Scratching Shed Publishing Ltd

FOR more than 40 years Mike Critchley has been on a journey through the character-packed pubs of the British Isles. From spit-and-sawdust backstreet boozers through to majestic Victorian drinking palaces, he has chronicled every new visit in a little blue notebook kept since he turned 18. In Happy Hours, Mike recalls many of the highlights – and a few low points – of that ‘never-ending pub crawl’ in a book that charts significant changes to the way we drink and world about us. There is a pub for all seasons, with potted histories of Britain’s finest pub buildings, observations of legendary landlords and landladies, recollections of colourful elbow-bending customers and an appreciation of good beer. Happy Hours weaves in many personal anecdotes and aspects of social history and is delivered with a large dollop of northern humour. It is laced with the wit and wisdom of many of the folk Mike has had the crack with in bar rooms over the past five decades. At a time when we are losing pubs hand over fist due to a multitude of reasons, this book is a timely reminder of the importance of these wonderful institutions and community hubs, and the role they play in society.

On 17 January 2023, mere months after her mother had died from motor neurone disease, Julie Hatton was also diagnosed with MND and passed away just 212 days later. Following her diagnosis, husband John began a diary in which he charted the progression of his wife's condition. Then, as the dreadful disease gathered pace, that diary became a journal wherein he charted their final journey. This book is the result, a story of sadness, fear and love. With a foreword by Lindsey Burrow

Tommy Cannon was half of one the most popular lightentertainment duos Britain has ever produced and known worldwide. Cannon andBall were everywhere, from the Wheeltappers & Shunters Social Club to RoyalVariety Performances. But who is the real Tommy Derbyshire, unassumingwelder from Oldham whose life changed when he met Bobby Harper. And when you’re the straight man in thepartnership, what happens when you lose your beloved best friend to Covid? Youquestion everything, the past, present and if there’s a future. Here, for the first time, are Tommy’s reminiscencesof a tough start in life, the unexpected fame, fortune and loss of it, and howhe found it hard to grieve for his little mate in the red braces. Now, five years on, he is ready to tell his story - and is back on the road doing what he does best, with a huge social mediafollowing. With a foreword by Robbie Williams