Where Did It All Go Right?: Growing Up Normal in the 70s

Andrew Collins

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Published by Ebury Press, part of Ebury Publishing

Epub

Format: ebook

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Details

EAN: 9781409020271
Published: 4 Mar 2006

About the book

Synopsis

Andrew Collins was born 37 years ago in Northampton. His parents never split up, in fact they rarely exchanged a cross word. No-one abused him. Nobody died. He got on well with his brother and sister and none of his friends drowned in a canal. He has never stayed overnight in a hospital and has no emotional scars from his upbringing, except a slight lingering resentment that Anita Barker once mocked the stabilisers on his bike. Where Did It All Go Right? is a jealous memoir written by someone who occasionally wishes life had dealt him a few more juicy marketable blows. The author delves back into his first 18 years in search of something - anything - that might have left him deeply and irreparably damaged. With tales of bikes, telly, sweets, good health, domestic harmony and happy holidays, Andrew aims to bring a little hope to all those out there living with the emotional after-effects of a really nice childhood. Andrew Collins kept a diary from the age of five, so he really can remember what he had for tea everyday and what he did at school, excerpts from his diary run throughout the book and it is this detail which makes his story so compelling.

Press

What the critics say

This is a book to indulge in, the literary equivalent of Horlicks before bed, guaranteed to leave you feeling all warm inside
- The Observer

A lovely tongue-in-cheek memoir...a wonderful antidote to all those tales of childhood woe pouring from the presses; read and enjoy
- Publishing News

A welcome visitor into any home that houses a Nick Hornby or a Tony Parsons.
- Glasgow Herald

An unashamed nostalgia fest . . . comic gold.
- Time Out

Warm moments . . . thanks to the author's grasp of the anecdote.
- Word

By this author

About the Author

Andrew Collins was born in Northampton. He began his journalistic career at the NME and went on to edit Q magazine. He has written for Select, The Observer, New Statesman, Word, The Guardian and Radio Times, where he is Film Editor. He won a Sony Gold award for 'Collins & Maconie's Hit Parade' on Radio 1 and co-presented Collins & Maconie's Movie Club on ITV. Andrew was a scriptwriter for EastEnders and Family Affairs. He hosted Radio 4's weekly film programme Back Row for nearly three years, presents a daily show on BBC 6 Music and fronts The Day The Music Died on Radio 2. His first sitcom, Grass, written with Simon Day, aired on BBC2 in 2003. He also co-wrote and performed Lloyd Cole Knew My Father on stage and for Radio 2. In addition to Where Did It All Go Right?, Andrew is the author of Still Suitable For Miners, the official biography of Billy Bragg, and Friends Reunited. He is married, lives in Surrey and cares deeply about the world.

Andrew Collins