of the unknowns and they managed to fend off the bricks that life throws at you in order to make you stumble and fall.
Born into a poor, single parent family, Tim O’ Sullivan tells the story of his life. Growing up almost feral and poor, we learn what life was like for the dispossessed of the time.
Now this could easily have been a misery memoir about tough times and poverty, but Tim O’ Sullivan manages to convey a sense of warmth and family throughout the story. As we follow him from being a wild child, to a disruly teen and finally into a man of responsibility, Tim O’ Sullivan’s book draws from his own experiences.
It’s an interesting book, and there are no doubts that Tim O’ Sullivan has made mistakes throughout his life. But what is interesting is that he takes full responsibility and discloses the information about himself in a candid manner. It never falls into the trap of becoming a pity party and his approach is simply that this is my life, this is what I did and this rawness makes him kind of endearing. I mean it would be so easy for him to fall into the trap of looking for excuses, but he doesn’t and this is a draw of the book.
As a whole, when it comes to memoirs, I can take them or leave them to be honest, and it has to be written in a way that draws the reader in, and I think with the honesty and likeability of Tim O’ Sullivan’s voice as he is telling the story it manages to hook the reader into his life. Not only that, there is a sense of hope to his story. With the hurdles that he has had to overcome, he seems to have shown an extraordinary amount of resilience that has worked in his favour.
At times, T’ree Tins of Turpentine can be a little rough, especially when talking about his sister’s substance and alcohol use. There are other moments in the book that are equally as tough, but T’ree Tins of Turpentine is a fascinating account of a life lived and Tim’ O Sullivan gives a heartwarming account of his days from childhood to adulthood
May 8, 2023
I loved reading this book. Tim often told stories and clearly had a passion and skill for sharing these stories with his family. Here he writes these as a memoir style book that ensures his anecdotes will be enjoyed for generations to come.
I had a really lovely feel for this book as I just felt as though I was sitting in the kitchen, having a cuppa and a good old natter with a friend.
My Dad used to tell a great yarn about all the things he got up to as a lad and what life was like in this same era (although not quite as poverty stricken) so lots of this felt really nostagic for me.
I loved how each story was written with a great deal off honesty and everything was on show. There were many difficult times but also happy times, and they managed to navigate it all with the support and love of those around them. Infused throughout, though, with humour which broke up the difficult to read sections.
It was such a heartwarming read as we see the man that Tim became even having overcome all the issues and prejudices, he's still managed to turn things around to become a successful and loving family man.
( My Dad was always wanting to write his stories down....but never did. I really wish I'd pushed him more to do it, even if just for me and my kids. )
I had a really lovely feel for this book as I just felt as though I was sitting in the kitchen, having a cuppa and a good old natter with a friend.
My Dad used to tell a great yarn about all the things he got up to as a lad and what life was like in this same era (although not quite as poverty stricken) so lots of this felt really nostagic for me.
I loved how each story was written with a great deal off honesty and everything was on show. There were many difficult times but also happy times, and they managed to navigate it all with the support and love of those around them. Infused throughout, though, with humour which broke up the difficult to read sections.
It was such a heartwarming read as we see the man that Tim became even having overcome all the issues and prejudices, he's still managed to turn things around to become a successful and loving family man.
( My Dad was always wanting to write his stories down....but never did. I really wish I'd pushed him more to do it, even if just for me and my kids. )
May 12, 2023
T’ree Tins of Turpentine is a very moving memoir about an Irish Family growing up in Leicester in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The author gives the reader a really fascinating insight into his life as part of an Irish family trying to fit in. He is very open and honest about the mistakes he made, about his upbringing and the abuse that he and his family suffered. At times I was reduced to tears reading about the heartbreak that they suffered but there were humorous moments as well which did make me laugh. It is a brilliant account of a life full of resilience, courage and hope.
T’ree Tins of Turpentine is an honest, open, truthful, amusing and sad account of what life was like as an Irish family in those times. A true rags to riches story that keeps you turning the pages to the end. I really enjoyed reading this book and I think it is definitely a read for those readers who love memoirs. I highly recommend it.
April 19, 2023
The book starts by telling a bit about Tim's mother and father. Tim tells us what it was like growing up in the 60s and 70s. We get some funny bits in through the book, 'Tim was about 3 when his was running around the ground with nothing on, because his pants were full and he had took them off and posted them through the letter box as he didn't get an answer off mam.' Tim didn't find out he had an older brother until he saw his mother walking down the street with him. There is so much I could tell you but it would spoil the book, it's something you would enjoy reading yourself. While reading this book it brought back memories of my Nana, as she would tell me about going to church in your Sunday best and how things were when my mother was little. Memories are things that should be made to share, Thank You Tim for sharing yours.
