Bøker av Paul Hurley

'Sir William A. Stanier FRS' is a photographic celebration of the life and work of renowned railway engineer Sir William A. Stanier. His steam and diesel locomotives are iconic, and predominated in Britain from the 1930s to the end of steam in 1968.

Commemorating the creation of the Big Four railway companies, 100 years ago

This collection of true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in Cheshire in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Commemorating the anniversary of the end of steam railway traction in Britain 50 years ago

From its foundation as a Roman fort, Chester has played an important role in the history of north-west England. Close to the Welsh border, the city is still surrounded by an almost complete circuit of city walls, enclosing the cathedral, castle and many other ancient buildings, including the famous Rows of black and white half-timbered buildings. Chester continued its prominence into the industrial age, with the arrival first of the canal system then the railways. Today, the city of Chester has extended with new housing well beyond the city walls and redevelopments within the city, but still attracts many to its historic centre, its racecourse beside the River Dee and lively cultural scene. Chester Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Chester with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, the docks and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Paul Hurley presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Chester. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

An illustrated history of one of Britain's finest counties - Cheshire. Using photographs taken from the unique Historic England Archive.

As the days of steam ended, other forms of power took over...

As the fifties faded away, sixties style swept Chester into the modern age.

Macclesfield is an ancient Cheshire town that stands beneath the sprawling and beautiful Peak District. It is Cheshire's farthest outpost before taking the road into Derbyshire; many years ago it entered the Industrial Revolution in a more genteel manner by becoming a silk town. Here all manner of silk items were manufactured, such as the narrowest ribbons and the best of silks and satins. It is the perfect base from which to explore Macclesfield Forest and the Cheshire Peak District but the town itself has plenty to offer, including the Heritage Centre with its museums and tea room. Macclesfield History Tour is a unique insight into the illustrious history of the town, its well-known streets and famous faces, and explains what they meant to local people throughout the nineteenth and into the twentieth century. Readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and watch the changing face of Macclesfield as author Paul Hurley guides us through the local streets.

The drinking establishments of Saxon Chester are a mystery to us. The nineteenth-century historian Thomas Hughes wrote, 'Anglo-Saxons had their eala-hus [ale house], win-hus [wine house] and cumen-hus [inn]'. We don't know where they could have been located, but we do know that weak beer was the staple drink throughout the land because it was safer to drink than water. Chester has many cosy, historical and picturesque public houses, some that have served the public for hundreds of years. Chester pubs, like those throughout the country are going through a time of radical change. Reinvented for a new generation of patrons, many of the pubs have turned into gastro and themed pubs and bars. Within the pages of the Chester Pubs you will find a mixture of typical pubs from down the ages, some from a long way down, and a few of the newer bars.