The Road to Nab End : A Lancashire Childhood - Softcover

From his birth in 1916 until he ran away to London, William Woodruff lived in the heart of Blackburn's weaving community. He eventually went to Oxford University and lived in Florida for over forty years. He died in 2008.

Sam Kelly's experience in radio stands him in good stead as he makes a hardscrabble 1920s Lancashire childhood come alive. Growing up in the center of declining British cotton mills amid hunger, smoke, strikes, and unemployment could be a depressing experience, but Woodruff's prose and Sam Kelly's fully voiced reading bring out the joys of first love, the devotion of a pet dog, and the humorous side of employment. Kelly picks up on the affection of a young boy for his proud but penniless grandmother and his enthusiasm for the simple entertainments of the pre-TV world. The local accent poses no problem; he also does a fair "Churchill," who speaks in the local square, and sings several songs on key. The narrative ends with Woodruff's departure for London in his teens; one looks forward to the sequel. J.B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine