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MORE PLAYS PLEASE

Following the continuing popularity of the two sets of plays published by Third Age Press aimed specifically at U3A playreading groups (The Play Reader: 7 dramas by thirdagers [1995] and The Play Reader 2008: 7 more dramas by thirdagers - for full details see the list of publications below) , Third Age Press is pleased to announce that it is running another competition to produce a third collection. To download more details & an application form click this link * application-form2 * then click on ‘application-form’ to start download . . . or send an A5 SAE to Third Age Press, 6 Parkside Gardens, London SW19 5EY.

The deadline for submission of completed plays is 1st September 2013.

The winners will be announced on 1st November and we plan to publish the winning plays in an A4 hole-punched (copyable) format in mid-November 2013.

So, if you’ve ever thought you’d like to try your hand at writing a play – now’s your chance.

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DO YOU HAVE A BEE IN YOUR BONNET . . . about ageing and/or the way we are treated by the press or younger people? Now you can get it off your chest and engage in a lively dialogue. Third Age has opened a BLOG - EngAge With Age. Just click on BLOG and follow the link.

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NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE . . .

  • BRITAIN’S STORY: an overview of British History by Eric Midwinter. See below for full details. 60 page printed booklet (£5.00 incl p&p) or KINDLE £2.80
  • IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO FALL IN LOVE: an anthology of short stories -(KINDLE £3.80) by and about thirdagers (see full details below)
  • NOVEL APPROACHES: a guide to the popular classical novel (KINDLE £3.80) by Eric Midwinter

IF YOU WANT TO BUY DIRECTLY FROM THIRD AGE PRESS please see ‘About Third Age Press’ for options. OR send your order with cheque made out to ‘Third Age Press’ to 6 Parkside Gardens, London SW19 5EY.

OR our books are available through Amazon UK or by order through most bookshops.

. . . and now . . . presenting our latest publication . . . BEST REMEMBERED TWO: CINEMA AND RADIO. Read all about it (below) :-D

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Best Remembered Two:cinema and radio

Best Remembered Two:cinema and radio

by Eric Midwinter

Best Remembered Two:cinema and radioMore Details
Published 16.06.13. 140 pages ISBN 978-1-898576-38-9.
Ever find yourself saying ‘They don’t make ‘em like that any more?’ Well, let Eric Midwinter usher you down memory lane shining his uniquely perceptive torch on some of the great films and radio programmes of the past.
In Best Remembered (One): a hundred stars of yesteryear (2002) ~ Eric Midwinter offered concise portraits of one hundred entertainers and the like who would be ‘best remembered’ nostalgically by those whose earlier life focused on the mid 20th century. In Best Remembered Two: Cinema and Radio he turns to the key vehicles for entertainment in those same years, cinema and radio, coupling succinct analysis of their impact with evocative profiles of leading British films and radio programmes of the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. It is feast of memory-tugging delights for the older reader and a mine of historical treasures for the young.

Price: £11.00

Britain\'s Story: an overview of British History

Britain's Story: an overview of British History

by Eric Midwinter
60 pages published 01.10.12
978-1-898576-31-0
This an attempt to offer adults with a general interest in national history a concise summary of that 2000 year epic. It is hopefully designed to enable some to arrange random, vague gobbets of information in orderly fashion and to whet the appetite of others to read further.

ISBN: 978-1-898576-31-0


ALSO AVAILABLE FOR KINDLE at £2.80

Britain\More Details
It is customary to look back chronologically at history from the current standpoint with less recent events diminished and more recent events magnified. This brief narrative endeavours to provide more of an overview, looking down rather than back and seeing events against a more natural time pattern, trying to judge the relative significance of happenings over the same temporal perspective.
With a very concise text and a concentration on events that played an important part in the evolution of today’s Britain, there are some changes of emphasis from the normal historical record. The moral may lie in acknowledging that our predecessors enjoyed, if they were lucky, a similar time-span as we do today. We know that, at least since 1066, something like 5 to 10% of British inhabitants lived to be over sixty. They would have personally witnessed much the same length of ‘history’ as their descendants today, whether it was a phase of woe or unrest caused by the Black Death, the English Civil War or World Wars I and II or maybe a more peaceable phase. Every life, on immediate criteria, is just as vastly important and, against the canvas of 2000 years, just as minuscule in impact as any other. And the same applies to each passage of history from the sparse few gathered around the Iron Age encampments to the crowded many in the confused tempo of early 21st century Britain.
60 pages published 01.10.12
£3.50 plus £1.50 p & p
Available from Third Age Press, 6 Parkside Gardens, London SW19 5EY
also available for Kindle (from Amazon) at £2.80