August 21, 2025
Having had a career working with adults and elderly, I have gained an interest in hearing other people's life stories. From the uplifting, happy, and funny ones to the devastating, hard, and difficult times.
Tim's family story is similar to many others of his time. A boy whose family had struggles, who could have turned easily to a life of crime and drugs, had a taster and instead chose to turn his life around as a man. There are some heartbreaking anecdotes, but there are also some true laugh out loud moments throughout.
I love that Tim's book came from a need to pass down the true tales of his life and those who came before him to the future generation of the O'Sullivans.
Thank you for allowing the general public to read your story.
Tim's family story is similar to many others of his time. A boy whose family had struggles, who could have turned easily to a life of crime and drugs, had a taster and instead chose to turn his life around as a man. There are some heartbreaking anecdotes, but there are also some true laugh out loud moments throughout.
I love that Tim's book came from a need to pass down the true tales of his life and those who came before him to the future generation of the O'Sullivans.
Thank you for allowing the general public to read your story.
May 1, 2023
This was such a fascinating read, I have some Irish in me and so I knew a small amount about this from things that I have heard family say, although they don't really talk about it much, so this was absolutely intriguing to read.
Tim writes about his time as part of an Irish family living in England during the 1960's when there was aminosity between the English and the Irish and the troubles that came from that.
This was a heartbreaking yet heartwarming read that was a rollercoaster of emotions for me and I absolutely loved it
Tim writes about his time as part of an Irish family living in England during the 1960's when there was aminosity between the English and the Irish and the troubles that came from that.
This was a heartbreaking yet heartwarming read that was a rollercoaster of emotions for me and I absolutely loved it
September 3, 2023
Read this over the weekend. Being of Irish heritage and living in Leicester for about 13 years this book interested me. I was not disappointed. Tim O’Sullivan reminded me of parts of Leicester, streets, pubs etc that I had forgotten about. I used to see the buses heading for “Mowmacre Hill” and I worked with some girls who lived up there.
It was an honest memoir and he was very forgiving of his parents, his father who abandoned him and his mother who didn’t have much idea of how to run a home or care for children but she did love them.
It was an honest memoir and he was very forgiving of his parents, his father who abandoned him and his mother who didn’t have much idea of how to run a home or care for children but she did love them.
April 16, 2023
What a fascinating insight into Tim's life as part of an Irish family in England during a time when there were such troubles between the two countries.
Tim is open and honest about the mistakes he made, the upbringing, and the abuse that he and his family suffered.
It's remarkable that he went on to turn things around as he did. It really shows that a person can change.
Tim's life is full of heartbreak, yet the undercurrent here is resilience and hope. A lovely read for fans of memoirs.
Tim is open and honest about the mistakes he made, the upbringing, and the abuse that he and his family suffered.
It's remarkable that he went on to turn things around as he did. It really shows that a person can change.
Tim's life is full of heartbreak, yet the undercurrent here is resilience and hope. A lovely read for fans of memoirs.
November 21, 2023
Good read
Interesting if you have some knowledge of the Irish background
A lot of the Irish had it ruff Tim you should of gone back to Ireland and settled there for your retirement
Interesting if you have some knowledge of the Irish background
A lot of the Irish had it ruff Tim you should of gone back to Ireland and settled there for your retirement
May 25, 2025
English Martyrs Author ✍️
This is an amazing read so truthfully written we believe and entertaining thank you Tim we will see you at the next English Martyrs Meeting 👍🏽 All the best from the Haggerty’s
This is an amazing read so truthfully written we believe and entertaining thank you Tim we will see you at the next English Martyrs Meeting 👍🏽 All the best from the Haggerty’s
August 5, 2023
absolutely loved this book
What an inspiring tale.. such adversity and hardship, but strong love and family values prevailed. I highly recommend this read!!
What an inspiring tale.. such adversity and hardship, but strong love and family values prevailed. I highly recommend this read!!
October 21, 2023
Started out interesting but honestly was a struggle to finish. Author did have some fun stories.
November 29, 2024
Such a great story and very well written. I couldn’t put this down. Struggles and triumphs -it’s all here in the Irish context. Loved it
July 31, 2025
Interesting family life story they went thru a lot.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews