When I was a Nipper: The Way We Were in Disappearing Britain

by Alan Titchmarsh

In "When I Was a Nipper" Alan Titchmarsh goes on a personal and nostalgic journey through post-War Britain in search of treasured values and traditions that were once the soul of society. With characteristic wit, warmth and humour he draws on the experience of his own childhood, and also takes a broader perspective, creating a wonderfully detailed and evocative portrait of a way of life that is fast disappearing, and asks what can we learn from this era of austerity to make our lives better today? Born in Yorkshire in 1949 and brought up in a Britain still recovering from the Second World War, Alan remembers a time of relative calm, when it was enough to return home at night knowing that the house would still be standing. We were known throughout the world for our patience, resourcefulness and resilience. 'Mustn't grumble' was almost a national catchphrase, and queuing was second nature. Peppered with wonderful archive photographs and advertisements, "When I Was a Nipper" takes us back to those days, down high streets and through farmyards, on to trolley buses and into local pubs. As we move towards a global economy, as communities fragment and customs are lost, "When I Was a Nipper" captures a world that is fast receding into history. It's powerfully nostalgic for those who remember those days, but it's also Alan's timely call to all recession-hit Brits to heed the lessons of austerity 'make do and mend'; 'look on the bright side' and 'take the knocks on the chin'.

Genres: Biography

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2010

Reviews

[Di Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am actually reading this book as research for my 1950s novel so perhaps I haven't actually read it all. It is a fascinating journey into various areas that made up our lives in the 1950s but I am not sure I agree with Alan that British Railways always ran on time. They didn't! That is what makes train travel these days so wonderful.

[AG STUBBS · Rating 5 out of 5]

My childhood retold.




Good book that brought back many memories of my childhood in the forties and fifties. Life was less complicated and lots of fun. I really enjoyed it.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnr

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, not what I was expecting! I thought it would be a lot more of his personal experiences in a more biography style book, a lot of generic stories and information is given! Still it passed a lazy afternoon looking at the way people used to live!

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can associate with this book because it is my era. Some readers may find it a little tame.

[Russell Turner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complete tripe.

[Darla Ebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, though I'm not from Great Britain, there were enough similarities to my own growing up years to identify. The author obviously did his research!