Price: £5.00

It\'s Never Too Late to Fall in Love: an anthology of romantic short stories

It's Never Too Late to Fall in Love: an anthology of romantic short stories

Twenty wonderfully varied stories chosen by competition, from 170 entries, by a panel of five independent and experienced judges. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll empathise . . . and, who knows, you might even be inspired to launch into your very own adventure!
Edited by Dianne Norton
NOW ALSO AVAILABLE FOR KINDLE £3.80

It\More Details
ISBN: 978-1-89576-36-5
266 pages
It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love is an anthology of romantic short stories written by and about thirdagers. The stories were chosen by competition, from 170 entries, by a panel of five independent and experienced judges.
The overwhelming impression is the huge and imaginative diversity in the stories. They vary from substantial works to the brief and witty; from moving and seriously observed, very personal, dialogues, to light and laugh-out-loud vignettes. Their themes and characters cover a wide range of situations, personalities and relationships but all, given that they were written by thirdagers, have their own ring of emotional truth.
Some prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that learning in later life is beneficial and it’s always worth having the courage to try something new, or follow an escaped balloon . . . you never know where it will lead. Travel obviously works for some (one story is even set in outer space!) while for others bird watching, handwriting, cats, mud and the broken heel of a woman’s shoe may be all that’s needed. But it’s also gratifying that romance can flourish at home and especially when an opportunity presents itself to re-kindle an old flame.
Readers may be interested to know that the sunset photo on the cover was taken at 11 pm in January 2011 in Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world.






Price: £14.00

The Cricketer\'s Progress ~ Meadowland to Mumbai

The Cricketer's Progress ~ Meadowland to Mumbai

by Eric Midwinter
* WISDEN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2011
* SHORT LISTED FOR THE CRICKET WRITERS' CLUB BOOK OF THE YEAR
* & THE CRICKET SOCIETY AND MCC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2011


from Hedgcock on http://blog.thecricketer.com
What does Eric Midwinter offer that is different?
The thread running through his book is the manner in which the social setting influenced change in circket, and the impact of Britain's class structure - significant because it shaped a game that took root far beyond the British Isles, in nations where class played a very different, usually minimal role.
The parallels between yesterday and today are drawn with skill . . .Eric Midwinter has done a notable service in explaining just how cricket reached its present state, before it rushes headlong into a tomorrow of unpredictable change.

from Simon Sweetman 'The Cricket Statistician'
Let us suppose someone comes to you and says ‘give me a history of cricket so that I can understand’. Where would you start? Eric Midwinter is, of course, a writer and academic, with a reach well beyond cricket, and so almost uniquely qualified to put the game in its social context. And in this case the context reaches from the dark ages to the Indian Premier League ...This is very readable, but also makes you think. What more do you want?

and Keith Hayhurst
Eric Midwinter draws on some 70 years watching and almost as long reading and studying cricket to produce this fascinating account of the game in its full historical context. As a social historian, he has ever been conscious of the political, economic and cultural forces that have moulded cricket, and here, in a rich and multi-layered text, he creates an interpretation of the evolution of both English and global cricket that is refreshingly insightful and often controversial. He stylishly guides the reader from a thoughtful and sometimes amusing discussion of the theorising about the origins of the game to a shrewd analysis of the power of finance and television, with much of today’s focus on the subcontinent. To be frank, it is not holiday reading for the casual reader – but it is essential - and immensely enjoyable - reading for the genuine student and lover of cricket.

The Cricketer\More Details
ISBN 978-1-898576-28-7
In this sweeping, panoramic account of English and world cricket, Eric Midwinter analyses the turns and twists in the route by which cricket has come to be a mass entertainment, ruled by television, at the behest of high finance and with its centre of gravity to be found on the Indian subcontinent.
But this is more than the narrow story of the growth of the sport itself. As in much of his other work, in sport and on other themes, Eric Midwinter provides a much broader picture, always seeking to place cricket, as leisure pursuit and big business, against a rich canvas of economic, social, political and cultural aspects. These are the forces that have moulded the game, determining how and where it should be played, who should play and watch it, and why the random youthful romps of young men and children in England and parts of Western Europe should now be an element in the world’s entertainment industry.
At the same time, there are eloquent descriptions of the game and its players, with especially thoughtful and attractive profiles of W.G.Grace and Don Bradman. The author’s interpretations are insightful, refreshingly radical, sometimes quirky and occasionally very controversial. The text is multi-layered, with a luxuriance of literary and allied reference, but at all points fluent and accessible. It makes for a delightful as well as a stimulating read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The social historian, Eric Midwinter, is the author of many books, among them several on cricket. These include (among others): W.G.Grace; His Life and Times (1981). The Lost Seasons; Cricket in Wartime 1939-45 (1987). The Bass Illustrated History of County Cricket (1992). Red Shirts and Roses; the Story of the Two Old Traffords (2005, winner of the Cricket Society/Times Cricket Book of the Year Award).

