Bøker av Mike Hitches

Bridlington History Tour provides a fascinating glimpse into the past of this Yorkshire coastal town. With its bustling harbour, beautiful beaches and picturesque promenades, it is easy to see why it has become a favourite destination for holidaymakers. In this book, author Mike Hitches guides readers around its streets and buildings, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they have changed over the years, as well as exploring some of its lesser-known sights and hidden corners. This pocket-sized guide reveals how the town has altered and highlights the way of life for past generations. With the help of a handy location map, readers are invited to discover for themselves the history and the changing face of Bridlington.

The railway network within Birmingham has long been important for the movement of passengers and freight to serve the centre and its suburbs, and as the road network around Birmingham has become more congested, the railways in the city have, once more, taken on an important role. As the network declined in the twentieth century, trains were regarded as shabby and also suffered from poor punctuality and stations became unkempt and many had no staff, although the majority of the network remained intact. However, things began to change during the 1980s. Today, 'Cross-City' services operate from a number of Birmingham stations, and similar services function between Wolverhampton and Walsall, and other cities. The stations serving the city centre have very different and fascinating histories. New Street was the first to appear, built by the London & North Western Railway in 1854. The station at Snow Hill was built by the Great Western Railway and opened in 1852. Moor Street terminus was opened in 1909 close to the tunnel mouth on the Snow Hill line. The station was abandoned for a while but has since been beautifully restored to something near its former glory and now allows termination of Chiltern Railways' trains from London (Marylebone). Indeed, such renovations have ensured that Birmingham is still well served by a modern railway network.

A tribute to this important rail network - a must-have for any railway enthusiast.

Recapturing the glory days of steam on the North Wales coast and the Lleyn Peninsula.

Bridlington has two stunning beaches of gleaming golden sands, with a picturesque, bustling harbour in the middle. The harbour is a hive of activity with fishing boats bringing in the day's catch, pleasure cruises along the heritage coast, speedboat rides across the bay and North Sea fishing expeditions on offer. Here you can also find a funfair, kids' corner and donkey rides, a museum, children's zoo, pitch and putt, putting green, craft units and tearooms. Mike Hitches takes a fascinating visual journey through the area, and also takes us back in time. If you head away from the beach into the Old Town, you will find a gem that has remained largely unchanged for centuries, where Olde Worlde pubs and antique shops rub shoulders with art galleries and tearooms. Why not follow this affectionate and fascinating historic tour, which will surprise and delight anyone who knows and loves the area.

A glorious tribute to the golden age of steam, through to the invention of the modern rail system in Cheshire