’80s memoirs win writer an award
'80s MEMORIES ... won the United Press Writer of the Year 2011 award for Angela Russell.
ANGELA Russell says that her school years were the best of her life.
And what started as writing down her memoirs has turned into something much more.
The writer and illustrator, of Devonshire Street, Tyne Dock, has won a national writing competition after submitting a shortened version of her book, Thatcher’s Children.
The 31-year-old was crowned winner of the Childhood Memories category in United Press’ Writers of the Year 2011.
Her book, all about growing up in the 80s, looks back at her time as a pupil of Westoe Infants and Mowbray Juniors.
She said: “I kept having this dream that I was back in school and I started remembering things.
“It started off as me writing my memoirs for myself and then it kind of mushroomed and branched out into local history a bit.”
Angela was inspired to turn her memoirs into a book by old school pals, Julie Taylor and Rebecca Meade, with whom she shares many of her fondest memories.
She said: “I started talking about my time in school on Facebook and people started getting in touch and sharing some of their memories about games we used the play and the stuff we used to buy.
“When I mentioned that I was writing about it, everyone kept asking me when the book was going to come out so it just kind of turned into me writing a book, and what started as an indulgent project turned into something different.”
Angela plans to self-publish her book under the publishing firm she is setting up, with the name Grimalhame Press.
She has had her work included in 11 different anthologies through United Press, including the latest Writers of the Year 2011 and Poets of the Year 2008 and 2009.
She has also had her artwork exhibited in The Great North Museum in Barras Bridge, Newcastle, the Tate Modern in London, as well as Manchester, Leeds, and Massachusetts in the US.
And in 2009, she had her first children’s book, Dance of the Fire Cat, published.
Thatcher’s Children also has a historical aspect, looking back at how South Shields has changed since the 1980s.
She said: “I spent a lot of time in South Shields Central Library looking through old photographs and the staff were brilliant, always taking time to help me find what I was looking for.
“The local studies librarian, Anne Sharp, got in touch with a photographer, Ken Lubi, who took some great shots of King Street and Ocean Road in the 80s and gave me permission to use them in the book.
“It’s strange looking back at old photos and seeing how the town has changed. I
“I can still remember spending my time shopping at Geordie Jeans and when Temple Park was first built.”
vicki.newman@northeast-press.co.uk
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Stephen Goodwin
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at 10:55 AMIt would be great for any child from the 80's to remember the changing face of the area. I walk round oblivious to most of the changes and the history around us. Like many of us do. My girlfriend went to Westoe Infants and Mowbray Juniors. She remembers lots from when she was young and has started posting to old friends of Facebook. Seems to be the new friends reunited..
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