Price: £17.50

Talking to My Gran About Dying

Talking to My Gran About Dying

by Gina Levete
original illustrations by Philip Jordan
64 pages 245mm x 190mm
A book for young people ~ to engage with adults ~ to stimulate discussion, share thoughts, ideas and anxieties to do with death.



Talking to My Gran About DyingMore Details
ISBN 978-1-898576-17-4

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gina Levete has a background in dance but has worked extensively in the field of the artistic needs of disabled and disadvantaged people in the UK.
She is the founder of Shape UK– an organisation to provide artistic opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people and Interlink – an international free advisory service to help other countries make the arts more accessible to disadvantaged and disabled people within their communities.
Publications include: No Handicap To Dance
The Creative Tree
Letting Go of Loneliness
and main contributor to Meditation in Schools – calmer classrooms

Gina Levete is available for interview.
She can be contacted via Email: g.levete@btinternet.com

This book is aimed at children (mainly aged 8 – 12) but needs the engagement of an adult . The purpose of the book is to open up the subject of death in a way that encourages discussion and debate in the classroom or home.
AT HOME: Parents, grandparents and carers can read this book with children. Older children may prefer to read it on their own. An adult may wish to read the book to help develop his or her own way of talking to a child about death and dying.
IN THE CLASSROOM: In a group, pupils can read the book all the way through or talk by talk. Then, under the guidance of a teacher they can share their thoughts, beliefs and concerns, as well as learn about those of their peers. Alternatively, discussion could be based on the children’s written input which could be read out (anonymously, if preferred) to stimulate discussion. Within the curriculum, it fits in the fields of philosophy for children, critical thinking and Personal Health and Social Education (PSHE).

The questions that Will discusses with his Gran include:
Why do people have to die?
Where do people go when they die?
Why do people have to die when they are not old?
Is it OK to forget people and pets who have died?
. . . and the book provides:
Suggestions on how grown-ups can share this book with kids
And useful information about other books and details of help groups

Gina Levete has created a much needed resource that will help teachers to stimulate genuine debate around loss, death and bereavement . . . an invaluable stimulus for genuine, calm, dialogue.
Jenny Mosley, Educational Consultant

Death is something of a taboo subject in our society and no more so than when talking with children. This book is precisely what they (parents and teachers) need. It shows that children do not require answers but the opportunity to think about such matters with adults they can trust. Talking to my Gran About Dying is a resource that can promote meaningful and safe conversations that children will value.
Clive Erricker, joint author, The Education of the Whole Child

It is always wonderful to witness an older person linking up with a child to share their  wisdom and curiosity on BIG stuff. This interesting book shows us how young Will and his delightful Grandmother explore their ideas on dying and bereavement. It would be a useful resource to a primary teacher or caring adult wanting to facilitate a discussion so children can safely develop their own thoughts and feelings about a very big and important subject.
Julie Stokes OBE – Founder of Winston’s Wish , the leading charity for Bereaved Children


Price: £8.50

I Say, I Say, I Say: The Double Act Story

I Say, I Say, I Say: The Double Act Story

by Eric Midwinter
Original study of 20th C British comic double acts – their historic, social & cultural origins, heyday & decline – from Victorian seaside minstrels, through between the wars cross-talk duos on stage & wireless to the huge appeal of iconic TV pairings. Brief & telling glimpses of scores of acts, with in-depth scrutiny of the more famous ‘turns’.

I Say, I Say, I Say: The Double Act StoryMore Details
In this compact and original study of British comic double acts, Eric Midwinter cheerfully attempts to answer three questions.

First, and while describing the birth of the modern double act among the minstrel shows at late Victorian seaside resorts, he wonders why there were so few double acts before the end of the First World War in 1918. He explains how cultural and even legal reasons curtailed the growth of the phenomenon. Second, he asks why, then, there was such a profusion of double acts between about 1920 and the mid-1950s. He shows how the dictates of fashion, coupled with the demands of variety and ‘wireless’, created a boom time for the crosstalk comics. Third, he inquires into the reasons why, since that point, and with the intriguing exception of Morecambe and Wise, there have been so few comic duos. He analyses the effects of television and other social dimensions on popular entertainment by way of explanation.

Throughout there are brief and telling glimpses of scores of double acts, including some American examples, together with in-depth scrutiny of the more famous ‘turns’, such as Laurel and Hardy, Flanagan and Allen, Murray and Mooney and Jewel and Warriss…and all related vividly to the social background of their audiences.

At once knowledgeable and readable, I Say, I Say, I Say is an attractively presented account of a measurable and significant element of popular entertainment over the last hundred or so years. Everyone has enjoyed a double act - the appeal of I Say, I Say, I Say is very general indeed.


Price: £11.00

Bawdy But British! The Life of Douglas Byng

Bawdy But British! The Life of Douglas Byng

by Patrick Newly
Simon Callow wrote in The Guardian (29.08.09) Newley's view of this ( theatrical) world is absolutely and uniquely authentic. Of all his subjects, Byng was the biggest star . . .

Patrick Newly manages to use his affectionate closeness to Douglas Byng to reveal his life in all its stylish glory, but without any loss of shrewd objectivity. It makes a tale at once poignant and compelling. (Eric Midwinter)
Illustrated with pictures and show bills plus 6 lovely colour reproductions from Byng Ballads and More Byng Ballads by the artist Clarke Hutton.

Price: £13.50

You Lucky People! The Tommy Trinder Story

You Lucky People! The Tommy Trinder Story

by Patrick Newley
The life of Tommy Trinder

You Lucky People! The Tommy Trinder StoryMore Details
Published September 2008 130 pages illustrated with photographs and playbills ISBN 1898576 23 8
Tommy Trinder is himself one of the lucky people. His life story has been superbly told by the admirable Patrick Newley (Eric Midwinter).
Patrick Newley's new biography is a slim volume, but it is the equal of any fat tome, since Newley tells his story with the same sort of machine-gun delivery as Trinder worked his act. (Richard Anthony Baker in The Stage)

Price: £13.50

The Amazing Mrs Shufflewick: The Life of Rex Jameson

The Amazing Mrs Shufflewick: The Life of Rex Jameson

by Patrick Newley
'One of the most intelligent and affectionate portraits of a star I have read. If ever a biography makes a character leap to life off the page, this one does.' (Eric Midwinter)

The Amazing Mrs Shufflewick: The Life of Rex JamesonMore Details
"Unforgettable. This biography with all the laughter and desperation is a must for the bookshelf of every entertainment afficianado."
- WYN CALVIN

"A great read. A book that is written eloquently and touchingly."
- ROBERT ELMS

"I read this book to find out more about the iconic Mrs Shufflewick, but I discovered the amazingly talented Rex Jameson. It's been a delightful journey. Pour a stiff one and read this book".
- MIKE WILKINS, Gay Times

"An affectionate memoir of one of the 20th century's great drag performers."
PETER BURTON - 3Sixty Magazine

"A truly wonderful book."
- BARRY CRYER

"I loved it!"
- VICTOR SPINETTI

"Patrick Newley has written a book which is almost as sad as it is funny and is immensely readable."
- JOHN WADE - Encore Magazine

"Newley interweaves the text with extracts from Shuff's scripts which are so skillfully written that one can imagine how Jameson played them and get a real flavour of what meeting Mrs Shufflewick was really like. For those who saw Mrs S live, this is a wonderful reminder of that talent and a fitting tribute clearly written with
great affection."
- TOM HOWARD - Rogues and Vagabonds

"A book that is both very funny and very sad. Patrick Newley is a superb anecdotalist, who does not fail us here."
- RICHARD ANTHONY BAKER - The Stage

120 pages ISBN 1 898576 21 1

Price: £13.50

The People\'s Jesters: 20th Century British Comedians

The People's Jesters: 20th Century British Comedians

by Eric Midwinter
An absorbing exercise in nostalgia as well as a fascinating study of much-loved comedians and how they worked.

The People\More Details
"Meticulously researched and vastly entertaining." - The Stage Newspaper.
232 pages 248mm x 178mm paperback ISBN 1 898576 25 4 2006

Price: £16.00

Best Remembered: A Hundred Stars of Yesteryear

Best Remembered: A Hundred Stars of Yesteryear

by Eric Midwinter. Illustrated with original caricatures by Rufus Segar.
From the '20s to the '50s these British and other stars achieved fame through radio, cinema, stage, dance hall, theatre, variety hall and sporting fields. A trigger for memory and a fascinating record of social history.

Best Remembered: A Hundred Stars of YesteryearMore Details
248mm x 178mm paperback ISBN 1898576180 Feb 2002

Price: £14.50

As One Stage Door Closes... The Story of John Wade, Jobbing Conjuror

As One Stage Door Closes... The Story of John Wade, Jobbing Conjuror

by Eric Midwinter
A magician's life seen through the eye of a social historian. An amazing career is chronicled through times of great change in the entertainment industry.

As One Stage Door Closes... The Story of John Wade, Jobbing ConjurorMore Details
167 pages ISBN 1898576 300

Price: £13.50

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